Petrolo Galatrona

This is our cru of merlot. Wine of great structure on the palate and widly aromatic on the nose. Galatrona is Petrolo's flagship, the most awarded wine of the estate.

"a great wine, beyond the grape varietal it’s made from, must talk of the piece of land it came from. Beyond being mainly good, it has to be a classic in its own way" Luca.

Denomination

Val d'Arno di Sopra DOC - Vigna Galatrona, merlot - Estate produced and bottled

First year of production

1994

Grape variety

Merlot 100%

Production

max. 20.000 bottles

Download the wine fact sheet

Wine fact sheet (PDF)

Production

VINEGROWING:  Since 2004 we have been abandoning traditional farming methods practising Natural/Sustainable farming: dry farming, no tillage, total grassing with mulch management, no synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Official Organic Certification was obtained from harvest 2016 (Petrolo olive oil is organic since the 90’s). To achieve natural balance in the vineyard, plant management is made by hand with targeted intervention. Heavier pruning and grape thinning is almost absent in the mature vineyards already balanced. Today extra management is only needed in the more challenging years only.

VINIFICATION:   Manual harvest in crates and further grape selection with sorting table. Natural vinification with native yeasts in cement vats. Manual soft and frequent pumping over. Skin maceration over 15 days.

AGING: Spontaneous malo-lactic fermentation in wood. Maturation in Frech oak barrique, a third new, for about 18 months. Constant batonnage of the fine lees for the first 6 months.

STYLE: Intense elegant wine with great structure and complexity, lovely balance between acidity, fruit and tannins. A great wine, beyond the grape varietal it’s made from, must talk of the piece of land it came from. Beyond being mainly good, it has to be a classic in its own way.

Vineyards

THE VINEYARD: The wine Galatrona is a cru of Merlot made from the vineyard Galatrona planted in various phases during the 1990’s with low vigor bordeaux clones in the locality known as Feriale. The vineyard extends for 10 Ha with almost 50.000 plants grown on spurred cordon trellising.

THE SOIL: Loam rich in clay, with shale, marl and sandstones. Altitude 300 m asl. South-eastern exposure. Placed on the south-eastern borders of the Chianti Hills, in the DOC Val d’Arno di Sopra. Clay helps keeping moisture in the soil, of which merlot has higher needs in the hot, dry, Tuscan summers. The combination of stones, shale and clay is among the elements that allow Galatrona to produce an elegant and full bodied wine even in what are considered minor vintages.

Awards

Galatrona

Vintage J. Suckling Vinous Galloni Wine Advocate Wine Spectator Decanter Falstaff Wine Enthusiast Gambero Rosso AIS Duemila Vini Espresso Veronelli L. Maroni Doctor Wine
2016 97-98  – – –  –  –  –  –  –  – –  – –
2015 99 Second best wine of the World  – 96 –  –  –  –  –  –  – –  – 95
2014 95  –  – 90  –  –  – ***  –  – 93  93 –
2013 98 91 97+ –  –  –  – ***  –  – –  – –
2012 98 93 94 93 Bronze  97  – ***  *****  –  93  – –
2011 99 93-95 94 94 Commended  97  – ***  ***** – 93  – 95
2010 95 92 93 94 Bronze 92 – *** ***** 16/20 92 91 –
2009 97 94 98 90 Silver 97- top 10 merlot of the world – *** ***** 15,5/20 – 90 –
2008 95 93+ 93+ 95 – 95 97 *** ***** 17/20 – 90 –
2007 98 95+ 95+ 98 – 96 98 *** ***** 16/20 – 90 –
2006 96 95 95 96 Bronze – 95 *** ***** – 93 91 –
2005 93 93 93 93 Sliver – 94 *** ***** 16.5/20 92 90 –
2004 97 96 97 97 Commended 92 97 *** ***** 18/20 94 90 –
2003 96 91 91 96 – 96 90 ** ***** 15/20 92 90 –
2002 90 – 91 90 – – – ** ***** – 91 90 –
2001 92 – 94 96 – 93 – *** ***** 17.5/20 92 92 –
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