Grattamacco, Bolgheri Superiore,

A wine that teaches you so much about how Grattamacco approach winemaking. There is always the danger with Cabernet blends that they veer towards too much power and not enough nuance, particularly in hotter climes and in warmer vintages such as 2015. Yet, as richly fruited as it is, the 2015 Grattmacco is such a harmonious, juicy and flowing wine. Certainly a very serious effort, bold and well-structured with tight-grained tannins, but so flowing and seamless too. Beautifully weighted notes of sweet cassis and kirsch counteracted by more savoury elements of earth, cedar and rosemary. Deep and brooding underneath that silken veil but without being taciturn. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese the special grey clay, marl and limestone soils here help give their Sangiovese a certain depth. From vineyards on steep slopes in the hills 100 metres above sea level and made in a gently-extracted way this is a complex Bolgheri designed for unadulterated drinking pleasure rather than for the trophy cabinet. The wine was aged for 21 months in barriques (40% new,) as opposed to the usual 18 months, with a further 12 months’ refinement in bottle.