“Making great wines is complex, a coincidence of circumstances is needed. Special climatic conditions, awareness and caring work in the cellar and finally a good dose of luck.”
This philosophy extends beyond the nurturing of the vines and the grapes, so that they provide what they are given. As owner Luca Sanjust often quotes the Beatles: “and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make…”
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| ~ Petrolo’s Cellars – Where the 2010 needs to go ~ |
Petrolo has roman origins, the name Petrolo comes from the term petroliarum (mansion-house or country residence) but older Etruscan settlements likely existed on site where Petrolo currently resides. Petrolo makes three fabulous wines; Galatrona, Torrione, and Bòggina. The names are Etruscan, and the latter probably derives from an Etruscan family which lived and vacationed in the Tuscan hills 3000 years ago.
Today the estate is run by Dottore Luca Sanjust and while all of his wines are excellent, we’re focusing on his pure Merlot, Galtrona. When aged gently, this Merlot is a velvety seductress that caresses your palate. The subject of today’s review is not there yet and needs to be locked away in your cellar.
The 2010 Galatrona is – at least by Merlot standards – a behemoth of a wine. The nose is shy, but after about being open for an hour, black plum, menthol, toast and mocha notes became discernible.
On the palate, the wine is large scaled and full bodied with lots of tannic structure that grips the sides of your cheeks and tugs. Now? Not so gently. The core of fruit is obvious and the acidity well balanced to provide lift and structure, but the tannins shorten the experience at the moment. When these fade, I suspect this wine will be utterly amazing. Difficult, if not unfair, to judge at this point in time. I’d cellar for at least 5 years if not more before trying it again. If itching for Galatrona, try the more forward 2009 or 2011 in the near term. 90-96 points. About $75-$90.
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| ~ 100% Merlot – this Galatrona needs lots of cellar time to become fleshy and shed tannins ~ |
Buon fine settimana!
May 13, 2016
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