2020 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Tuscany, Italy
Critics reviews
A stellar wine, the 2020 Grattamacco is dark, vibrant and nuanced to the core. Black fruit, lavender, spice, leather, menthol and dried herbs infuse the 2020 with tons of character and complexity. Deep yet also wonderfully translucent, the 2020 is one of the most finessed Grattamacco’s I can remember tasting. There’s incredible depth and resonance here, not to mention tons of personality.
I only tasted two wines from Grattamacco this year, but both are impressive. In 2020, the wines have an extra kick of energy that is quite welcome. Relative to its peers, Grattamacco remains one of the more under-the-radar estates in Bolgheri.
Drink 2026 - 2040
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (August 2023)
In addition to the 2019 vintage, I previewed the 2020 and the 2021 vintages. I'm giving a temporary review to the 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco, but I'm holding back on the 2021 because it is too early. We have two exciting vintages before us. The 2021 (that is still in barrel) shows lots of perfumed intensity and an explosive mouthfeel. The 2020 tastes balanced and long with even more tannic structure to hold it firmly stitched together. The 2021 shows a seamless delivery of soft black fruit, cherry, spice and grilled herb. This is an iconic blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Sangiovese.
Drink 2025 - 2045
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate (September 2023)
Aromatic nose of blackcurrants, berries and cherries, and hints of flowers and smooth oak. Full-bodied with a super-clean and intense bead of fruit running through the lightly firm tannins to give a long, only lightly abrasive finish. From organically grown grapes. A classy, well-structured blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and Sangiovese.
Drinkable now, but better from 2024.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (April 2023)
Next up is the 2020 Grattamacco, which really takes things up a notch. A deep ruby red, it offers decadent and harmoniously layered aromas of pristine oak spice, fresh leather, mossy earth, tobacco, and kirsch. Full-bodied and refined, it has a velvety texture, plush tannins, even acidity, and a long finish. This demands to be cellared and will continue to improve if adequately stored over the next two decades and likely beyond.
Grattamacco is helmed today by Luca Marrone, chief winemaker for ColleMassari Wine Estates. The estate was founded in 1977 by Piermario Meletti Cavallari (Giorgio Meletti Cavallari’s father). Luca is one of the more thoughtful and exciting winemakers, producing compelling wines with remarkable focus and transparency of place across each of the regions. Today, they have 32 hectares of vines, predominantly of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and a small amount of Petit Verdot. They also have the oldest Vermentino vines in Bolgheri, and the white wines hold an important place in the range.
Touring the winery, they have a collection of some of the first open-tank barrels that Sassicaia used in their first vintage in 1968, which Grattamacco continues to use, and they are an important part of informing their wines today.
Drink 2026 - 2046
Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com (January 2024)
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 Blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
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Description
An enticing intensity greets me in the glass. The Cab and Melot are very evident on first inspection but as I dig deeper the bright fruits of Sangiovese begin to waft through. This lifts the wine making it very engaging. On the palate it is deep and rounded. Intensity of black fruits is immediately apparent with a great structure. The balance of acidity and tannins are very well handled. I do enjoy this wine young but all the elements suggest this wine has many years to develop. An incredible Grattamacco that is always a joy to taste.
Drink 2026 - 2045
Chris Hanssen, Account Manager, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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