2009 Grattamacco Rosso Bolgheri Superiore

The 2009 Grattamacco is a deep red/brick hue and was made from 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the rest Sangiovese. (It’s always the same blend.) It opens to notes of tobacco, fresh earth, pine, cherries, kirsch, and leather, and the palate is full-bodied and balanced, with velvety tannins, mouthwatering acidity, balsamic herbs lasting on the long, salty finish, which has a delicate warmth. It retains a good deal of purity and, based on this bottle, is ready to drink now. I love where this is right now, at its peak of evolution and showing great today.

65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Sangiovese. Both winter and spring were cool and rainy but budbreak occurred normally. May was dry but rains fell again in June, although with no negative impact on vine development or flowering. Summer was sunny, almost without rain, and often brought above-average heat, all of which encouraged early ripening in Merlot and Sangiovese. Harvesting started in the final days of August. Rains in mid September brought relief to the late-ripeners, which were thus able to continue to ripen slowly, and the Cabernet harvest continued into mid October – so a very long harvest. The grapes exhibited notable aromatic complexity, which in turn allowed lengthy post-fermentation macerations and application of ‘Piemontesinas’ in order to extract and preserve the grapes’ natural tannic richness. Winemaker Luca Marrone explained, ‘Piemontesina is a winemaking technique that was often practised with Nebbiolo. Post fermentation the maceration continues and you don’t drain the tank, you fill the tank with other good, free-run, wine and let it age for an indefinite time. It’s very risky because you can have spoilage from the skins and VA can increase. But it can soften the tannins.’ Maurizio Castelli, the consultant at Grattamacco , advised him to do it. ‘But you can’t explain it scientifically, but the wine can become very silky. I use it when I’m when confident of the quality in tank (you can’t do it in oak casks). You can choose which lot of wine to keep skins of and which to add without skins. It’s all decided on the basis of taste. Roagna does it. I do it especially with late-picked Cabernet Sauvignon.’ Aged for 18 months in barrique. Bottle refinement 12 months minimum. Glowing dark ruby. Very perfumed. Like a dark-chocolate-covered violet cream! But still fresh as well as luscious. Hedonistic but with an appetisingly dry finish. (JR)

This bottle gives us a stunning view back in time. The 2009 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco needs a little extra time to open, but it eventually reveals a beautifully lifted bouquet with dark fruit, tar and licorice. This wine does not show the green balsamic tones that we saw in the 2008 vintage that I also tasted at the same time. This wine taste much younger than its real age and still has time to age. Interestingly, the alcohol content is 14% (similar to the 2008), and these are the first vintages in which we start to see higher alcohol due to climate change, I am told by the winery team.