In addition to the 2019 vintage, I previewed the 2020 and the 2021 vintages. I'm giving a temporary review to the 2020 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco, but I'm holding back on the 2021 because it is too early. We have two exciting vintages before us. The 2021 (that is still in barrel) shows lots of perfumed intensity and an explosive mouthfeel. The 2020 tastes balanced and long with even more tannic structure to hold it firmly stitched together. The 2021 shows a seamless delivery of soft black fruit, cherry, spice and grilled herb. This is an iconic blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Sangiovese.

The 2019 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco (a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese) is a real beauty and shows very nicely today based on advancing vine age alone. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah vines show great results after seven years, whereas Merlot and Sangiovese vines need a few more years before they start to show that extra degree of complexity, the winemaking team tells me. This is a complete and beautifully balanced wine that shows soft extraction and especially sweet tannins. It fermented in truncated conical oak vats and finished in barrique for 18 months. 60,000 bottles were produced.

Coming on the heels of the scorching hot 2017, this vintage started off with lots of rain in April and May that required preventative measures against fungal disease. Splendid heat and sunshine marked the summer months, but the freshness you taste in this wine is a beautiful characteristic of this cooler growing season. The 2018 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco reveals a finely nuanced bouquet with dark fruit, tobacco, smoke and earthy garrigue or underbrush. The wine leans toward full-bodied, but it also feels quite elegant and crisp on the streamlined finish.

Congratulations to Grattamacco on the 35th anniversary of this iconic wine. The 2017 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco is an organic blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese fermented in open-top oak vats with ambient yeasts and aged in oak for 18 months. The fruit represents a special selection from over 25 hectares of vines planted in a mix of soils with clay, sandstone, limestone marl and flysch. In fact, the territorial impact on the wine's bouquet is strong with dusty or salty notes that frame dark fruit, dried cherry and toasted spice. This wine shows polished elegance, and that's something that was not easy to achieve in this hot vintage. Production is 50,000 bottles.

The 2016 Bolgheri Superiore Grattamacco is a subtle and elegant wine with decisive energy and forward momentum. The blend is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Sangiovese, and the fruit is sourced from across the best sites in the estate's various vineyard holdings. The bouquet opens to delicate berry and wild cherry and then moves over to warmer Mediterranean tones of rosemary, pressed flower and gardening soil. To the palate, the wine shows depth and medium consistency that prizes smoothness, texture and length. Elegance is the big takeaway.