2018 Podere Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore

Winemaker Notes: The olfactory impact is of considerable aromatic intensity: it expands with notes of small, fully ripe red fruits, accompanied by clear balsamic and Mediterranean hints. In progression, typical mineral notes develop. The gustatory impact is austere, of remarkable freshness and of large volume. It develops in a balanced fusion between the broad minerality and the fine and enveloping tannins. Everything is found in the long final persistence that foreshadows a long life ahead.

Goes well with game, as e.g. local preparations of wild boar, roast, braised and stewed red meats, and medium aged cheese.

Blend: 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Sangiovese

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine & Spirits - "This wine is packed with pure flavors of blackcurrant and raspberry buoyed by brisk acidity. A blend of cabernet sauvignon with 20 percent merlot and 15 percent sangiovese, Grattamacco aged in French oak barriques, about one-third new, where the lightly chewy tannins developed, giving shape to the bold, primary frut tones. The wine takes on notes of graphite and fresh tobacco, while lively spices energize the fruit, drawing out the flavors on a long, exuberant finish."


Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - "Coming on the heels of the scorching hot 2017, this vintage started off with lots of rain in April and May that required preventative measures against fungal disease. Splendid heat and sunshine marked the summer months, but the freshness you taste in this wine is a beautiful characteristic of this cooler growing season. The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco reveals a finely nuanced bouquet with dark fruit, tobacco, smoke and earthy garrigue or underbrush. The wine leans toward full-bodied, but it also feels quite elegant and crisp on the streamlined finish. Best after 2023."


Wine Spectator - "A mix of coffee and black olive flavors shade the core of black currant and black cherry in this dense, linear red, which is focused and long, with a mouthwatering finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. Best from 2024 through 2040."


James Suckling - "Currants, blackberries and hints of chocolate and fresh herbs. Full-bodied and round-tannined with a lovely texture and a savory, almost iron finish. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese. From organically grown grapes. Hard not to drink now, but a year or two will bring it even more together."