2019 Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Tuscany 750 ml

Grattamacco didn’t jump on the Super Tuscan bandwagon. They paved the road it travels on.

Second only to Sassicaia as Bolgheri’s oldest Super Tuscan estate, Grattamacco has crafted savory, sumptuous wines from the region’s sea-kissed terroir since 1977, blazing a trail for the likes of Ornellaia and Antinori’s Guado al Tasso. Their wines stand with the best of Bolgheri, and their 93-point 2019 Rosso is a massive overachiever.

As one of Bolgheri’s pioneers, Grattamacco got access to some of its prime terroir—a gorgeous plot of land situated on one of the region’s only two hills. Here, vines are planted in calcareous sandstone, clay, and sand, producing the precious Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Sangiovese that go into this wine. 

Winemaker Luca Marrone and proprietor Claudio Tipa take full advantage of their estate’s distinct microclimate. The hilltop overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea sees more than 250 sunny days a year, with brisk ocean breezes refreshing the vines. Organic farming complements this excellent terroir, laying the groundwork for wines of opulence and classical Super Tuscan structure that have put Grattamacco among Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri winners 11 of the last 12 years.

In what turned out to be a sensational 2019 season, cool rains in the early spring had growers worried about a sluggish start—until May cranked up a dry heat that lasted through July, pushing grapes to uncommon levels of boldness and power. Perfectly-timed late-summer rains ushered in a warm, stable harvest season, rewarding Grattamacco with juicy, powerful grapes. The result is a Super Tuscan stunner from one of Bolgheri’s trailblazers.