Did you know that there are some top Merlots outside Bordeaux? If not then we should definitely introduce you to Galatrona 2018 Petrolo, a topnotch Tuscan Merlot with astronomical ratings in a row since its first bottling, in 1994. Suffice it to say that 2018 vintage has scored 97pts from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, 97pts from Decanter, and 98pts from James Suckling!
In 1716 the Grand Duke of Tuscany singled out the 4 most valuable pieces of Tuscany based on the wine and oil they could produce. Val ’Arno di Sopra, where Petrolo is located, is amongst these 4. Particularly it is located on the eastern and western hills between Florence and Arezzo.
Petrolo was founded in 1834 by Giorgio Perrin and was later taken over by Bazzocchi family. The unique environment, where vines and olives coexist having created a unique ecosystem, is responsible for some of the best wines in the world. Luca Sanjust and the rest of Petrolo's team worked very hard for the 2018 vintage, that showed from the beginning its potential. The result shows that they were right and that the 2018 vintage is probably one of the best ever.
Galatrona comes from the homonymous Cru vineyard, which is organically grown. The harvest is of course done by hand and after the very strict sorting, the wine is fermented with ambient yeasts in concrete tanks. After that, it is transferred to French oak barriques (1/3 new) where it matures for 18 months. There are no words to describe the result…it is that incredible!
Galatrona 2018 Petrolo is one of the most coveted and great wines in the world, one of those that is a life experience to try!
