2021 Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore Tuscany 750 ml

Any Italian-wine collector looking to line their cellar with trophies probably collects Sassicaia and Ornellaia. But the savviest Italophiles have a secret handshake: deep verticals of Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore.

Second only to Sassicaia as Bolgheri’s oldest Super Tuscan, the winery is older than prestigious names like Ornellaia ($240) and Gaja’s Ca’Marcanda ($230). Their 2021 Bolgheri Superiore, from one of Bolgheri’s greatest-ever vintages, earned 97 points from James Suckling, which placed it behind just Sassicaia and Ornellaia as his third-highest rated Bolgheri of the year. Suckling, who spends half the year in Tuscany, just included it in his Top 100 Wines of Italy. 

Founded in 1977, Podere Grattamacco is situated on 67 acres that span one of only two hills in Bolgheri. Blessed with a panoramic view of the Tuscan coast, the vines there have an average age of 26 years. They’re planted in marl, calcareous sandstone, and clay, producing the precious Cabernet, Merlot, and Sangiovese that make up Grattamacco. 

Winemaker Luca Marrone and proprietor Claudio Tipa (who also owns Montalcino’s famed and high-scoring Poggio di Sotto) farm their vineyards organically. Touched by a distinct maritime-influenced microclimate, their steep hilltop overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea sees 300 sunny days a year, tempered by brisk ocean breezes that refresh the vines. 

After spontaneous fermentation in oak vats, the Grattamacco is punched down manually and macerated carefully, extracting only fully ripe tannins. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 15% Sangiovese, the 2021 was bottled after 18 months in French oak barriques and is now hitting a beautiful stride. This is a classic that lovers of red wine will be very glad they had on hand.