“Grattamacco” Rosso Bolgheri Superiore DOC 2023 (BIO)

Grattamacco | Tuscany
Collemassari S.p.A. s.a. | Via Di Porta Pinciana 6 | IT 00187 Roma

09772323 · 0,75 l · 132,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

In 1994, an unusually large number of Bolgheri figures gathered at once beneath the holm oak at Grattamacco: among them were Michele Satta, Piero and Lodovico Antinori, as well as the host, Piermario Meletti Cavallari. A photograph captures the group. Meletti Cavallari, a wine connoisseur and close friend of Veronelli, had taken over the estate in 1977. He had the orchards grubbed up and planted vines in white, barren soil that was difficult to work: Vermentino, a rarity in this area at the time, along with Sangiovese and Bordeaux varieties. The first vintage was released in 1982; in 1994, shortly after the rules for the appellation were introduced, Grattamacco became the first estate to bottle a Bolgheri Rosso. It has been owned by Claudio Tipa since 2002 and is now part of the ColleMassari group.

The coast is flat and humid, but up here the altitude and more than 1,600 hectares of surrounding woodland bring a refreshing coolness. Sea breezes sweep across the vines, whilst the hills of the hinterland encircle them as if in an amphitheatre. The vines for this wine grow at altitudes of between 100 and 200 metres on white clay, interspersed with flysch and sandstone. According to the estate, the clay originates from a salt lake that dried up more than five million years ago. Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for 65 per cent, Merlot 20% and Sangiovese 15 per cent; on average, the vines are 25 years old. The grapes are harvested by hand, followed by careful selection; in 2023, the harvest ended on 5 October. Fermentation takes place in open oak vats; the cap of pomace is gently pushed down by hand several times, and the must remains in contact with the skins for a long time. It is then aged for 18 months in barriques and was bottled in July 2025.

Brilliant ruby red. The nose is initially reserved, yet clearly defined: smoke and a stony note, with a sense of depth beneath. On the palate, it is dense in extract and powerfully structured, underpinned by a fresh, mineral tension that keeps the wine in balance and propels it forward. It is clearly intended for long-term ageing; the wine leaves no doubt about that. This is what Bolgheri tastes like when it comes from the hills rather than the coast. SUPERIORE.DE