New Releases from the Tuscan Maremma

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | DECEMBER 10, 2024

My annual report on the Tuscan Maremma takes an in-depth look at wines produced along a vast swath of land on the coast that stretches more than 100 miles (160 kilometers), starting in Grosseto and moving north all the way to Pisa. This expansive region encompasses numerous appellations, each of them quite distinctive. Overall, I was very impressed with the quality of what I tasted.

The Tuscan Maremma: A Deeper Dive 

Maremma is a very young viticultural region. Its history in modern times only begins in the early 1970s with the release of the 1968 Sassicaia, a wine Mario Incisa della Rocchetta first created for his own personal consumption. In those days, the coast was a swamp. Noble families lived in the hills, far away from the disease-infested marshlands. Before Sassicaia there was no Maremma from a viticultural and winemaking perspective. Sassicaia’s instant success spurred the growth of an entire industry and birthed a whole group of new wines that went on to achieve their own fame. The rest, as they say, is history, except perhaps that it is worth noting that many estates remain very young from the perspective of vine age.

For many years, Maremma was renowned for rich, opulent wines, often made from international varieties. The best Maremma reds were generous and flamboyantly rich. That recipe was very successful for several decades. Gradually, things began to evolve. It is no secret that climate change is one of the most pressing issues for wineries all over the world. That is especially true for regions that are naturally warm and dry, as is the case in the Tuscan Maremma. At the same time, consumer tastes began to shift as well, creating further urgency to adapt.

So far, I have to say producers have done a fine job in addressing these challenges. As I have written previously, today’s wines from the Tuscan coast are far different from those of ten, even five, years ago. Picking earlier, lighter extractions, more judicious use of oak and the introduction of alternative aging vessels are some of the many developments that have taken place in recent years. It’s a delicate balance, however, particularly at a time when consumer preferences continue to shift toward wines that prize energy and vibrancy more than size alone. As much as I was impressed with many wines I tasted for this report, I also saw some wines that have veered so far into the realm of lightness that they bear little resemblance to the wines of the past. That point is reached, in my view, when varietal and site expression are lost. To be fair, Maremma is not alone in this regard. My hope is that these wines will remain the exception rather than the rule.

Last but certainly not least is a whole new generation of professionals running many of Maremma’s top estates. The younger generation is now firmly in charge at several family-owned properties, including Gaja’s Ca’Marcanda and Michele Satta. Ornellaia, Masseto, Argentiera and Caiarossa are among the wineries that have seen the arrival of new technical teams within the last few years. It’s an incredibly dynamic time on the coast.

Among vintages in the market, 2021 is the most exciting. Intense heat, especially late in the season, is always the greatest fear. In 2021, well-timed episodes of rain in July and August helped extend the harvest well into September. In some cases, that translated into a difference of as much as several weeks compared to the hot vintages at the other end of the spectrum. The 2022s have turned out well, notwithstanding record heat, drought and rain before harvest. In tasting, the wines naturally don’t have the volume and dynamic energy of top years such as 2021 because ripening patterns were not optimal. However, the best wines are very well balanced, with no hard edges and plenty of immediacy on display. Two thousand twenty-three was a challenging vintage throughout central and southern Italy because of heavy and persistent rain throughout the year. I suspect proximity to the ocean, and the natural circulation of air that allows, was beneficial. So far, I have only tasted a few 2023s, but the first wines are promising. I will have a clearer idea of how the vintage stacks up as soon as more wines are bottled and released.

I tasted most of the wines in this report during the summer and fall of 2024.

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