Appy ITALIAN Friday with a 100-Pointer of course!

“Galatrona sets the bars for other Merlot wines in Italy and around the world. It’s been compared to Pétrus in Pomerol.” – Wine Advocate

We recall earlier this year Agent Noir tearing his hair out when somebody beat him to a 100-pointer brand new 2022 vintage of this wine. He’s been on a warpath to hunt some down for you Ops ever since. And he did! The latest vintage of Galatrona - the mythical Super Tuscan Merlot so good wine professionals high and low can’t help but compare it to Petrus - is finally here!

Imagine we offered up Château Pétrus again but 40% off. AND UNDER $100?!

You’d suggest we get our head checked, or possibly that it must be fake. And refrain from buying any, KNOWING that it just can’t be right, right? Well, in a way that’s what we’re doing today. In a REAL and a very Italian way… with “The Pétrus of Tuscany.”

Fully anticipating a quick sell out, we suggest you act FAST!!!

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate asks, “What makes a wine an icon? Is it rarity or expense? Is it the terroir? Is it high scores from critics or the wine’s presence on the best restaurant wine lists around the world? Does it set the standard for other winemakers?” Concluding that “for Petrolo’s Galatrona, it’s all of the above.”

They explain it with, “constant pursuit of perfection, unbelievable attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence. Luca Sanjust, proprietor and winemaker at Petrolo, embodies these ideals and his 100 percent Merlot, Galatrona, sets the bars for other Merlot wines in Italy and around the world.” concluding that it’s “one of the best Merlots in the world. It’s been compared to Pétrus in Pomerol, and it shares the podium with other 100 percent Merlots from Italy like Masseto, Redigaffi, Messorio and L’Apparita.”

Antonio Galloni’s Vinous follows suit, calling it “A Tuscan Icon - one of Italy’s most famous and best Merlots… Clearly, no international grape variety in Italy can boast four monovariety wines of the caliber of Masseto, L’Apparita, Redigaffi and Messorio. Galatrona, from the picturesque Petrolo estate, located just outside the Chianti Classico zone near Montevarchi, is right up there with the best of them… destined to remain the bright star that it already is for many years to come.”

Foremost Tuscan expert James Suckling begs to differ: “James often likens Galatrona to Le Pin” instead of the more common Pétrus comparison, “The wine shares the same immense power but also sublime tannin structure and finesse. The terroir of Galatrona also bears some resemblance to Le Pin. Its 10 hectares slope close to the valley, where the soil is rich with all-important clay, just like the famous, low-lying Pomerol plateau.”

Just check this interview out:

This latest vintage? James Suckling blessed it with a perfect 100 points! (And there’s a 98 and double 97’s to back that assertion up!)

No matter how you dissect it, it’s a profound wine, intense yet with unimaginable finesse and depth. And while the uber-wealthy debate whether it’s Pétrus or Le Pin, grab what you can.

For what just 1 bottle of those costs, at our UNBEATABLE low price you can take home 5 CASES of this super limited haunting beauty, while it lasts.

100 Points – James Suckling “The floral aromas are spellbinding, with aromas of violets, lilacs, orange peel, raspberries, rose petals, and some oranges. It’s medium- to full-bodied with crunchy and open-grain tannins that are creamy and caressing. It’s endless in the finish. Crunchy and energetic. A wine that is thoughtful and gives you such great pleasure. Such purity. It’s like eating perfectly ripened grape must. Pure merlot. Drinkable in many ways, but will come together beautifully. A new reference point for merlot in Italy. Drink after 2028.”

98 Points – Wine Enthusiast “Petrolo’s Galatrona becomes increasingly convincing with each passing vintage–as the Merlot reveals increasing complexity, the confident, hands-off winemaking approach and the purity guaranteed by the fermentation and aging vessels come together to create a seamless, uninhibited expression.”

97 Points – Wine Advocate “The Petrolo 2022 Val d’Arno di Sopra Galatrona is a beautiful wine with an elegantly focused and streamlined style. Proprietor Luca Sanjust describes this vintage as “the most Tuscan version of Galatrona” he has produced, and he remarks on the ability of Merlot, the grape used here, to resemble Sangiovese in the unique Valdarno territory. Winemaking has been tweaked to produce the wine in an initially more reductive style to ensure better and longer bottle evolution. The team is working with better woods, neutral oak and bigger capacities. There is more work with the lees and no racking. The wine shows a core of dark fruit with wild berries and pressed rose. This medium-plus Tuscan Merlot concludes with lasting freshness. The Galatrona site has mixed soils with sand, rocks and clay. Two geological plates meet at this spot, and the clay pan folds underground as a result. The site is surrounded by cooling forests. Drink 2026 – 2048”

97 Points – Decanter “The very promising 2022 has great freshness on the nose, where wild berries vie with savoury mineral notes and hints of aromatic herbs. The impact of the fruit on the palate is intense but in perfect balance, the tannins are super-fine, and the finish infinitely long and impeccably precise. Current owner Luca Sanjust inherited Petrolo from his mother Lucia who, with the early guidance of legendary master taster Giulio Gambelli, established a production of outstanding quality in what was at the time the little known backwater of the Colli Aretini. Merlot has been a feature of the production since the 1980s, and on the clay soils of the Galatrona vineyard on the cooler left bank of the Arno river, the variety gives wines with bright, succulent fruit and extreme elegance in a style which sets them apart from the Merlots of the Tuscan coast. Pure class. Drink 2026 – 2036”