Wine Advisor
Bibi Graetz, Testamatta 2016
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Description
"Testamatta” – “crazy-head” in Italian - is the best word to describe Bibi Graetz: a positive, creative and passionate person. Testamatta wine expresses the purity, minerality and transparency of Sangiovese from old vines on the top of the hills characterized by soils rich of stones. A Supertuscan made with 100% Sangiovese, result of the combination of tradition and creativity.
“This Testamatta is so generous, it is able to deliver at the same time and with extreme balance the strength of the vintage and the elegance of Sangiovese. 2016 is so surprising in the glass, with a lot a different layers, starting from the red fruit, back tea and earth aromas and continuing with tobacco, black cherry and leather. This Testamatta has so much personality! " -- Bibi Graetz This is what we call the perfect growing season: winter had only few days of frost at the end of February, and Spring had the right balance of sun and rain. Summer started slowly and few rains in July and August interrupted the high summer temperatures. September and October had a lot of sun and nice temperatures allowing a slow ripening and harvest. Harvest for Testamatta started the 22th September and finished the 29th October.
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
This wine will be released in March 2019. 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. Some 60,000 bottles were made.
Reviewed by: Monica Larner
The Bibi Graetz 2016 Testamatta has a very direct and focused personality that is backed by freshness and chiseled fruit sensations. This wine stands out to me thanks to that sharpness. It is drinking very nicely at the moment. Production is 60,000 bottles.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
A juicy and linear red with berry, plum and orange-peel character. Full body, firm and chewy tannins and a fresh and bright finish. Solid energy to this. Builds on the palate. Pure sangiovese. A subtle giant.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
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. Try in 2020.
About the Producer
Bibi Graetz is one of the best wine producers in Tuscany, which has become famous for its Soffocone di Vincigliata, Colore, Testamatta Rosso and Bianco wines. Its grapes come from vines of about 80 years of age, the autochthonous: Sangiovese, Colorino and Cannaiolo. The Bibi Graetz estate is located in Vincigliata, a small village behind the Fiesole hill.
