2023 Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Tuscany 750 ml

In a normal year, Grattamacco’s $110 flagship stands toe-to-toe with Ornellaia and Sassicaia. In the outstanding 2023 growing season, they captured that magic all the way down to the Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso, making it one of the great Super Tuscan bargains out there. Jeb Dunnuck called it “an overachiever with exceptional purity,” and tipped it as “an early contender for top lists of the year. Bravo.”

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

As one of Bolgheri’s pioneers, Grattamacco got access to some of its prime terroir: the estate is situated on 67 acres that span one of only two hills in Bolgheri. Blessed with a panoramic view of the Tuscan coast, their vines have an average age over 25 years. Here, vines are planted in calcareous sandstone, clay, and sand, producing the precious Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, and Petit Verdot that go into this wine. 

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

Their exceptional value Bolgheri Rosso comes from select parcels of young vines as well as early-harvested old growth. After fermentation in stainless steel, the wine follows two distinct paths—one portion stays in steel while the other matures for eight months in French barriques. The result is a harmonious marriage of freshness and complexity.