Grattamacco Rosso 1988 & 1989

The two oldest wines we've tasted for this site... side by side... scurred?

EXPERIENCE
1988 Cork smells like cherry cola with some good olde funk. The nose is cherries and sherry. First taste is a lot lighter than expected; tart and the finish is soft. Definitely needs to be decanted (as is always the case with wine this old), the flavors are harsh at first and begging for some air.  As the wine opens the nose becomes more raisiny, and the wine becomes less tart and develops a cocoa finish. The wine becomes fuller bodied and the balance evens more and more with time decanted.
1989 Big differences right off the bat... Cork is more floral than cherry. The nose is funky, earthy, and dark - very much like a truffles and black pepper. First taste is sweet and smooth, more balanced than the '88 at first. As the wine opens it becomes closer to the '88. Holds strong with the balance. There is a fruit and raisiny quality showing as it opens.

VERDICT
SHELL OUT if you've got the capital and the cojones for one of these. One of these bottles will set you back around $75-$100. Yes, that is a lot... but aside from being great aged wines, these bottles have historical value. Grattamacco was one of the originators of the ever popular "Super Tuscan" category, dating back to their first vintage in 1978. Both of these wines offer a look back to the roots of perhaps the foremost region in contemporary Italian winemaking.

FACTS
The 1988 and 1989 Grattamacco Rosso are blends of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 25% sangiovese, and 25% merlot. The bottles are simply classified "Table Wine" as they predate the advent of the IGT classification. The vineyards are located in Southwestern Toscana near the Mediterranean coast. For more information on current offerings, check out Grattamacco's website.