Podere Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, DOC, Tuscany, Italy, 2017
Overview The Wine
Founded in 1977, and acquired by the Tipa Bertarelli Family in 2002, Grattamacco was one of first the two wineries in Bolgheri. A region typically known for Cabernet and Merlot, Grattamacco sets itself apart from surrounding wineries with its winemaking practices using 15% Sangiovese to impart quality and elegance in its wines. Grattamacco was not only the first winery in Bolgheri to use Sangiovese because of its high altitude despite its proximity to the coast, but also the first to plant Vermentino. Grattamacco wines are known for both their power, elegance and complexity that evolves with time.
Natural and Organic.
Grape / Blend
65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese
Origin
Tuscany, Italy
Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Already on the nose an intense and full-bodied wine is announced. Notes of plums, chocolate, tobacco and black currant. Absolute seduction of the palate. The elegant concentration of fruit drops with a refined smoothness, with hints of plums and cloves. A wine with a full flavor in every drop. The tannins are right and delicate, the balance is perfect. Balsamic pleasantness, is the first step towards the excellent wines of Grattamacco.
Pairs well with grilled meat, game, pasta, mushroom risotto, and seasoned mountain cheeses.
96 Points - Ian Blackburn - Wine of the Vintage?
The hot 2017 vintage presented a huge number of challenges in Tuscany; a few wineries rose to the occasion. Inky concentration, exotic aromatics and dense fleshiness are not common descriptors for the region but GRATTAMACCO nailed it. The heat appears to have provided succulence and softness to this typically tremendously tannic offering. I have the benefit of tasting the wine on June 7th, 2022 - and now in its 5th year - this is a wine to celebrate. The flashy color and concentration lead to red, blue and black fruit skins - an exotic and concentrated boysenberry and raspberry cassis, with lavish high quality marks, great use of oak, and charming levels of terroir and a 30 second finish.. this wine is great now and will age for decade or more. Color 14.5/15, Aroma 24/25, Body 24/25, Overall 33.5/35 - 96 points
95 Points - 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. Production is 50,000 bottles.
96 Points - Decanter
95 Points - Wine Spectator
