Grattamacco L'Alberello Bolgheri Superiore

L'Alberello bottle image

Wine Description

Grattamacco was founded in 1977 and was the second winery of the Bolgheri appellation, following Sassicaia. Grattamacco has lead the region in environmentally responsible farming, and was the first to use an Alberello or head-pruned method in Bolgheri. 

Barrel Samples
Vineyards
Subsoil
Luca Marrone Chief enologist of Grattamacco
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Acclaim
“The particularity of Alberello is not only the training system of bush vines ('alberello' in Italian), but also that the grapes - 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc - are co-fermented in oak. Since 2018, Petit Verdot is no longer included in the blend. The wine then matures for 18 to 20 months in casks. It has a dark profile with graphite, whiffs of bell pepper and luscious cassis with fresh leather in depth. Eucalyptus leaf with balsamic amplitude dominate the palate, showing velvety tannins and refreshing acidity. Savoury spices and garrigue unfold in the glass and on the slightly warming finish.”
— Decanter, Oct 2022
“A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Bolgheri Superiore l'Alberello is a special expression of place. The wine is born in a two-hectare plot that is entirely planted to long rows of alberello (bush-trained) vines at a low 30 meters above sea level with predominately clay soils. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel, and the wine ages in barrique for a standard 18 months. This vintage is very generous and broad in terms of aroma and texture, with finely polished tannins. There are in fact two phases to this wine: a creamy start and a silky end. It shows impressive length and polish.”
— Wine Advocate, Aug 2022
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
silt soil,browny and red clay
Training method
alberello (sapling) bush vine
Elevation:
165 feet
Exposure:
Various
Year vineyard planted:
2004
Harvest time:
September 23rd-24th
Bottles produced of this wine:
8,000
Average Vine Age:
14
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Winemaking & Aging
Maceration length:
21 days
Varietal composition:
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot
Fermentation container:
conical oak vat
Length of alcoholic fermentation:
15 days
Fermentation temperature:
75-86 °F
Maceration technique:
Punchdown
Malolactic fermentation:
Full
Fining agent:
no fining
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Size of aging container:
225 hl
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
16 months
Age of Aging Container:
50%new oak, 50% second use
Length of bottle aging:
6 months
Total SO2
76
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.4
Acidity:
5.79 g/L
Alcohol:
14.45 %
Dry extract:
30.8 g/L
Total SO2
76
Residual sugar:
0.57 g/L
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Wine Production

The three varieties are harvested together on the same day, creating a blend that spontaneously ferments in small oak truncated cone vats with manual punching down and long maceration with indigenous yeast. This wine is aged for 16 months in oak barriques prior to bottling.

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About the Vineyard

L'Alberello (head-pruned) is the way the vineyards are trained. It is a vineyard of 2 hectares trained in the traditional “settonce” formation, such that each vine is equidistant from the others surrounding it. This vineyard features mainly clay and is run according to the criteria of organic farming with a maximum production of 1 kg of grapes per vine. Harvesting and other works on the vines are done manually.