The growing season of 2008 in the now famous area of Bolgheri, in Tuscany, Italy, was indeed a pleasure for chief winemaker Luca Marrone in every way, especially compared to his first vintage at Grattamacco, the pioneering, admirable Super Tuscan wine producer. He was unlucky to first deal with the extremely hot 2003 vintage when European producers weren’t used to such high temperatures. But in a way, 2003 threw him in the deep end right from the beginning and prepared him for anything that would come in the future, and a winemaker never knows what each year will bring. Five years after the 2008 growing season, with its moderate temperatures, 2013 turned out to be another gift to Luca, as not only did it avoid giving him the stress of a 2003 vintage but the wines showcased an incredible purity and vibrancy that made them stunning after at least 11 years worth of aging, in the case of the 2008 bottling, 16 years later.
Photo Credit: Stefano Casati
Yet both 2008 and 2013 vintages were underrated, in Luca’s opinion, and as one tastes these wines today, their outstanding qualities certainly bear out the truth.
As Luca Marrone learned from one of his mentors, Giulio Gambelli, considered one of the great masters of the Sangiovese grape yet also taught profound lessons that could be applied to working with various grape varieties, that one should never be immediately wowed by overwhelming power in a wine but to strive to make wines that didn’t wear a heavy mask; as if it had nothing to hide and everything to give.
Looking To Nature
“In nature, you always have the answer,” Gambelli would tell Luca whenever he felt that a wine was missing something.
Although the 2008 and 2013 vintages were exactly the pure expressions of wines that Gambelli would think of as being the best, since they weren’t very ripe, powerfully structured wines, they were still undervalued as they didn’t give an immediate punch on release that creates a lot of hype and buzz about a vintage.
Photo Credit: Stefano Casati
In the case of 2013, Luca thought there was too little structure, and despite being overtly enthusiastic about the remarkable purity of fruit, for balance, he needed to give the wines a small amount of tannic structure. Now, there are a few ways a winemaker can add tannins to the wines, but when it came to Luca’s choice, he first thought about what Gambelli said about looking to nature when a winemaker is trying to balance the wine. And so, Luca used a method based on how the Ripasso wines are made in the prestigious Italian wine area of Valpolicella, which is in the Veneto region.
The Ripasso wines use a double fermentation technique where the first fermentation turns the grapes into wine. Then, that wine is placed through a second fermentation process that is activated by adding skins from previous wine production. But instead of using previously fermented skins, Luca sacrificed some of his top-quality grapes to add a multifaceted structure to his 2013 wines, and the finished product is outstanding.
Expanding To Higher Vineyards
Photo Credit: ColleMassari Wine Estates
Grattamacco is known for its vineyards on Grattamacco Hill, which is about 330 feet in elevation and has a significant dominance of white clay in the soil. Besides the clay being highly beneficial during the hot vintages, as it has a great capacity to retain water, it also gives a unique quality to the Grattamacco wines that proved itself while it was part of a three year research project at U.C. Davis which showed a distinct difference in analysis between the grapes from Grattamacco compared to other top Bolgheri wine producers.
Yet their rare terroir has been expanded by adding a special plot that Grattamacco bought, 325 feet above the Grattamacco Hill, a place with its own microclimate. It is a tiny haven that is called Casa Vecchia, where they have planted 25 acres of vines starting in 1998, surrounded by forests, being one of the first to pioneer this site that grows grapes with a harmonious quality, incredible freshness, intense power and aromatic complexity. A few other top Bolgheri wine producers have planted a few acres here and there but there is no more room to plant, and Grattamacco has planted the most vines in this little oasis.
Photo Credit: Stefano Casati
As the vines have matured in Casa Vecchia, Luca has used more and more in their top red wine, the Bolgheri Rosso Superiore.
Pioneering To Reinforce Values
Luca talked about the rare qualities of his boss, the owner of Grattamacco, Claudio Tipa, as a man who is not afraid to take giant leaps to pioneer a new path, raising the bar for higher quality. Yet, he never strays from the values of the original owner, Piermario Meletti Cavallari. As Piermario reached his golden years, he had no one to take over his precious Grattamacco estate so he decided to lease it for ten years to Claudio, who was extremely interested in the property in 2002. Within five years, Piermario could see the passion Claudio placed into the estate, making fantastic wines by going to significant lengths within the vineyards and winery. Piermario sold Claudio the estate with still five more years of his lease to go, as he had found the right person to carry on his legacy.
Whether it is working organically and biodynamically, searching for special sites, sacrificing grapes to allow a very good vintage to become an excellent one or keeping the wine fresh and elegant during trends for big, overripe wines, Claudio Tipa allows Luca to do whatever it takes to live up to the original owner’s dream. And it is a rare man who pioneers for the sake of someone else’s legacy instead of his own ego, as Claudio knows Grattamacco is bigger than any one person. It takes a rare person to truly appreciate a rare estate, where even the vintages with less hype can be superstars in their own right.
Link to original Forbes article: https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathrinetodd/2024/09/20/the-wine-vintages-that-over-deliver-from-tuscan-red-wine-producer/
Photo Credit: Cathrine Todd
1991 Grattamacco, Vino da Tavola di Castagneto, Bolgheri, Tuscany: The classification which is known today as Bolgheri Rosso Superiore wasn’t approved until 1994, hence why this 1991 is under the classification of Vino da Tavola di Castagneto. 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Sangiovese. The 1991 is a great example of an underrated vintage that has held up beautifully for 33 years. It has stunning vitality and overall freshness with layers of complex notes such as broken earth, dried herbs and worn leather balanced with pure red cherry fruit flavors and a saline finish. An underrated vintage that over delivers.
1995 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Rosso Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. 1995 was one of the top three vintages of the ’90s and it is undoubtedly a stunner with an aromatic nose filled with a bouquet of dried flowers and hints of incense with a plusher body with rich red cherry pie and blackberry preserve flavors yet it does not seem better than the 1991, only different.
2008 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. One of the underrated vintages with cooler weather and no extreme events during the growing season with a lovely brightness with aromas of blackcurrant leaves and freshly picked raspberries with an underlying note of stony minerality. An underrated vintage that over delivers.
2009 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. 2009 was a very warm, dry summer but the white clay in the Grattamacco vineyards helped as it had retained plenty of water from the previous rain to keep the vines healthy. Dark, brooding fruit with layers of licorice and lavender sea salt with lots of density on the palate and rich blueberry tart flavors.
2012 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany : Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. A hot year, but Grattamacco was still able to produce wines with freshness and vitality, and Luca says it indicates how well their organic and biodynamic practices keep the vines balanced even in extreme years. Opulent mulberry compote and blackberry scones with touches of fresh tarragon with lush texture yet lots of mouthwatering acidity.
2013 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. A cooler vintage that was underrated like the 2008 but shows grace and aristocratic-level elegance with vibrant red raspberries, a touch of spice with rose oil and finely etched tannins that has a long finish with an overall finesse. An underrated vintage that over delivers.
2016 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. A very warm vintage that made ripe, big, powerful wines yet the Grattamacco freshness and precision is still present. Deliciously decadent with black cherry cobbler flavors and baking spices balanced by complex notes of asphalt and graphite intermixed with wild Mediterranean herbs with an ultra-smooth texture and long length of flavor.
2021 Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore, Bolgheri, Tuscany: Blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. Wine Spectator has already said that the 2021 vintage, “might be the best vintage in Tuscany’s modern era,” and this wine is already showing an outstanding quality with captivating aromas of smoldering earth, forest floor and candied violets combined with tantalizing flavors of cherries jubilee and blackberry syrup drizzled over spice cake with a silky texture and ultra-fine tannins with a very long finish.
