2017 Galatrona Merlot Toscana IGT Tenuta di Petrolo

This is incredibly fresh for a 2017 with a well-executed, reductive edge; it opens with rosemary, thyme and tea leaves, before moving through blackcurrants, dark cherries, brambleberries, ash, tobacco and citrus. Dense, full-bodied and very chewy, this remains incredulously fine and elegant. Robust and enveloping tannins coat the mouth and mold the wild fruit into a sleek, pliable package. Finally, a string of refreshing acidity lifts the finish long and complex. Drink now, but better after 2026.

Despite the hardships of the vintage, Luca Sanjust and the team at Petrolo poured all their focus and attention into creating this wine. The 2017 Galatrona shows a hot- vintage interpretation of Merlot that never feels too ripe or heavy. Instead, this wine ushers forth a remarkable succession of balsam herb- like aromas with Mediterranean shrub, rosemary essence and wild sage. Those garden-fresh aromas accompany the dark blackberry fruit that gives this wine its important center of gravity. The Merlot harvest came two weeks early in 2017, and yields were greatly reduced. I am suggesting a slightly shorter drinking window for the 2017 vintage compared to the cellar-worthy 2016 edition.

The 2017 Galatrona is a dark, sumptuous beauty. Even with all of its intensity, the 2017 has just enough aromatic nuance and delineation to keep things in check. Espresso, mocha, black cherry, menthol and licorice infuse this plush, dense Merlot with tons of character. This is such a gorgeous and sumptuous wine.