PETROLO - 2018 VINTAGE

INTERVIEW AND TASTINGOn July 17, international wine critic and Masterclass.com Instructor James Suckling tasted some new releases from Petrolo with owner Luca Sanjust and you can hear their discussion and see what they thought of the wines in this new podcast. 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.They also tasted the Petrolo Trebbiano Toscana Bòggina B and the Petrolo Valdarno Di Sopra Torrione from the 2018 vintage. James said there was an overall honesty to the wines. He said the 2018s had "much more purity and gave off a sense of where the wines are from." Listen to the full podcast to hear what they had to say about the wines and hear more of their thoughts on the 2018 vintage in general.