2021 Galatrona
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Galatrona is a rich, deep, expansive wine endowed with striking textural depth and structure. Dark fruit, sage, lavender, mocha and grilled herbs are all amplified in this potent Merlot. Readers will have to be patient, as this will need a number of years to be at its finest. A complex, dynamic Galatrona, the 2021 is just superb.
Critic scores
Average Score
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
'Revined' sample, from a test tube. Vibrant black fruit with furry tannic thickness on the palate. Dark and stormy (not the cocktail). The quality of fruit is suppressed by tannin and acid at present, this is a long-term investment. (RH)
The 2021 Val d'Arno di Sopra Galatrona shows extremely focused aromas, but very generous ones all the while, with soft mint, cherry and stracciatella over a full-bodied texture with soft layers of spice and cedarwood. The wine boasts an elegantly chalky quality to the tannins, but the mouthfeel is so generous, everything irons out beautifully over the palate. It ages in a combination of new and used barrique. Annual production is about 30,000 bottles.
100% Merlot, harvested 1–15 September. Spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in glazed concrete vats with frequent, gentle manual pumpovers. Matured for around 18 months in French oak barriques and tonneaux (approx one-third new). TA 5.89, pH 3.56. Organic. Camphor and dried herbs dominate the nose here. The palate is taut and red-fruited with a slightly drying astringency of tannin at this stage. There is a hint of sawdust in both flavour and texture, highlighting a leaner, lighter style. Acid finish. (TP)
About the producer
Petrolo is one of Tuscany’s cult names. It is best known for Galatrona – a Merlot cuvée that is, along with Masseto, often described as the Pétrus of Tuscany.