Exploring Maremma’s 2003 and 2004 Vintages

With its many seaside resorts and state of the art wineries, it is hard to believe that up until the 1930s Maremma was a disease-infested swampland. The noble families preferred to live in the hills, which were set back from the coastline, while their servants lived closer to the sea. In fact, the emergence of Maremma as one of the world's leading wine production zones is somewhat of an accident. The region owes its prominence to Mario Incisa della Rocchetta. Inspired by the wines of Bordeaux, Incisa wanted to make a similar wine on his own property. In 1944 he planted his first Cabernet vines and subsequently began producing the wine known today as Sassicaia. Incredibly, Incisa originally conceived of his wine for domestic consumption so the early vintages were drunk exclusively at the estate. The first commercial release, the 1968, was greeted with loud critical acclaim. Despite the early success of Sassicaia it would take another 20 years and the arrival of other producers such as Grattamacco and Tenuta dell'Ornellaia for the region to establish itself as a source for world class wines. The rest, as they say, is history and today the region's top wines are among the most coveted and expensive wines being made in Italy.

Even with all the recent developments and construction that have taken place, Maremma retains some of its Wild West aura. Compared to hillier landscapes of Chianti Classico and Montalcino a first-time visitor is likely to be struck by the vast expanses of land that meet the eye. The climate in Maremma is also unique. Weather conditions are especially hot and dry, yet the heat is tempered by the breezes that come in from the Tyrrhenian Sea. Within that context, there are noticeable differences among the many microclimates that are found in the various sub-zones. Although some disagreement exists as to where the boundaries lie for the ?real' Maremma, for the sake of simplicity and ease of discussion I have divided the various districts into upper and lower Maremma.