Galatrona Petrolo 2021 (OCC 6)

Description

By Wine Advocate in 2023 (WA97)

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.

By Decanter in 2023 (JH97)

Vivid purple in the glass, gorgeous black cherry and blackcurrant aromas with touches of florality – this 100% Merlot smells wonderfully scented and inviting. Smooth, ample, really quite seductive on the palate, sensual almost in the silky but gripping tannins, beautifully ripe blackcurrant and cherry fruit and crunchy, crisp acidity that is not too sharp or too obvious but lifts the palate and gives a thrill and wonderful freshness to the overall expression. Beautifully presented, harmonious, balanced and totally enjoyable from the first to last sip. A gorgeous wine, intense yet energetic, full of flavour and textural nuance. Totally unputdownable, although with lots of potential for improvement over ageing. The wine spent 18 months in French oak tonneaux and barriques, 30% new. 3.56pH.

By Vinous in 2023 (AG98)

The 2021 Galatrona is a fine follow-up to the 2020. In most vintages, Galatrona is very showy right out of the gate. That is not at all the case with the 2021, a wine that is going to need a number of years to be at its finest. Black cherry, plum, mocha, leather, licorice and incense infuse the 2021 with tremendous complexity. More than anything else, I admire a feeling of vertical, explosive energy that catapults the 2021 into the stratosphere. This is a tremendous wine by any measure.