Bibi Graetz has quickly become a wine legend. Raised in a family of artists, he embarked on his wine journey with no formal training or wine connection. He turned to winemaking in the 1990s and 10 years later gave birth to his own winery. He aims to focus solely on local varieties sourced from old vineyards, which he affectionately refers to as ‘gardens’ due to the meticulously care they receive. Bibi's main achievements are iconic Testamatta which expresses the purity of Sangiovese and Colore, sourced from very old vine Sangiovese located at higher altitude and made in small quantity. A white version of both wines is also made with local grape variety Ansonica.
I continue to be impressed with the beautiful wines of Bibi Graetz. These are highly singular, expressive wines that merit serious consideration. - A Galloni
Bibi Graetz’s Story
Bibi was first helped by consultant Alberto Antonini, who made very concentrated wines using new oak barrels. However, he wanted his wines to reflect their terroir. Fascinated by the finesse and purity of fruits old vines can produce, he started to assemble one of the largest collections of old vineyards in Tuscany.
From 2004 he took control of the production using indigenous yeasts to ferment and old barrels to age his wines. The result was a fresher style of Sangiovese which reflects the purity and minerality of the grape. Since 2008 the vineyards have been converted to organic farming. His background as an artist is reflected on his labels with vivid colour.
What We Think
Italy has posted impressive price returns in recent years, with Super Tuscans in poll position. Prices are on the rise though, and lower key wineries such as Bibi Graetz offer great potential. Flagship Testamatta was recently catapulted to new level of recognition when the 2018 vintage received the perfect 100 points from Decanter making it the third Super Tuscan to achieve a perfect score in this well-respected magazine, the other two being Tua Rita Redigaffi 2016 and legendary Sassicaia 1985. Being half price of Tua Rita and three times cheaper than Sassicaia on average, it offers great potential and is one to watch when it comes to investment!
2022 - The Scores
Testamatta meaning ‘crazy head,’ is a playful nod to himself. A blend of old vine Sangiovese, it is built to age well over time. Due to global warming, Bibi now focuses on sourcing grapes from cooler vineyards to add sharpness and a lifted bouquet to the wine.
The purity of fruit is so impressive, with al dente fruit character of sliced cherries, cranberries and citrus fruit that’s wonderfully melted together. It’s medium- to full-bodied and grows on the palate, with firm and layered tannins and a long, intense finish. This needs three to four years to refine but is already so enticing. Great beauty. Already irresistible, but best after 2027. - 98 points James Suckling
Made with fruit from all north-facing vineyard sites (mostly in Olmo with a little bit from Lamole), the Bibi Graetz 2022 Testamatta is engineered to showcase the power of Sangiovese. Indeed, many parcels were recently removed from the blend in order to focus on fruit concentration and elegance. This was a hot growing season, but Bibi says that 2021 was also very warm (with more violent heat spikes during the summer). He lost a small percentage (about 7%) of fruit in 2022 and claims to have had an abundance of fruit in the challenging 2023 vintage. This wine is packed with dense berry fruit, blueberry, spice and soft earth. Bright acidic freshness adds backbone to Sangiovese. - 95 points Robert Parker
Colore is sourced from very old vineyards of Sangiovese situated on poor soils at higher altitude. Unlike Testamatta, Colore hasn’t seen much stylistic changes over the years and expresses elegance and finesse. Only the best few barrels are made. It is Bibi's first love and an incredible world class wines. Around 225 cases are produced on average.
Perfection in sangiovese, with cherry blossoms, chalk, seashells, fine sand and violets on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with focused and poised tannins that are wonderfully integrated and rather endless. Crunchy and chewy at the end. Such presence. You want to spend time with this wine. A top selection from two vineyards Olmo and one in the village of Chianti Classico in Lamole, 60 and 88 years old, respectively. This is a wine that gives great pleasure now, but will be even better in two or three years. - 100 points James Suckling
The Bibi Graetz 2022 Colore sources its fruit from only two sites in this vintage: from 60-year-old vines in the Olmo vineyard (with 400-meter-plus elevations) and 88-year-old vines in Lamole (Chianti Classico). The vines are mostly south-facing, but the elevations are key. Meanwhile, Testamatta comes from mostly cool, north-facing sites. These results show lots of vertical heft and sharp tones with bright fruit, mineral graphite and blue flower. Bibi seeks transparency in his wines, and although the 2022 vintage delivers heavier fruit aromas overall, the wine does offer a pretty textural lightness. - 96 points Robert Parker