SOLD OUT! The 2018 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso is one of the all-time great Super Tuscan values. Rated 95-96 points by James Suckling when he tasted it out of barrel, it’s even better in bottle.
Here’s a Bordeaux meets Napa styled red that will thrill the senses with a beautiful combination of ripe and pure fruit, soft and supple tannin, and seamless integration of oak. Just 10 cases up for grabs and that’s it for the vintage.
2018 Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso
95-96 points James Suckling and Super Tuscan Deal of the Year!
SOLD OUT
Italian wine lovers often refer to Bolgheri as the birthplace of the Super Tuscan. This warm, sunny and breezy region sits along Tuscany’s coast just south of Livorno. And it is here that Podere Grattamacco established itself in 1977. It was Bolgheri’s second winery. The first was Sassicaia, one of Italy’s first Super Tuscan estates and still a benchmark of excellence.
And I’d be happy to sell you a bottle of Sassicaia for about $300. But it you’ve never experienced the joys of a Super Tuscan, this is a great and much less expensive place to start. And like all great red wines of Bolgheri, this is a wine that relies mainly on Bordeaux grape varieties as opposed to Sangiovese. The warm, sunny and breezy conditions of Bolgheri are more akin to Napa or Bordeaux and grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc ripen beautifully and perfectly here.
Did I mention 2018 is being regarded as a great vintage in Bolgheri? And it’s vintages like that where I find incredible values like this one. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 6% Sangiovese and 4% Petit Verdot, the wine ferments in stainless steel and is then aged in French oak for 10 months.
Immediately upon pouring, you can tell this is wine is “above average.” It’s dark, nearly opaque color is followed by soaring aromas of blackberry liqueur, blackcurrant, cigar tobacco, and Mediterranean herbs. On the palate, it’s intense but the tannins is nicely developed and fine…..translated, this one is ready to pop and pour. Suckling described it as follows: “A dense and powerful young wine with ripe tannins. Full-bodied, juicy and rich. Striking structure and fruit.” Yep, I agree 100%.
What to enjoy this with? Meat, meat, and more meat. In Tuscany, you’d enjoy a wine like this with a monster steak or a braised lamb shank. But if meat is not on the menu, just enjoy this flashy and flamboyant red with a glass and a good friend.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville