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SKU 850735
$97.20/bottle
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Really gorgeous blue fruit with blackberries and blueberries, sandalwood and fresh flowers. Such a cool and bright nose. Lavender, too. Medium-to full-bodied, firm and tight with really fine and curated tannins that last for minutes. Very attractive now, but one that will age and satisfy for decades. Best in 2027 and onwards.
With its dark blue colored fruits and high juice content, Merlot varietal grapes have long been a favorite of wine producers around the globe, with it being found in vineyards across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere in the New World. One of the distinguishing features of Merlot grapes is the fact that they have a relatively low tannin content and an exceptionally soft and fleshy character, meaning they are capable of producing incredibly rounded and mellow wines. This mellowness is balanced with plenty of flavor, however, and has made Merlot grapes the varietal of choice for softening other, more astringent and tannin-heavy wines, often resulting in truly exceptional produce. Merlot is regarded as one of the key 'Bordeaux' varietals for precisely this reason; when combined with the drier Cabernet Sauvignon, it is capable of blending beautifully to produce some of the finest wines available in the world.
Country
Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
Region
Tuscany
The central Italian region of Tuscany is widely understood to be one of the world's most famous and highly regarded wine regions. The beautiful rolling hillsides and medieval towns and castles which are a key feature of the area are also home to many of Europe's finest wineries, and extremely high quality vineyards growing the distinctive Sangiovese and Vernaccia grape varietals which are the flavorful backbone of Tuscany's wonderful red and white wines. For almost three thousand years, this region has been recognized as an ideal home for wine production on a large scale, and the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Romans all noticed that fine grape varietals flourished on the unique soils and under the hot sunshine which typifies the area. Today, Tuscany is home to a wide range of wines, from the traditional to the complex, but all dedicated to excellent flavors and aromas, and maintaining the region's international reputation.
JS98pts
James Suckling
Really gorgeous blue fruit with blackberries and blueberries, sandalwood and fresh flowers. Such a cool and bright nose. Lavender, too. Medium-to full-bodied, firm and tight with really fine and curated tannins that last for minutes. Very attractive now, but one that will age and satisfy for decades. Best in 2027 and onwards.
WA97pts
Wine Advocate
Tasted from barrel, the gorgeous 2018 Galatrona promises much beauty to come. Luca Sanjust says that this is the most Pomerol of the Merlot-based Galatronas he has created, and indeed, the wine boasts impeccable balance and depth. You get some of the balsam herb notes that I found in the 2017 vintage, although those are greatly downplayed here, giving more room to cherry and blackberry fruit instead. The 2018 vintage offers energy, freshness and tonic fruit. Underground water reserves were plentiful in 2018, and the fruit ripened slowly and harmoniously, creating textural richness and succulence.
DC97pts
Decanter
A 100% Merlot cuvée that totally delivers. This is seductive with tons of finesse and layers of liquorice and olive paste with grip and smoked swirls of grilled oak. I love the confidence and complexity of this wine. 2018 had less extreme temperatures than 2017 in this corner of Chianti, and it gives a lilting freshness while still guarding the wild fig and rosemary aromatics that give a sense of place. Fermentation is in small barrels and amphoras, with manual punching down of the skins. Overall, a gorgeous wine and an extremely easy bottle to recommend. 20,000 bottles, with the Place de Bordeaux responsible for all distribution outside of Italy. Organic certified since 2016. Owner and winemaker Luca Sanjust worked with the late Denis Durantou of L'Eglise Clinet during the early years of Petrolo, and certainly you can see some of the deft playing with the possibilities of Merlot that became the signature of both men. Drinking Window 2023 - 2043.
VM96pts
Vinous Media
The flagship 2018 Galatrona, 100% Merlot, is very beautiful. Silky tannins wrap around a core of Merlot fruit. I am struck by how elegant the 2018 is, as Galatrona is so often a wine of impact. Black cherry, chocolate, game, leather, licorice and spice give the 2018 a good bit of nuance. This is an especially understated, refined edition of Galatrona.
WS93pts
Wine Spectator
Bursting with bright black cherry, blackberry, iron, wild herb and forest floor flavors. Juicy and relaxed, with fine acidity and plenty of tannins for support. Very charming and harmonious overall. Non-blind Petrolo Galatrona vertical (November 2021). Best from 2025 through 2042. 1,600 cases made, 150 cases imported.
Winery Notes
Galatrona is Petrolo’s most acclaimed wine, a Merlot cru made exclusively with grapes from the Galatrona-Feriale vineyard planted in various phases during the 1990s with low vigor Bordeaux clones. The unique microclimate allows the concentration of the noble components of the grapes that are fundamental for the great structure, elegance, balance, and persistence that has made Galantrona one of Italy’s most coveted wines.
