2021 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso DOC, Tuscany

The 2021 Bolgheri Rosso is floral with ripe raspberry and boysenberry, pine, violet, and balsamic. It is medium to full bodied, with nice concentration in its notes of black cherry, red plum, and turned earth. A great value that packs a lot of wine for the dollar, it is a great introduction to the style of the estate. Drink 2023-2033.

I met with Luca Marrone, chief winemaker for ColleMassari Wine Estates, for the first time in person this past November, having previously been restricted to Zoom meetings during the height of the pandemic. My visit to the Bolgheri estate was long anticipated and did not disappoint. Grattamacco was founded in 1977 by Piermario Meletti Cavallari (Giorgio Meletti Cavallari’s father). Luca is one of the more thoughtful and exciting winemakers, producing compelling wines with remarkable focus and transparency of place across each of the regions. Today, they have 32 hectares of vines, predominantly of Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, and a small amount of Petit Verdot. They also have the oldest Vermentino vines in Bolgheri, and the white wines hold an important place in the range. Touring the winery, they have a collection of some of the first open-tank barrels that Sassicaia used in their first vintage in 1968, which they continue to use, and they are an important part of informing their wines today. The following wines were tasted exclusively at the winery.

92+ points jebdunnuck.com

60% Cabernet, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot and 10% Sangiovese. Fermentation is conducted in open truncated cone shaped vats followed by malolactic and ageing in barriques (new and second passage) for 10 months, with a minimum of 6 months bottle refinement. An ample nose of red and black berry fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. The palate hints at Tuscan flavours of leather, tar and grilled herbs, finishing rich and smooth.