Petrolo
Galatrona 2020
Toscana IGT
Galatrona is Petrolo’s most acclaimed wine, a Merlot cru made exclusively with grapes from the Galatrona-Feriale vineyard planted in various phases during the 1990s with low vigor Bordeaux clones. The unique microclimate allows the concentration of the noble components of the grapes that are fundamental for the great structure, elegance, balance, and persistence that has made Galatrona one of Italy’s most coveted wines.
VINEYARD
The vines are planted on clay-rich loam, with shale, marl and sandstone. Clay helps to retain the moisture in the soil, which is particularly useful during the hot, dry Tuscan summers. The vineyard lies approximately 1000 feet above sea level and has a south-eastern exposure. The vineyard spans 25 acres, with almost 50,000 plants grown on spurred cordon trellising. The yield per plant is notably restricted (max 2.5 lbs per vine plant), with the Petrolo estate as a whole producing 65,000 bottles (5,000 cases) from 140,000 plants – less than half a bottle per plant. The strict pruning permits a complete grape maturation to take place. The limited yields permits the grapeskins to achieve highly concentrated levels of anthocyanins and tannin, already sweetened due to the polymerization of the plant.
WINEMAKING
Skin maceration lasts more than 20 days. Pump-overs are done manually with considerable care and very frequently to allow the complete extraction from the skins. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques, usually starting quickly and with regular development. After the malolactic fermentation the wine ages in new and almost new French oak barriques for approximately 18 months. During this period the wine is left for the first 8 months on the fine lees. After bottling, the wine begins its usual maturation period of about 6 months before release.
VINTAGE
After a rather mild winter, the initially warm spring brought abundant rains in May and rather cold temperatures for the period. At the beginning of summer, with the heat wave of the first half of June, the development of the vine was realigned to its usual course. Some thunderstorms in July brought below average temperatures and allowed a balanced growth of the bunches. The grapes in August underwent several rains and high temperatures, so we had a very good ripening.
Color
Red
Grape Varieties
Merlot
Appellation
Toscana IGT
Farming
Organic
Alcohol
14%
Suggested Retail Price
$130.00
Reviews
"Blackberry, plum, graphite"
Wine Spectator - June 12, 2023 "A round, fruity red, with ripe black cherry, blackberry, plum, graphite and spice flavors. Starts out smooth, firming up on the finish, where refined tannins kick in. Shows fine balance." -B.S 7/23
"An absolute indulgence"
Wine Enthusiast - June 20, 2023 "Dark berries, chocolate mousse, dried herbs and a bit of chili pepper heat show on the nose of this wine. The palate remains chocolatey but herbal, with a dark-cherry-syrup finish contrasted by chalky, gritty tannins and lingering heat. An absolute indulgence in the best way." - D.C 6/23
Reviews
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Trade Materials
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Every year, Petrolo selects a small lot of Bòggina, a wine made purely from their best Sangiovese grapes, to ferment in amphorae. The choice of amphorae has a historical dimension to get closer to Tuscany's cultural roots, as Terracotta in Tuscany has a history back to the early Etruscan times. The remains of amphorae and other Etruscan relics can be found throughout the Petrolo property, an area that has been settled for thousands of years.
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Boggina is bottled from the best barrels of Sangiovese produced each year from the Boggina hill, planted in the 1950’s by Luca’s grandfather. Bòggina is the oldest vineyard on the Petrolo estate, and the source of Petrolo’s most prized Sangiovese vines.
