Bibi Graetz

Testamatta Rosso 2022

De in Noorwegen geboren Bibi Graetz is zonder twijfel een van de grote wijnmakers en tegelijkertijd een van de grote individualisten van Toscane. Hij noemt zichzelf en zijn iconische wijn ‘Testamatta’, wat ‘gek’ betekent in het Italiaans. Maar Bibi is allesbehalve een gek: hij weet precies wat hij doet, maar hij doet het op zijn eigen manier. We zijn dan ook niet verbaasd dat de wijn geclassificeerd is als een Toscana Rosso landwijn, ook al liggen de wijngaarden in de Chianti Classico. De grote critici zijn in ieder geval enthousiast!

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.

The production of both Testamatta and Colore was cut by two-thirds in 2022, partly because Bibi Graetz didn't want to use his south-facing vineyards in such a hot year. ‘I think there is more power, more energy,’ he says. Certainly, Testamatta is singing, and has closed the gap to Colore in 2022. It displays dusty, earthy notes, creamy dark cherry, green olive and spice on a vertical frame with stark salinity. It's precise and energetic, poised and balletic, with a beautiful vibrancy of tangy raspberry, cherry, wild herbs and a touch of plum.

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.