Petrolo, Galatrona, 2022

"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."

"(Val d’Arno di Sopra; 100% Merlot; spontaneous vinification in glazed concrete vats; malolactic and aging in French oak tonneaux and barriques for 18 months, a third of them new; pH 3.54; 14% alcohol; certified organic). A wine famously referred to as Tuscany’s Le Pin – and you can see why. So gracious and gently opulent if still a little introvert at first. Subtle spice – a mix of green Szechuan and more classical cinnamon, mace and nutmeg – slowly gives way to lavender and wild rosemary, all gently enveloping and enrobing the dark berry and lighter stone fruits. Brilliantly poised and beautifully contoured in the mouth, with a gloriously crystalline and limpid luminosity in the mid-palate that invites comparison with the other great monocépage Merlots of the world. Staggeringly beautiful and perhaps the most eloquent and articulate expression of this fabulous terroir to date."

"The 2022 Galatrona, 100% Merlot, is another super-attractive wine from Petrolo. It offers lovely up-front appeal to match its easygoing personality. Blue/purplish fruit, licorice, lavender, spice and mocha meld together. The 2022 naturally does not have the structure or depth of the top years, but that simply was not possible in this vintage."