2004 Petrolo Galatrona

Stylistically speaking, the 2004 Galatrona is impeccable. This stunning Merlot ushers forth a soft and velvety side that accompanies the wine over the senses, from nose to mouth. The oak element is beautifully integrated with sweet tannins and firm structure. The wine is built on solid foundations that give way to multiple layers of fruit and spice that build in soaring intensity and importance. If you have a bottle of this wine in your cellar, you may consider pulling it out soon. This wine is drinking beautifully at the moment and should continue to do so within the next decade.

The estate's 2004 Galatrona (100% Merlot) is a stunner. Dark ruby in hue, it is wonderfully alive, bursting from the glass with an irresistible array of tobacco, smoke, dark cherries, tobacco, menthol, spice and roasted coffee bean nuances that are delicately interwoven in its silky-textured frame. This gorgeous effort is hard to resist today, yet its superb length and finessed tannins indicate it is built to age gracefully. While not inexpensive, Petrolo's Galatrona offers terrific relative value in today's marketplace. It is not to be missed. Readers who want to experience the sheer pleasure Galatrona can provide should check out the 2000, which is drinking beautifully now.

Stylistically speaking, the 2004 Galatrona is impeccable. This stunning Merlot ushers forth a soft and velvety side that accompanies the wine over the senses, from nose to mouth. The oak element is beautifully integrated with sweet tannins and firm structure. The wine is built on solid foundations that give way to multiple layers of fruit and spice that build in soaring intensity and importance. If you have a bottle of this wine in your cellar, you may consider pulling it out soon. This wine is drinking beautifully at the moment and should continue to do so within the next decade. May 2017, www.robertparker.com