A Bolgheri winemaker celebrates lessons learned along the Tuscan coast | Canada Voices

Forty years isn’t a long time by Tuscan standards. The region’s influential cultural history dates back centuries. However, in winemaking terms, the beginning of the so-called “Super Tuscan” wine revolution in the late 1970s saw an increased focus on quality and, in turn, global recognition for the central Italian region.

Grattamacco was one of the first wineries in Bolgheri to market early Super Tuscan wines as basic table wines or non-classified wines, until winemaking laws were amended in 1994, allowing regional red wines to be produced as Bolgheri Rosso or higher quality Bolgheri Superiore selections. This year, the winery celebrates its 40th anniversary with the release of the 2022 vintage of its flagship cabernet sauvignon blend – honouring the Bolgheri’s ongoing evolution, according to Grattamacco chief winemaker Luca Marrone.

Eight wines to enjoy in July, including a throwback buttery style of chardonnay

Unlike Sassicaia and other Bolgheri producers established in the 1980s, such as Ornellaia, Guado al Tasso and Le Macchiole, which focus on Bordeaux grape varieties, Grattamacco includes sangiovese in its blend. The winery’s 67 acres of organically certified vineyards are located on one of Bolgheri’s two hills (between 100 and 200 metres above sea level, and eight kilometres from the Tyrrhenian Sea), which helps to moderate the warm and humid conditions during the growing season which aren’t favourable to the thinner-skinned sangiovese grape (they can ripen too quickly and lose their freshness).

Sangiovese vines account for just 1 per cent of all vineyard plantings in the now-famous coastal region, compared to cabernet sauvignon’s 34 per cent.

Owned by the Tipa Bertarelli Family since 2002, Grattamacco produces four wines each vintage: A white wine made from the vermentino grape variety and three cabernet sauvignon-based blends, including L’Alberello, which is made exclusively from grapes grown on bush vines.

Ahead of the release of the 40^th anniversary edition of Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore in Ontario, Marrone, Grattamacco’s winemaker since 2003, spoke with The Globe and Mail about the evolution of Bolgheri as a red wine region, and why his winery championed growing sangiovese and vermentino when other producers in the region focused on French grape varieties.

How has Grattamacco contributed to the development of the Bolgheri as a wine region?

When Grattamacco started in 1977, there was only Sassicaia, which was an illegal red wine at the beginning. The region only had an appellation for white wine and rosé. Our first red wines were produced under the Vino da Tavola di Castagneto designation, which is the name of the municipality Castagneto Carducci. Bolgheri was completely unknown before we introduced the Bolgheri Rosso in 1994.

Why is sangiovese a focus when most Bolgheri wineries work exclusively with cabernet sauvignon and other French varieties?

Sangiovese grapes are difficult to grow in this region, but thanks to our higher elevation and experience, we can produce very good wine. The first vintages of Grattamacco were made entirely from sangiovese. The 1982 vintage was the first to include cabernet sauvignon in the blend and since the late 1980s, its use has increased. Merlot was planted in 1989. As of the 1995 vintage, sangiovese accounts for just 15 per cent of the blend, but that is sufficient to preserve the vibrancy and distinctive character that sets Grattamacco apart from the others.

Your winery was also the first to plant vermentino, the white wine grape that has become the region’s signature white wine.

That grape variety is something special for us. We planted our first vermentino vineyard in 1986, and these vines are the oldest of their kind in Bolgheri. We produced the appellation’s first vermentino in 2001 when we made the Grattamacco Bianco exclusively from vermentino grapes. Our established blend includes a third of wine that is barrel-fermented, with the remaining two-thirds fermented in steel tanks. This produces an easy-drinking white wine with the potential to age and develop a rich and aromatic style like riesling. Previously, the blend was trebbiano and vermentino, and when the estate white wine was introduced in 1980, it was strictly trebbiano.

How did you approach making the Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore in the dry 2022 vintage?

We had to wait for the grapes to reach the right level of ripeness. This meant that we picked them by location in September, sometimes harvesting the older vineyards two or three times to allow the grapes enough time to develop complex, ripe and savoury flavours. Our winemaking philosophy is simple: to allow the vineyards to express their unique characteristics. Over the last 20 years, we have eliminated what has not worked and maintained practices that have yielded success in both the vineyard and the cellar. Fermentation is spontaneous without the addition of yeast in smaller 700-litre open oak vats before aging in oak barrels.

Grattamacco 2022 (Italy), $189.95

Rating: 95

Grattamacco’s blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and sangiovese is unusual for Bolgheri, as it embraces of sangiovese while omitting cabernet franc, a grape variety that is becoming increasingly important in the region. This concentrated red wine is characterized by its fragrant herbal and floral aroma and its core of red berry fruit that contributes to the silky texture and serious structure. This is really appealing in its youth, with a rich and rewarding character the promises to mature gracefully. This has 14-per-cent alcohol by volume and 3-grams-a-litre residual sugar. Drink now to 2040. Available at the above price in Ontario, starting July 9, through vintagesshoponline.com.

This interview has been edited and condensed.