Winemaker Notes
A wine produced from vineyards at 100 and 200 m. asl, where the soil is characterized by calcareous sandstone, marl and calcareous flysch mixed to clay. The climate is temperate Mediterranean with frequent sea breezes. A viticulture based on methods and principles totally respectful to the environment allows a spontaneous productive balance of about 7 tons of grapes per hectare, all hand harvested and carefully selected grapes in the vineyards with an average age of 24 years.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
The contribution of Sangiovese (15%) in the blend of Grattamacco makes it a distinctive Bolgheri Superiore. If on the nose Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are prevailing with cassis fruit, cedar and kiwi, full of balsamic depth, the indigenous grape pushes the fragrance of the wine with chewy wild fruit flavours. An exceptional expression in the hot vintage. Complex and layered, without any foursquare character, this organic wine is waiting for extra complexity over its liquorice finish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Congratulations to Grattamacco on the 35th anniversary of this iconic wine. The 2017 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco is an organic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese fermented in open-top oak vats with ambient yeasts and aged in oak for 18 months. The fruit represents a special selection from over 25 hectares of vines planted in a mix of soils with clay, sandstone, limestone marl and flysch. In fact, the territorial impact on the wine's bouquet is strong with dusty or salty notes that frame dark fruit, dried cherry and toasted spice. This wine shows polished elegance, and that's something that was not easy to achieve in this hot vintage.
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James Suckling
A beautiful red with berry, spice, light chocolate and clove. Medium-to full-bodied with round tannins and a flavorful finish. Such finesse and beauty for this hot vintage. Drinkable now, but better after 2022.
Disenchanted with Italian winemaking laws in the 1970s, a few rebellious Tuscan winemakers decided to get creative. Instead of following tradition, to bottle Sangiovese by itself, they started blending it with international varieties, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in differing proportions and with amazing success. However, some Tuscan Blends don’t even include Sangiovese. Somm Secret—The suffix –aia in Italian modifies a word in much the same way –y acts in English. For example, a place with many stones (sassi) becomes Sassicaia. While not all Super Tuscan producer names end in –aia, they all share a certain coy nomenclature.
An outstanding wine region made famous by Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, who planted Cabernet Sauvignon vines for his own consumption in 1940s on his San Guido estate, and called the resulting wine, Sassicaia. Today the region’s Tuscan reds are based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, which can be made as single varietal wines or blends. The local Sangiovese can make up no more than 50% of the blends. Today Sassicaia has its own DOC designation within the Bogheri DOC appellation.