2020 Bolgheri, Rosso, Grattamacco, Tuscany, Italy
Critics reviews
The 2020 Bolgheri Rosso is an absolutely gorgeous wine that overdelivers in its peer group. Silky, layered and light on its feet, the Rosso is superb. Hints of blueberry, menthol, licorice, pine and cinnamon all grace this attractive, stylish offering.
Drink 2022 - 2027
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (July 2022)
Well constituted – a true representative of Bolgheri that needs little ageing.
Drink 2023 - 2028
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (March 2023)
A blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 15% Sangiovese and 5% Petit Verdot, the Grattamacco 2020 Bolgheri Rosso shows nice elegance over a tight and streamlined body.
It is redolent of black fruit, plum and cherry with mild shadings of spice at the back (it sees a brief eight months in mostly neutral oak).
The vineyards are located from 100 to 200 meters above sea level with quartz sandstone soils mixed with white clays, marly limestone, flysch and red sands. Annual production is around 100,000 bottles.
Drink 2022 - 2028
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (July 2022)
About this WINE
Grattamacco
Grattamacco Estate is perched atop a hill facing the Tyrrhenian Sea between Castagneto Carducci and Bolgheri along the Maremma coast in Tuscany. Founded in 1977, Grattamacco was one of the first along with Sassicaia, to start producing wines in this region. Of the 80ha estate, 29ha are dedicated to vines. The 10ha of vineyards dedicated to making Grattamacco are located on steep slopes 100 metres above sea level.
The vineyards are protected from the strong winds by a natural valley and organic farming techniques are practiced. The vines have an average age of 20 years and only the best grapes from each vineyard are used to make this wine. 2017 Grattamacco is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese.
The harvest is done by hand, vinification of the Sangiovese grapes take place in open wooden vats and stainless steel for the other two varieties. Manual punch downs are carried out to facilitate a gentle extraction of the tannins. The wine is then aged in French oak barriques for 18 months and a further 12 months in bottle.
Bolgheri
Bolgheri is a new DOC in the coastal Maremma region which first rose to prominence during the 1970s with the emergence of the so-called Super Tuscan wines like Ornellaia and Sassicaia. These new ventures had rocked the DOC establishment by using high proportions of Cabernet Sauvignon, opting out of the DOC system and relabeling their wines as simply Vino da Tavola (table wine).
Having won universal acclaim and exchanging hands for unprecedented prices (higher even than Tuscany's finest examples), the authorities relented and awarded Bolgheri its own DOC. The actions of the Super Tuscans inspired a generation in Italy, even if some of the wines here have lost a little of their lustre since.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The most famous red wine grape in the world and one of the most widely planted.
It is adaptable to a wide range of soils, although it performs particularly well on well-drained, low-fertile soils. It has small, dusty, black-blue berries with thick skins that produce deeply coloured, full-bodied wines with notable tannins. Its spiritual home is the Médoc and Graves regions of Bordeaux where it thrives on the well-drained gravel-rich soils producing tannic wines with piercing blackcurrant fruits that develop complex cedarwood and cigar box nuances when fully mature.
The grape is widely planted in California where Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are distinguished by their rich mixture of cassis, mint, eucalyptus and vanilla oak. It is planted across Australia and with particular success in Coonawarra where it is suited to the famed Terra Rossa soil. In Italy barrique aged Cabernet Sauvignon is a key component in Super Tuscans such as Tignanello and Sassicaia, either on its own or as part of a blend with Sangiovese.
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Description
While most vineyards in Bolgheri lie on flat alluvial plains, Grattamacco’s are on slopes, some reaching up to 200 metres’ altitude. This gives the wines of this organic estate more energy and freshness.
The 2020 Bolgheri Rosso has an attractive and distinctive Mediterranean nose of wild herbs, bell pepper, cassis, rosemary and peppery smoke.
The palate is silky and vibrant: black cherry layered with spice, with supple tannins and tangy fruit charm. This is a testament to the expert winemaking of Luca Marrone and the exceptional terroir of Grattamacco.
Drink now to 2030
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2022)
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