In an earlier treatment of the noted Brunello di Montalcino producer Poggio di Sotto, I noted that the estate was acquired in 2011 by Claudio Tipa of Colle Massari Wine Estates based on his promise to "retain and respect the same quality standards and production techniques" that were foundational to the estate's success and reputation. At that time Poggio di Sotto was the third estate in the "Domaine" launched with Maria Iris Bertarelli and Claudio's purchase of Castello Colle Massari in 1999. The estates in the current portfolio of properties are shown in the chart below. I explore the Grattamacco estate in this post.
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| Collage of screen shots from collemassariwines.it |
Bolgheri DOC
Grattamacco is located on a hill to the northeast of the town of Castagneto Carducci within the Bolgheri DOC wine zone.
Bolgheri experiences sunny, dry, and moderately windy conditions which allow the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes to ripen fully but with its exuberance restrained by the moderating influence of cool Mediterranean breezes. The topography slopes gently from the base of the eastern hills to the sea and the highest-quality vineyards are concentrated in the foothills running between Bolgheri and Castagneto. The hills protect the vineyards from the cold northern winter winds. The vineyards are bathed in cool winds from the sea during the summertime and this, combined with a significant diurnal shift, causes slow maturation of grape quality components and retention of high acidity.
There is significant soil variation in the Bolgheri DOC: alluvial soils with round pebbles (ancient riverine deeposits); Aeolian sands, limestone, and clay (marine origin), and volcanic rock from the hills to the east. The oldest alluvial deposits are found in the Hill zone, the area in which the pebbly, iron-rich Sassicaia vineyard is located. The Intermediate zone has younger alluvial soils while the area closer to the sea consists of an alluvial-deposit and marine-deposit mix.
The Bolgheri terroir, according to Grattamacco winemaker Luca Marrone, is divided into two big areas:
"... the eastern side and the western side of the Bolgherese Road. In the eastern side, there is an important portion of limestone and clay soil. There are some peculiar sites, such as the blue clay of Masseto, the flysch (layers of shale intersperesd with hard sandstone) terrace of Grattamacco, the schistlike calcareous clay stone of Casa Vecchia, the flaky limestone clay of Argentiera. The western side very close to the Bolgherese Road consists mainly of red and brown clay and silt soils, while the sandy portions increase as we proceed to the sea."
In the same article, Wine Spectator identifies the soil as being mineral-rich, "thanks to the proximity of the Colline Metallifere hills behind Bolgheri that are profuse in iron, copper, lead, and silver ... this lends porosity to the soils, allowing the roots to descend and resulting in wines of finesse with mineral elements."
Unlike the broader Tuscany's focus on Sangiovese, the Bolgheri terroir is especially supportive of the Bordeaux varieties, with Cabernet Sauvignon as the most widely planetd grape.
Grattamacco Estate
Tenuta San Guido's groundbreaking success with Sassicaia in Bolgheri was a signpost for other like-minded producers. One of the first responders to the signal was Piermario Meletti Cavallari, a Bergamo-based restaurateur who, in 1977, bought a neglected vineyard in the hills near Castagneto Carducci and founded Grattamacco (Wine Spectator). According to Cavallari, "After a short time, I realized that it was important to follow the road traced by Sassicaia, and I grafted some vines with Cabernet Sauvignon and replanted others with the same vine."
Grattamacco is 80 ha in size with 28 of those hectares planted to vines and 14 to olive groves. The vineyard, located between 100 and 200 m asl, is steep and hilly with soils distributed as follows:
- Silt and sandy soil in the Alberello vineyard
- Calcareous silt on the western side of the vineyard
- Sandy calcareous flysch on the eastern side.
The vines are farmed organically, average 25 years of age, and are trained Cordone speronato, Guyot, and Alberello, depending on location.
The estate was brought into the Colle Massari fold in 2002; first as a managed vineyard, then through outright acquisition.
Grattamacco Wines
Wine Spectator sees the Bolgheri terroir as driving three styles of wines:
- Old World -- reminiscent of Bordeaux
- New World -- emphasizes fruit
- A more Tuscan character.
The full slate of Grattamacco wines -- and their production processes -- are illustrated in the chart below.
I have not tasted the Vermentino to date but have had some experience with the red wines in the portfolio.
The 2018 Bolgheri Rosso was broad on the nose with red fruit, baking spices, green herbs, butter, and an egg-like character dominant. Cranberry and spice on the palate. Textured. Good acid levels. Pleasant. Perfumed, drying finish.
The 2012 Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore is the more powerful of the two pictured below. Dark/red fruit, pepper, tar, licorice, and tobacco on the nose. Weightier red fruit, tar, and spice, along with power and structure, on the palate. Lengthy finish. The peak drinking window for this wine is still ahead.
The 2012 L'Alberello Bolgheri Superiore showed rusticity, rose petals, green herbs, baking spices, red pepper, blackpepper, tobacco, anise, mint, and dried toast on the nose. Bright red fruit, coal, and spice on the palate. Sweet fruit. Medium weight.
After bringing Grattamacco on board, Claudio and Maria went on to add the two Montalcino properties to their portfolio. I have already written about Poggio di Sotto so, in the future, I will double back to cover the starting point (Castello Colle Massari) and then close out with Tenuta San Giorgio.
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