Grattamacco, the second winery to be founded in Bolgheri in 1977 after Tenuta San Guido of Sassicaia fame, celebrates its 35th anniversary in style with the launch of a magnificent 2017 vintage bottling and a landmark accolade. Luciano Ferraro and Luca Gardini’s much respected “Top 100 Wines and Wineries of Italy" have announced Claudio Tipa, owner of Grattamacco and Poggio di Sotto, as 2020’s Wine Producer of the year; long-overdue recognition for the incredible consistency of two decades-worth of wines.
The 2017, complete with a special 35th anniversary label, is a celebration of all that Grattamacco represents: old world sophistication and poise, Mediterranean sunshine and incredible value for money. Smooth, dark, husky fruit, mixed with spice, dried herbs and a resinous sapidity, this offers a freshness and composure that belies the summer season’s hot, dry conditions. The 2017 follows a long string of consistently well-scored vintages, the most recent being 96 points from Decanter, yet is offered at a fraction of the price of the famous Super Tuscans; Grattamacco must surely be considered one of Tuscany’s most accessible, great wines.
Read MoreWinemaker Luca Marrone, for whom 2017 was his 15th vintage at the estate, summarised the year as follows: “2017 was characterized by a warm winter with drought, this condition anticipated the growing season. The warm and dry weather resulted in a quick ripening with the earliest harvest of the estate. We made shorter macerations in order to keep typical freshness and balance of the wine, as well as a low yield with a careful selection that lead to a high quality wine, rich with an excellent structure, complex and extremely elegant indeed.”
The wines are abroad and will be shipped later this year.