Petrolo is one of Tuscany’s leading producers which competes with Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and Masseto. Owner Luca Sanjust has always loved Pomerol and was inspired to make the first Super Tuscan with 100% Merlot. In 2016 the winery was certified organic.
The Vineyard
Petrolo wine estate is situated in Valdarno Superior, between the eastern Chianti area and the Arno river, a territory of great geographic and climatic variation. Galatrona's vineyards benefit from a unique microclimate combined with a specific soil's composition which are fundamental for great structure, elegance, balance, and persistence. The vineyard was planted between the end of the 80’s and half of the 90’s with low vigor Bordeaux clones in the locality known as Feriale. It extends across 10 hectares with almost 50.000 plants grown on spurred cordon trellising. Soils are composed of loam rich in clay, with shale, marl and sandstones.
The clay helps keeping the moisture in the soil which is necessary to grow merlot especially in the hot and dry Tuscan summers. The combination of stones, shale and clay is amongst the elements that allow Galatrona to produce an elegant and full bodied wine even in what are considered minor vintages. This particular site, the ‘upper Arno valley’, was granted an officially DOC recently.
To achieve natural balance in the vineyard, plant management is carried out by hand with targeted intervention. Heavier pruning and grape thinning is almost absent in the mature vineyards which are already balanced.
What We Think
Galatrona has been compared to Petrus on many occasions and is continuously highlighted by great scores from the best critics. Around 30,000 bottles are produced each year making it a coveted wine for collectors across the globe. This vintage has received a perfect 100 points from James Suckling. Available for about £100 a bottle, this is a serious contender for both investors and collectors.
Galatrona 2022 - The Scores
The floral aromas are spellbinding, with aromas of violets, lilacs, orange peel, raspberries, rose petals, and some oranges. It’s medium- to full-bodied with crunchy and open-grain tannins that are creamy and caressing. It’s endless in the finish. Crunchy and energetic. A wine that is thoughtful and gives you such great pleasure. Such purity. It’s like eating perfectly ripened grape must. Pure merlot. Drinkable in many ways, but will come together beautifully. A new reference point for merlot in Italy. Drink after 2028. - 100 points James Suckling