Winemaker Notes
Goes well with game, as e.g. local preparations of 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
Pouring a dark magenta, the 2021 Grattamacco is fruity and floral with aromas of lavender oils, plum, mocha, incense, and sweet earth. Full-bodied, it has refreshing acidity, defined, ripe tannins, and a good finish.
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James Suckling
A unique wine with power, grace and elegant tannins. Aromas of leather, cedar, kiwis, restrained cassis and Mediterranean nuances. Full-bodied with a lot of weight and power, showing ripe, velvety tannins, crisp acidity, a tight-knit structure and a polished aftertaste. Warm yet super balanced, savory and vibrant.
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Wine Spectator
Blueberry, black currant and pomegranate flavors are accented by oak spice, graphite and rosemary notes in this fresh, long red. Taut and vibrant, with terrific balance and a fine-grained band of tannins lining the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2026 through 2043. 5,500 cases made, 500 cases imported.
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.