Bibi Graetz | Testamatta

Le Cicale di Vincigliata is a concentrated Chianti with a fine bouquet of black cherries, spices, mint, liquorice and rock rubble. On the palate, it is equally deep and rich. Pure and long it shows its good quality. SUPERIORE.DE

Fresh, crisp white from the southern coast of Tuscany. As always with Bibi Graetz, nothing is normal, everything is extraordinary. So he adds a little Ansonica to the cuvée from Trebbiano and Vermentino, a grape variety that is extremely rare in Tuscany, but otherwise rather located in Sicily. The result is a wonderfully tangy wine in the glass, which reveals not only citrus aromas on the nose but also hints of white fruits and delicate flowers. On the palate again this sea freshness with a fine herbal, salty note, which makes it piquant and - just extraordinary. SUPERIORE.DE

Fresh and fruity Rosato with an unmistakable Sangiovese nose and the character of the grape variety. Intense nose of small red fruits. Fresh and pure, with a mineral finish and a refreshing acid wire. SUPERIORE.DE

Originally produced for fun in small editions, today Bollamatta is a serious sparkling wine that gives us as much fun as Bibi. Delicate pink, with a bouquet of small wild berries and a delicate almond note. This very rare spumante from 100% Sangiovese is light-hearted, makes good mood and should not be missing at any exuberant celebration. SUPERIORE.DE

"To Bibi Graetz, the NV Bollamatta is all about fun. The wine is crazy fun to make (he tells me) and crazy fun to drink (I can confirm). Made in the Charmat method, this cheerful Italian sparkler is 100% Sangiovese. It opens to a pale pink color and delivers large, round bubbles that are tonic and sharp. The bouquet reveals wild berry, citrus and raw almond. The wine is extremely refreshing, and those prominent bubbles serve to brighten and liven up the palate. This wine follows in the footsteps of one of Italy's most irresistible and successful wine trends: the everyday sparkling wine." Robert Parker

"This slightly off-dry sparkling rosé, made from sangiovese, is really fun with pretty orange and strawberry character. Medium body. Crisp finish." James Suckling

Soffocone di Vincigliata from the hand of maestro Bibi Graetz is a special expression of Sangiovese, pure and of radiant quality. Subtle aromas of wild berries, cherries, liquorice and a touch of lavender. Dense and with fine-grained tannin on the palate. Very elegant, accessible and sophisticated. SUPERIORE.DE

Unique white from the dignified Ansonica, which thrives on the Isola del Giglio directly on the Tuscan coast. It is soft and generous in the glass, perfumed by the sweet fruit scent, with remarkable finesse and silky polished tannins Bugia caresses the palate. Fabulously beautiful. SUPERIORE.DE

Bright ruby. Testamatta convinces with its wonderfully finely drawn scent of cherries, dark berries and chocolate. Radiant, wide and with depth on the palate, taut, at the same time velvety tannins and a long final with spicy notes. SUPERIORE.DE

"Powerful ruby garnet. Very open, finely marked nose, shows notes of ripe cherries and plums, some cigar box. Lots of polished tannin, entwined with fine melting, rich cherry fruit, shows lots of rich pressure on the final." Falstaff

"A beautiful nose, a purity of red fruits and tea leaf. The fruit is extremely well extracted - soft and sublimely fine tannins. This feels like a wine that is brimming with vivacity and life - red fruits that have such elegance and refinement." Jancis Robinson

"The 2016 Testamatta represents a blend of fruit from old vines spread across the various vineyard holdings farmed by Bibi Graetz in both the Siena and Firenze provinces of Tuscany. These holdings include plots in Vincigliata (home base to Bibi Graetz and his family just outside of Florence), Lamole, Londa, Montefili and Siena. Many of the vines used here are 80 years old or more, and each site represents a cultural and enological patrimony that was specifically selected for its individual character or uniqueness. There is an unescapable metaphor in the many primary colors that blend or bleed into each other to form a single piece of art that is depicted on the front label of this handsome bottle. Testamatta reaches impeccable harmony in similar fashion. I tasted this wine on three separate occasions and was blown away each time. There is a seductively wild side to the wine that comes forth with chiseled intensity. Dark fruit, spice, tar, licorice and toasted spice make for a beautifully elegant bouquet. The mouthfeel remains mid-weight in approach, with polished tannins and a tightly knit texture that should relax and grow in volume as the wine evolves in the bottle." Robert Parker

"A very beautiful and thoughtful Testamatta with aromas of earth, terra cotta, black tea, and lavender. Full-bodied, very layered and extremely polished with superb, soft tannins. Racy and very long. Muscular and formed but very, very balanced. Gorgeous richness and depth. Shows balance and wonder." James Suckling

Testamatta means something like "crazy in the head" and this name hits the mark. When you know the mad obsession Bibi Graetz on the island of Giglio has with viticulture, you no longer need to wonder about the terrific and personalised results that Bibi has been bringing to the bottle for years. This was preceded by several years of experimentation, research and a lot of hard work, until finally the best of the over 100-year-old Ansonica vines of the rocky single vineyard Serrone were identified.

The harvest, which is spread out over time, is done exclusively by hand and each grape is meticulously selected for quality and ripeness, which then finds its way to the wine cellar on the island. After destemming and soft pressing under dry ice, the grapes are macerated at a low temperature for 48 hours and then transferred unfiltered for fermentation in 225l barriques, where the wine is left to mature for a further 12 months.

Straw yellow with golden reflections. Complex bouquet of white pineapple, apple, pear and kiwi, fine notes of mussel shell. On the palate full-bodied, multi-layered and fleshy, always with a very precise and energetic mouthfeel, pleasant freshness and a mineral note. In the endlessly long finish then salty layers, fine, hardly noticeable tannin and notes of white pepper. Rightly one of the cult white wines of Italy! SUPERIORE.DE

"This is another fantastic white and continues to be one of the best from Tuscany. It’s so perfumed with sliced apples, pears and kiwis, as well as cream, hot stone and sea. Granite. Full-bodied yet energetic and layered with red-wine sensibility. Extremely long finish. Great wine." James Suckling

"The 2018 Testamatta Bianco Isola del Giglio sees fruit blended from three bigger vineyard sites on Giglio Island and some smaller ones as well (Vigneto del Corvo, Scopeto, Ulivello, Radice and Le Grotte). In contrast to the Colore Bianco that revealed more consistency, the two bottles I sampled of this wine (one opened in the morning and one in the afternoon) showed very different results between them. The morning bottle was more fleshy and ample, while the just-opened bottle offered very linear notes of citrus, apple and white peach. Some of the grapes are harvested early, in order to maintain that total acidity, and used as a blending agent with the rest of the wine. Green harvesting is not practiced here, as each vine is left on its own to ripen. Bibi Graetz tells me that the 2018 vintage was much easier and gave more satisfaction compared to the difficult 2017 growing season. Of course, like any white wine from the Tuscan Coast, you get a distinctive layer of sea salt on the close - in this case, mixed in with some freshly milled white pepper." Robert Parker

Very individualistic and quite extraordinary cuvée from Colorino, Canaiolo and Sangiovese. The bouquet is full of dark berries and the scent of elderflowers. Dense and powerful on the palate, yet slender, very clear, pithy, polished tannins and a long, full finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Powerful, with leather, plum tart, earth and tar flavors, backed by a vibrant structure. This shows heft, but a racy side lends definition to the refined finish." Wine Spectator

"I love the balance and beauty to this red with dried-strawberry, cherry and flower character. Full-bodied but reserved and polished. Ultra-fine tannins. Lively, creamy acidity. I like the volcanic salt undertone to the fruit." James Suckling

Powerful, very attractive exceptional wine. Smells of strawberry and cherry, spices and a hint of leather. Tastes juicy, very special and impresses with taut tannin and persistent length. SUPERIORE.DE

"Rich, rich ruby with a fine garnet shimmer. Appealing, intense nose with notes of plums, wild raspberry, underlaid with delicate cinnamon. Lots of juicy cherry fruit on the palate, opens with fine, grippy tannin, clear and smooth, firm pressure on the final." Falstaff

"The nose shows real elegance and spice and subtle notes of dried herbs. Such firm tannins that are backed up by wonderful fresh acidity. The palate has a light peppery note and seems to glide over the palate, stopping only to tickle the roof of your mouth. Savoury and sapid, extremely impressive." Jancis Robinson

"This is suave and expands on the palate, with cherry, black currant, mineral and woodsy underbrush notes. Shows purity to the fruit, along with support from the fine-grained tannins and lively acidity. Excellent length." Wine Spectator

"A blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino from three far-removed vineyard parcels in different areas of Tuscany, the 2016 Colore is something of a pan-Tuscan wine. This ambitious wine gives voice to three of the region's most important red grape varieties as well as its most diverse territories (Lamole in Chianti Classico, Vincigliata near Florence and Siena province in the southern part of Tuscany). As a result, this is a statement wine with a lot to say to those careful enough to listen. It's important to be attentive to the details, the small berry fruit aromas that intermingle with nuances of spice, granite stone and pressed blue flower. Pure summer cherry is the dominant aroma on first nose, but it slowly disintegrates as the wine takes on more air to reveal those lighter and more delicate aromas at the back. This vintage offers an ideal dose of structure matched against freshness. Bibi Graetz tells me that fruit in 2015 was beautiful, perfect to look at. Fruit in 2016, however, appeared more sculpted with more darkness and weight. On some level, those descriptions also apply to the character of these two gorgeous back-to-back vintages." Robert Parker

"The aromas are always so complex with cherries, blackberries, rosemary, sage and spice. Full-bodied, very tight and polished with a dense and powerful palate, which opens and grows, yet remains agile and beautiful. A solid red. Wonderful segue from the 2015. Try after 2022." James Suckling

Powerful, very attractive wine. Smells of strawberry and cherry, spices and a hint of leather. Tastes juicy, very special and impresses with firm tannin and persistent length. SUPERIORE.DE

"This is opulent and fresh with cedar, berry, tobacco and orange-peel aromas and flavors. Medium body, firm tannins and a flavorful finish. Precise and powerful center palate. Fabulous length." James Suckling

"With fruit from 60-year-old vines, the 2011 Colore is a precious blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino in equal parts. This is a highly singular wine made in very reduced quantities (only 2,000 bottles were produced). This mid weight expression shows a dark garnet color and moderate luminosity. That muted color is recognized across the very artisanal wines made by Bibi Graetz. The quality of fruit is bitter and raw and there is some sourness on the close. Having said that, enthusiasts will appreciate these one-off wines, especially with regards to how they relate to the strong personalities that create them. Lingering ash, smoke and dark licorice add subtle elegance on the finish." Robert Parker

Bright ruby. Testamatta convinces with its wonderfully finely drawn scent of cherries, dark berries and chocolate. Radiant, wide and with depth on the palate, taut, at the same time velvety tannins and a long final with spicy notes. SUPERIORE.DE

"Powerful ruby garnet. Very open, finely marked nose, shows notes of ripe cherries and plums, some cigar box. Lots of polished tannin, entwined with fine melting, rich cherry fruit, shows lots of rich pressure on the final." Falstaff

"A beautiful nose, a purity of red fruits and tea leaf. The fruit is extremely well extracted - soft and sublimely fine tannins. This feels like a wine that is brimming with vivacity and life - red fruits that have such elegance and refinement." Jancis Robinson

"The 2016 Testamatta represents a blend of fruit from old vines spread across the various vineyard holdings farmed by Bibi Graetz in both the Siena and Firenze provinces of Tuscany. These holdings include plots in Vincigliata (home base to Bibi Graetz and his family just outside of Florence), Lamole, Londa, Montefili and Siena. Many of the vines used here are 80 years old or more, and each site represents a cultural and enological patrimony that was specifically selected for its individual character or uniqueness. There is an unescapable metaphor in the many primary colors that blend or bleed into each other to form a single piece of art that is depicted on the front label of this handsome bottle. Testamatta reaches impeccable harmony in similar fashion. I tasted this wine on three separate occasions and was blown away each time. There is a seductively wild side to the wine that comes forth with chiseled intensity. Dark fruit, spice, tar, licorice and toasted spice make for a beautifully elegant bouquet. The mouthfeel remains mid-weight in approach, with polished tannins and a tightly knit texture that should relax and grow in volume as the wine evolves in the bottle." Robert Parker

"A very beautiful and thoughtful Testamatta with aromas of earth, terra cotta, black tea, and lavender. Full-bodied, very layered and extremely polished with superb, soft tannins. Racy and very long. Muscular and formed but very, very balanced. Gorgeous richness and depth. Shows balance and wonder." James Suckling