Grattamacco 2013 vintage release
04 August 2016

If ever there was a vintage for Bolgheri to win new friends, then 2013 is it. This is prime territory for Bordeaux varietals, for which the region is perfectly suited, but there are differences in soil and geography aplenty which make for a range of exciting wine styles. Grattamacco is a perfect example. Higher than most of the region’s vineyards, its cooler, windy micro-climate is able to support the Sangiovese variety which is sensitive to the humidity that lower vineyards nearer the sea have to contend with. The 2013 vintage sings the praises of this diversity loudly and clearly. The wines offer a brilliance and energy, they betray a transparency and lightness of touch without compromising intensity.

Grattamacco considers 2013 “a vintage of yesteryear” due to the slow and late nature of the harvest. The wines boast tremendous concentration, ripeness, character and fresh acidities. This is a vintage that stands shoulder to shoulder with any of the greats of the past.

The year was characterized by a particularly rainy winter period, which allowed for a replenishment of underground water reserves but also delayed bud break by a few weeks. The spring was cooler and rainier than usual which resulted in a slow and uneven flowering, but the sunny and warm weather of the second half of June meant that potential yields did not suffer too much. Summer was sunny without ever being extreme but the veraison was notably longer than usual. After a storm in August bright, dry weather returned for the whole of a magnificent September. Days were sunny and nights were cool. Harvest began on September 11th with Merlot and finished on 4th October with Cabernet Sauvignon.