Galatrona 2018

The vines are planted on clay-rich loam, with shale, marl and sandstone. Clay helps to retain the moisture in the soil, which is particularly useful during the hot, dry Tuscan summers. The vineyard lies approximately 1000 feet above sea level and has a south-eastern exposure. The vineyard spans 25 acres, with almost 50,000 plants grown on spurred cordon trellising. The yield per plant is notably restricted (max 2.5 lbs per vine plant), with the Petrolo estate as a whole producing 65,000 bottles (5,000 cases) from 140,000 plants – less than half a bottle per plant. The strict pruning permits a complete grape maturation to take place. The limited yields permits the grapeskins to achieve highly concentrated levels of anthocyanins and tannin, already sweetened due to the polymerization of the plant.

Skin maceration lasts more than 20 days. Pump-overs are done manually with considerable care and very frequently to allow the complete extraction from the skins. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques, usually starting quickly and with regular development. After the malolactic fermentation the wine ages in new and almost new French oak barriques for approximately 18 months. During this period the wine is left for the first 8 months on the fine lees. After bottling, the wine begins its usual maturation period of about 6 months before release.

2018 was a very favorable year to viticulture and among the best vintages ever with extraordinary results in the bottle for quality and quantity. Cold temperatures arrived a little later than usual, only in February and the rains came abundant in the spring. The temperatures have remained slightly above average since April and for the rest of the summer but without excess. Precipitation was contained in the summer. These conditions have supported a balanced growth and perfect ripening of the grapes sustaining optimal health conditions. Harvesting began with the Trebbiano grapes of Bòggina B in the last days of August and continued with Merlot in the first days of September. We harvested Sangiovese from the second week of September while the Cabernet Sauvignon of Campo Lusso was, as usual, the last grape picked during the first days of October.