Petrolo, Galatrona, 2024 - Magnum
Petrolo, Galatrona, 2024 - Magnum
- 150cl
- 14%
- Red Still
- Merlot
- Organic
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Drinking window: 2028 - 2045
Est. delivery in 2027
Nestled in the Colli Arentini, on the edge of the Chianti Hills, this 100% Merlot is truly remarkable. With vines now aged between 25 and 35 years and producing minuscule yields, they are reaching their peak, delivering exceptional fruit.
The region's clay-rich soils, similar to those found on Bordeaux’s right bank, contribute to the outstanding quality of the Merlot produced here.
What the critics say:
"A racy, refined red, showing blackberry, black-truffle and violet aromas and flavors. Hints of fresh herbs like bay leaves and basil. Medium-bodied with crunchy fruit and firm tannins that turn creamy in the polished, textured finish. Lead pencil and sandalwood. Very impressive for the vintage. From organically grown grapes. Drinkable but try in two or three years."
The Galatrona vineyard sits at around 300 metres above sea level in the Valdarno di Sopra, a valley carved between the Chianti hills and the Pratomagno ridge. The soils are rich in blue-grey clay and iron, which bring both structure and a distinctive mineral character to the wine. The altitude ensures cool nights that preserve acidity and aromatic freshness, while warm, dry Tuscan summers build concentration without losing definition. This particular combination is what separates Galatrona from riper, fleshier expressions of Merlot — the clay holds water in drought years, the iron leaves its fingerprint on every glass.
Valdarno di Sopra is a relatively young DOC in eastern Tuscany, officially recognised in 2011, covering wines produced in the upper Arno valley between Arezzo and Florence. It permits both indigenous varieties and international grapes, which is what allows Petrolo to bottle a pure Merlot under a controlled designation. The appellation sits at higher altitudes than much of Tuscany, which gives its wines a cooler, more structured character than those from the Maremma or even parts of Chianti Classico. It remains one of Italy's less celebrated DOCs, which suits producers like Petrolo just fine.
The 2024 growing season in Tuscany was defined by a cool, wet spring followed by a summer that never quite committed to the heat Sangiovese craves — periodic rain events through the summer kept growers watchful and selective work in the vineyard essential. Those who managed canopies well and harvested at the right moment came out ahead; those who hesitated paid for it. It was a vintage that rewarded attentiveness rather than simply good fortune, and the best producers — particularly in Chianti Classico and Montalcino — rose to that challenge.
What landed in the cellar was fresher and more lifted than the riper, more muscular style that warmer years like 2022 tend to produce. Sangiovese shows bright acidity and firm structure with real energy behind it — less about sheer density, more about definition and length. It is too early to draw firm conclusions on the very best Brunello and Riserva releases, which will need time to resolve, but the Rosso and Chianti-level wines are already drinking well and offering genuine pleasure without demanding patience.
OUR GROWERS
Petrolo
