Benvenuto Venerdì Italiano!

They just kept coming. Irresistible opportunities of the Italian kind that is. Back-to-back. How could one say no to GAJA or Ornellaia or Tignanello at unheard of prices? We did not. So that YOU reap the benefits.

Run, don’t walk to the Store today and today only - an embarrassment of the riches awaits your exploitation. Prego!

Then come back and picture this. Say we offered up Château Pétrus, but at 40% off. You’d suggest we get our head checked, and refrain from buying any, KNOWING that it just can’t be right, right? Well, we’re kinda doing that today, but in a REAL and a very Italian way… It took us a while to believe we could do this, but after pinching ourselves till we bled, here it is; “The Pétrus of Tuscany.”

Unanimously acclaimed so, by all critics.

Let’s start with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “What makes a wine an icon? Is it rarity or expense? Is it the terroir? Is it high scores from critics or the wine’s presence on the best restaurant wine lists around the world? Does it set the standard for other winemakers?” they ask, concluding that “for Petrolo’s Galatrona, it’s all of the above.”

They explain it with, “constant pursuit of perfection, unbelievable attention to detail and unwavering commitment to excellence. Luca Sanjust, proprietor and winemaker at Petrolo, embodies these ideals and his 100 percent Merlot, Galatrona, sets the bars for other Merlot wines in Italy and around the world.” concluding that it’s “one of the best Merlots in the world. It’s been compared to Pétrus in Pomerol and it shares the podium with other 100 percent Merlots from Italy like Masseto, Redigaffi, Messorio and L’Apparita.”

Antonio Galloni’s Vinous follows suit, calling it “A Tuscan Icon - one of Italy’s most famous and best Merlots… Clearly, no international grape variety in Italy can boast four monovariety wines of the caliber of Masseto, L’Apparita, Redigaffi and Messorio. Galatrona, from the picturesque Petrolo estate, located just outside the Chianti Classico zone near Montevarchi, is right up there with the best of them… destined to remain the bright star that it already is for many years to come.”

Foremost Tuscan expert James Suckling begs to differ: “James often likens Galatrona to Le Pin” instead of the more common Pétrus comparison, “The wine shares the same immense power but also sublime tannin structure and finesse. The terroir of Galatrona also bears some resemblance to Le Pin. Its 10 hectares slope close to the valley, where the soil is rich with all-important clay, just like the famous, low-lying Pomerol plateau.”

Check this interview out:

No matter how you dissect it, it’s a profound wine, intense yet with unimaginable finesse and depth.

And while the uber-wealthy debate whether it’s Pétrus or Le Pin, grab what you can.

For what just 1 bottle of those costs, at our UNBEATABLE low price you can take home 5 DAMN CASES of this super limited haunting beauty while it lasts.

97 Points – James Suckling

“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.”

95 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

“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… Drink 2020-2035.”