Galatrona is the diamond in the crown of the Petrolo winery and has been produced since 1994. The pure Merlot comes from a cool, breathtakingly beautiful altitude surrounded by forest. On a narrow strip between the old trees, there is the magical combination of clay soil and Galestro stones. Some of the vines come from our friend Castello di Ama and Luca Sanjust was able to acquire the necessary know-how in Bordeaux from Jacques Thienpont (VCC) and Denis Durantou (L’Eglise-Clinet) directly in Pomerol. Purely organic. The wine was aged for 20 months in French wood, mainly in barriques, around 25 percent of which were new, but a few larger barrels were also used. Bright, deep ruby red. The dense, dark, immensely fruity nose of the wine is also an explosion of spices. In the glass, it develops from an animalistic beast to an elixir within minutes! Iodine, iron, leather, blackberries, plums with fragrant flowers, blond tobacco and herbs. Beguiling, dense and yet floatingly light. The aromatic diversity goes in all directions. Every time you smell the glass, the flag of Galatrona flies in a different direction – what a rollercoaster ride of aromas! After the dense, ripe and opulent nose, the linear precision in the mouth, loaded with smoky minerality, comes as a real surprise. Ripe black cherries and blueberries. The tannins are grippingly textured and cling to the straightforward, mineral component of the wine – it needs a few more years in the cellar to fully integrate them. On the finish, black cherry with 100 percent chocolate and the wine’s intense, almost salty, smoky minerality linger long in the mouth. The outstanding balance of this wine is astounding and, alongside the grandiose L’Apparita from Castello di Ama, it is rightly one of Italy’s greatest Merlots.