2024 Bolgheri, Vermentino, Grattamacco, Tuscany, Italy

Vermentino is a white wine grape, also known as Rolle (in Rousillion and Provence) & Malvoisie in Corsica. It migrated from the Iberian Peninsula in the late 1300s (Madeira?) into Corsica, Sardinia, Liguria and Tuscany during the 15th century. Traditionally believed to be related to Malvasia, recent DNA studies have instead revealed traits in common with the Hungarian Furmint. Vermentino di Gallura DOCG is one of the most famous incarnation - The grape has recently become fashionable in parts of central Italy. Often blended for its structure, on its own the grape displays aromatic ripe peach and honeyed notes and a full body. Tenuta di Valgiano incorporate a significant slug of this grape into their 'Giallo dei Muri' Tuscan wine.

A new DOC in the coastal Maremma region, Bolgheri first rose to prominence during the 1970s with the emergence of the so-called Super Tuscan wines like Ornellaia and Sassicaia. Having won universal acclaim and selling for unprecedented prices, the authorities relented and awarded Bolgheri its own DOC. The actions of the Super Tuscans inspired a generation in Italy, even if some of the wines here have lost a little of their lustre since.

Grattamacco is a name synonymous with the birth of Bolgheri's fine wine legacy. Founded in 1977, it was one of the very first estates—alongside the legendary Sassicaia—to recognise the region’s potential. Set high on a hilltop overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, between Castagneto Carducci and Bolgheri, the estate commands a dramatic position along Tuscany’s Maremma coast.