On July 17, James tasted some new releases from Petrolo with owner Luca Sanjust over Zoom. James has been tasting wines from Petrolo with Luca for more than 30 years. Back in 1996, a young James convinced Luca to bottle some pure merlot that they had picked late and forgotten about. This is how the pure merlot sensation that we now know as Galatrona came to be. Its namesake is the property’s iconic square tower, which was built as an important fortification in medieval times.

Although today Petrolo produces a number of excellent wines (some of which James tasted during this tasting) it’s Galatrona that is sought by collectors around the world. James often likens Galatrona to Le Pin. The wine shares the same immense power but also sublime tannin structure and finesse. The latest Galatrona (Petrolo Valdarno di Sopra Galatrona 2018) did not disappoint either, with James noting its balance, purity and complexity during the Zoom tasting. Luca also revealed that their 2018 is a throwback to the original roots of Galatrona.

Check out the video below to hear more of their comments on the latest Galatrona.