100 point

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.

97 point

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.

98 point

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.