Winemaker Notes
The olfactory impact is of considerable aromatic intensity: it expands with notes of small, fully ripe red fruits, accompanied by clear balsamic and Mediterranean hints. In progression, typical mineral notes develop. The gustatory impact is austere, of remarkable freshness and of large volume. It develops in a balanced fusion between the broad minerality and the fine and enveloping tannins. Everything is found in the long final persistence that foreshadows a long life ahead.
Goes well with game, wild boar, roast, braised and stewed red meats, and medium aged cheese.
Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Sangiovese
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Next up is the 2020 Grattamacco, which really takes things up a notch. A deep, ruby red, it offers decadent and harmoniously layered armoas 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 deamnds to be cellared and will continue to improve if adequately stored over the next two decades and likely beyond.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The organic Grattamacco 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese fermented in conical oak vats and aged in barrique for 18 months. The vintage is fruit-driven for sure, and this expression shows nice detailing in terms of the quality and structure of the tannins. The bouquet is focused on grilled cherry and mixed berry. You definitely get a warm, earthy quality with black licorice and sweet Mediterranean tones.
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Wine Enthusiast
A nose that is luxuriously fruity also has undertones of salt, flint and herbs providing balance. The palate runs wild with fruit but simul- taneously offers notes of dark chocolate and a subtle spiciness to keep things lively. Tannins are chalky and resilient, and persistent acidity holds up a long finish.
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James Suckling
Aromatic nose of blackcurrants, berries and cherries, together with 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.
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Wine Spectator
Elegant and linear in profile, this red boasts cherry, black currant, mineral, earth and Mediterranean scrub aromas and flavors. There's fine tension and freshness, with a long, resonant aftertaste.
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.