Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Italy 2021

Grattamacco is the second oldest Bolgheri estate, founded in 1977 by Piermario Meletti Cavallari, who came from Lombardy. In 2002 Grattamacco is acquired by Claudio Tipa, owner of Collemassari, who knew Piermario and had always been in very good terms with him, so that there’s been a constant continuity across the two managements.

The estate is found in a hilly place by the same name, where the vineyards face towards the mountains and are grown between 100 and 150 m asl; Claudio Tipa planted two new vineyards, one even higher, at 200 m asl in the Casa Vecchia area, and another along the Via Bolgherese. The name Grattamcco refers to the “macco”, a mineral which was scraped away (“grattato”) during the iron working process carried out by the Etruscans on these hills.

"The superb Grattamacco 2021 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco (a certified organic wine) is balanced and intense, yet it remains faithful to a medium-plus texture that never feels weighed down. That's one of the best qualities of this classical vintage: you get the power of the fruit with contained concentration and extraction. The bouquet is alive with blackcurrants, cherry, spice and hints of campfire ember. This is one of the jewels of Bolgheri. The blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese." Robert Parker 96

"A bold, sweeping wine, the 2021 Grattamacco is pretty impressive. Readers should expect a potent, extroverted red with tons of Bolgheri opulence. There's plenty of supporting structure too, but at this stage it's the wine's intense, ripe profile that carries the day. A blast of blackberry, scorched earth, new leather, licorice and incense saturates the palate on the long, sustained finish." Vinous 95