Wine of the week: a true Super-Tuscan blend at a fraction of the usual price

This stunning value red delivers a truly classy Bolgheri experience at a tenth of the price of the big guns.

2019 Bolgheri Rosso, Grattamacco, Tuscany, Italy

£26.95, bbr.com; £24.50, decvin.com

The great red wines of Bolgheri, situated around the village of Castagneto Carducci on the Livorno coast, qualify as rare but wholly indulgent guilty pleasures. Absurdly expensive, ridiculously hedonistic and uncommonly luxurious, iconic labels Ornellaia and Sassicaia bounce around the £200-mark and noted vintages sky-rocket from there. There are two properties in this region that allow you to side-step the fiscal stress afforded by the aforementioned superstars – Tenuta Sette Cieli (from swig.co.uk), which is standing on the brink of stardom, as its name suggests, and my featured Grattamacco. 

Sette Cieli’s wines are high-altitude, chiselled, age-worthy and mesmerising, made with uncompromising standards, and I am a huge fan. They are also stunning value, in particular Indaco. Grattamacco’s releases come from the more fertile soils, halfway down the hill from Sette Cieli, closer to the Med, and this setting brings with it plushness, opulence and early-drinking joy. Made from 50% cabernet sauvignon, 20% cabernet franc, 20% merlot and 10% sangiovese, this is a true Super-Tuscan blend and it is baffling just how approachable and delicious the wine is already. It bursts with heady, black fruit and discreet herb and spice notes. The oak, alcohol and tannin all sit in the background giving This stunning value red bursts gives a truly classy Bolgheri experience at around a tenth of the price of the big guns.. 

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition’s Communicator of the Year (matthewjukes.com).

Recommended

Where will house prices go in 2023?
House prices

Where will house prices go in 2023?

We explore what could happen to house prices in 2023 as the market continues to slow down.
24 Mar 2023
What is inflation and how will it affect you?
Inflation

What is inflation and how will it affect you?

There has been much talk of inflation recently. But what exactly is it and what does it mean for our money?
24 Mar 2023
3 success stories set for long-term growth
Investments

3 success stories set for long-term growth

A professional investor tells us where he’d put his money. This week: Felix Wintle, manager of the VT Tyndall North American Fund, selects three favou…
24 Mar 2023
Share tips of the week – 24 March
Investments

Share tips of the week – 24 March

MoneyWeek’s comprehensive guide to the best of this week’s share tips from the rest of the UK's financial pages
24 Mar 2023

Most Popular

Will energy prices go down in 2023?
Personal finance

Will energy prices go down in 2023?

Ofgem’s price cap is now predicted to fall below £2,000, based on average typical use, from July, for the first time since 2022. We have all the detai…
21 Mar 2023
Where will house prices go in 2023?
House prices

Where will house prices go in 2023?

We explore what could happen to house prices in 2023 as the market continues to slow down.
24 Mar 2023
Can I avoid IHT by stuffing all my money into a pension?
Personal finance

Can I avoid IHT by stuffing all my money into a pension?

The ditching of the lifetime allowance could enable millions of pension savers to avoid inheritance tax. We explain how.
20 Mar 2023