Here’s the 20th installment of The Wine Chef’s December "Advent Calendar" wine series.

Grattamacco Bolgheri Superiore 2021

Grattamacco is a pioneer of Italy’s Bolgheri region, a small wine-growing area in Tuscany’s Maremma province, famous for its ‘Super Tuscan’ wines. Established in 1977, Grattamacco was the second winery in the area, right after the legendary Sassicaia.

But Grattamacco didn’t just follow in Sassicaia’s footsteps; it blazed its own trail. The winery was the first to bottle Bolgheri Rosso in 1994. It was also one of the first to plant Vermentino and to realize the value of high-altitude vineyards.

Grattamacco keeps Tuscan traditions alive by adding Sangiovese to the blends, a rarity in a region dominated by international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The 2021 is a great example of this blending of global and local, as it combines 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 15% Sangiovese. These grapes thrive in the estate’s high-altitude vineyards of ancient marine soils rich in quartz, white clay, and calcareous marl. The result is a Bolgheri Superiore wine with elegant minerality and unmistakable Tuscan character.

Since the '90s, Grattamacco has farmed organically throughout its 34 hectares and uses as little intervention as possible in the vineyards and cellar to produce wines that let the land speak. This “bare” winemaking style, paired with the coastal influence, results in pure, vibrant, and unforgettable wines.

The 2021 Bolgheri Superiore is a showstopper (around $120 retail). Aged for 18 months in small oak barrels, it’s bold and structured with finely integrated tannins. You’ll find luscious black cherry, blackcurrant, and blueberry notes accented by herbal hints of rosemary and sage, plus layers of tobacco and coffee beans. It’s medium-bodied and perfectly balanced, and the finish seems never-ending.

At a recent lunch with Grattamacco CEO Giuseppe Di Gioia and chief winemaker Luca Marrone at Manhattan’s Ai Fiori ristorante, the 2021 was poured to go with wild mushroom risotto and pan-roasted chicken with white beans and sautéed red bell pepper. This boldly flavored wine paired beautifully with the two dishes, its intense flavors complementing the risotto's earthy notes and the pan-roasted chicken's savory depth.

Before lunch, our group of journalists was treated to a vertical tasting of seven Grattamacco Bolgheri Rosso Superiore vintages: 1995, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2016, and 2021.

The 1995 was shockingly fresh and lively—proof of how beautifully these wines age. I would happily drink any of these wines—it’s rare to find wines that are so good both young and decades later.

If you want to try one of the older vintages, go for the 2008 retailing for about $160. It would be fun to try the 2021 alongside the 2008 to see how the wine has changed over 13 years. Cheers!