Petrolo, Galatrona, Toscana

A little tight at first. Tannins softened after an hour, with cherry and black fruits on the palate. A good merlot, if not great.

2013 vintage

I had a case of this and drank over the last couple of years. To me, it’s now hit its stride. Tannins softened and great balance on the palate. Lovely bramble nose typical of Merlot. Very enjoyable. I think you just have to give it time.

2013 vintage

Opened one hour before serving. Was a fantastic follow up wine after leading with Bondi Santi Brunello for Christmas dinner party. Served filet mignon The Petrolo drank like a Bordeaux with very strong velvety mouthfeel with vibrant dark fruit.

2023 vintage

Gave this 2 hours in the duck....that was too much, as the wine fell apart while drinking. It became somewhat one dimensional. Tannins gone, wine out of balance. Not a good value here, but a nice, not great, wine. drink up, midweek. Unlike the right bank French wines, this did not have any secondary flavors.

2013 vintage

Tasted at CVBG La Place tasting in Singapore. Elegant, ripe fruit, cherry, raspberry, some pomegranate. Quite delicate but well defined with depth. Brief taste but I liked it. 93+

2023 vintage

PNP 1 hour. Wine is 100% merlot. Despite its young age it is very enjoyable now. Floral notes, cherry, well balanced and great smooth mouthfeel. Will hold for 5 years

2021 vintage

Tend to agree with the reviews about this being over rated. It is OK. 3 hours to open up, nice nose but short on the follow through. Quote green and tight on the taste relative to the nose. Suckling’s amplified ratings a bit odd

2013 vintage

Nose of tobacco, mocha, black fruits, and oak. Opulence on the palate with great maturity. The Merlot is well-controlled and not heavy, but the style isn't overly delicate. Tobacco, coffee, and mocha dominate over a background of black fruits. It's well-balanced, the wine is textured, and there's a "luxurious oak" aspect that stands out, but it's not overly slutty. A big, impactful finish, still based on this tobacco/mocha blend, with a significant oaky finish. This is objectively a very good …

2006 vintage

My first time trying the 2006 vintage of one of my favourite Super Tuscans. This one was singing. Opulent, plush blue and black fruit, slight tobacco, cocoa and mocha notes. For me this is at its peak now.

2006 vintage

having with chicken and garlic that according to AI pairs well with Merlot pretty sure can't go wrong with this wine

2006 vintage

P&P. Very closed initially. Eventually opened after an hour in a decanter and revealed notes of dark and sour cherry and some balsamic. I did enjoy it but it overall remained very austere throughout. This hasn't been my experience with Galatrona generally, but it has been the exact experience for all 3 bottles from this case that I opened (all within the last year) so I need to figure out whether this is a result of the vintage (of Galatrona, …

2013 vintage

There is a greeness and steminess here, along with restrained leather. It has a medium weight and a big structure and is slightly austere. Long and straightforward. Can drink now, it should improve over time but is does not show any characteristics of a wine that will become open or generous after 11 years, so perhaps it never will be. 100% Merlot.

2013 vintage

Had high expectations after drinking great 2007 bottles. Opened 2 bottles for event: thin, austere. Decanted and tried 6 hr later...same, thin, austere, some savory,earthy notes, minimal fruit. Tried again 2-1/2 days later- a little more complexity so might have given it 89pt. Doubt will improve with age. An overrated wine, so fortunately I brought better bottles to event as well.

2013 vintage

This has developed nicely over the years and appears very elegant and pretty now. Lots of blackcurrant notes and other dark berries. Besides the typical notes of Bordeaux grapes, it also has a clear Tuscan note of earthiness and balsamico. Not as concentrated and long as some of the blockbuster supee tuscans, bur very elegant. Another Tuscan characteristic is the clear acidity.

2013 vintage

Darker garnet core with some age at rim; nose shows nice mix of tart red and sweet black fruits, an opulent oak is phasing out but still provides a noble robe around the fruit, slight tobacco, slight earth and berry seeds are also evident; lush and enveloping on the palate, warmth and perfect ripeness, this has great texture and feel on the palate, while it doesn’t have pyrazines it sure has that similar Bordeaux wrap to it but with a …

2006 vintage

With friends and family over Passover dinner with briscuit and chicken - fantastic! 93

2013 vintage

This wine has finally come around. Decanted for 90 minutes. This is a plush and round expression of Italian Merlot that is more savory than sweet. Tannin has started to soften and it is drinking well now.

2013 vintage

Waited until day 2 to review. Was waiting for the wine to open and reveal something, anything. Thin wine. Cherry fruit very reticent, no depth, no mid-palate (but finish longer than expected). No off notes, but nothing that demands the next sip. Just the definition of overrated. Or at least this bottle makes me think so.

2013 vintage

At home with BB Opened about 90 min before first sip Wine is very tight not much in the nose nor the palate. Not sure what’s going on with this wine which has always delivered…. I’ve got a few bottles left will revisit in a few years

2013 vintage

happy birthday to me

2006 vintage

Half hour decant, peaking, still firm. Will hold for a few more years.

2006 vintage

Earthy nose. Smooth and full body with cherry fruit. Tannin well integrated on the finish.

2013 vintage

Tight in the beginning. It needs air. Full mouth feel and great complex aftertaste. Good wine but not amazing

2013 vintage

Dark purple, ruby. Rich nose of black and blue berrys, tar and smoke. Still a big, rich wine with full body, spice and a long finish. Drinking well but still youthful

2006 vintage

I gave this a poor review back in 2019. So much better tonight after a 2 hour decant. Half Merlot from Italy and half right bank Bordeaux from France. Tough to call as it is right down the middle. Glad it is starting to open up.

2013 vintage

Drank with a 2006 Masseto and a 2002 Blanket. All need another 10years

2013 vintage

I don’t drink a lot of big red varietals, but I have to say god bless merlot. This isn’t the best wine I’ve ever had, but it’s pleasing and the grape is so soft and graceful. Wines like this make me appreciate single varietal wines so much as they stand on their own.

2006 vintage

From a beautiful magnum, opened and left to rest with no decanting for a good 2 hours. Decanting advisable but not a must. It’s been 3 years since we had this last ( Papies 92) and the wine continues on the right path. This is a Pomerol made in Italy in many respects, lovely ripe fruit, well assimilated oak, bright and energetic and just about showing a secondary side. Frankly more bottle age would help get this to higher scores …

2006 vintage

"Baby Masseto" and a Night of Nebbiolo through the Decades (Charlotte, NC) : Slo-oxed 90 minutes before consuming. This wine threw off a surprising amount of sediment and really could have used a decant and filter. Slightly tannic to start, the wine evolved and softened all evening with plenty of life hours later. Restrained but jammy nose. Concentrated wine revealing rich red cherry notes and dense minerality on the palette. The flavors really popped in subsequent sampling after tasting some …

2006 vintage

No notes taken. Quite a pleasant wine drinking near its peak. There is a good fruit core, along a spicy component and some typical tertiary meaty Merlot notes. In addition some nice brett notes which unfortunately disappeared quickly (in the right amount, these aromas enhance the experience in my book). The wine had a better precision than the Sammarco 2008 in the next glass but still with some upside in this category. However it certainly showed more tension and was …

2006 vintage

Red fruits, prunes, mint, velvety, freshness from the great acidity, impeccably balanced, this is a great bottle! For me in the top 5 of Italian merlot producers

2006 vintage

Black and red fruits, mint, prunes, menthol, coffee and spices, soft and juicy wine with a fantastic acidity.

2006 vintage

Decided I better drink it now as I didn't know how much longer this was going to be good. The right decision as this is just beginning to decline. 100% Merlot, well integrated and smooth. Blackberry, chocolate, leather, tobacco, blueberry, and smoke.

2006 vintage

nose- dark berry mouth - plush and welcoming, suave dark fruit, i can sense the merlot aspect (though am trying unblinded) . not quite jammy but definitely well endowed with fruit. perhaps with time it could develop additional complexity, it certainly has the acidity to keep it alive; and other merlots have surprised me with their longevity. I would hazard to guess that many palates would like this...a lot. I do

2013 vintage

the second bottle of 3. again very, very disappointing. like someone said: tannins and sour.

2013 vintage

Tannins and sour and not much else.

2013 vintage

Very very very good. Super fine tannins, delicately interwoven in flavors of liquorice, blackberries and anise. Love it.

2006 vintage

100% Tuscan Merlot goodness. Big and bold but smooth and well integrated at 14 years. Blackberry, blueberry, chocolate, leather, dark dirt, and baking spices. Wonderful.

2006 vintage

Bright, pure, soil-driven Merlot. Should get to 95 in 5 yrs.

2013 vintage

What a great wine ! Now on its peak. Very elegant. Dark fruit. Multi layered. Long finish. Drink now !

2006 vintage

Merlot showdown at Maison Dakota. Tasted semi-blind. Drank in Grassl 1855. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of animal barnyard becoming a bit more bretty obvious with air, earth, dark leather, black cherries. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), structured grippy high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of black cherries, black plums, blackberries, leather, dark animal meat, grilled bell peppers, tobacco, smoke. Very …

2006 vintage

Needs more time. Considerable amount of sediment. Needs careful decant.

2013 vintage

In a very nice drinking window now. Very fine grained tannins give this a beautiful mouthfeel. Tar and earth mixed with bright red fruit in the background. There is enough acidity in the background to give this nice balance against the big saturated body. Really enjoyable and hard to put down.

2006 vintage

This is such a wonderful Merlot. So balanced, so integrated, so rich and complex. Blackberries, blueberries, leather, chocolate,tobacco, and smoke. Perfect in it's drinking window. Give it a least 1 hour decant.

2006 vintage

See my last note from 2018. Ditto.

2006 vintage

This one stumped the crowd when served blind. Nobody could pin the tail on the wine on both region and varietal. High acidity, tightly wound, fresh black cherry and red berry fruit. Range of ideas on this wine from the group... Burgundy, Brunello, Barolo, Bordeaux? Nope... 100% Merlot from Tuscany. My note is that this is in a dumb phase and needs more time to evolve. Not currently 97 points as Wine Advocate suggests.

2013 vintage

Tasted blind. 3h decant. More secondary aromatics profile of leather and tobacco. Dark red to full dark fruit. Chewy palate, more fruity than on the nose, however. This is the motor oil equivalent in wine - you have to like it! Despite less bottle age, I prefer the 2015.

2013 vintage

Amazing wine. Strong nose of liquorice with some wood and menthol in the background. Some faint greens. Palate dominated by the pure finesse of the tannins. Very very delicate, with more acidity than can be expected from a Merlot monocepage. Drink now.

2006 vintage

Double decanted for a good hour and it is beneficial as the wine has quite a bit of fine sediment. Herby merlot nose, definitely a lot less oak than when we tried it in 2017 ( Papies 90) and a lot more charming and elegant. Still a touch of that monocepage, grape by grape selection monotony here, almost too good and lacked an brighter, more exciting side albeit this being a very solid wine. Lots of life ahead 91-92

2006 vintage

This was singing. Perhaps still on the young side, with still noticeable tannin, but nice leathery and tobacco notes supporting the quite high pitched berry acidity. I will not wait longer with these. This is serious wine!

2006 vintage

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Petrolo, Galatrona, Toscana

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