BIBI GRAETZ 'Testamatta' Rosso - Toscana IGT 2023 Bottle

Description

Bibi Graetz’s 2023 ‘Testamatta’ is a definitive expression of 100% Sangiovese, sourced from a selection of high-altitude old vines across Tuscany. The name, which translates to "crazy head," reflects Graetz’s artistic and unconventional approach to winemaking. The 2023 vintage in Tuscany was marked by a balanced growing season that favoured freshness and aromatic intensity, resulting in a wine that prioritises elegance and transparency over raw power.

The fruit is sourced from six distinctive vineyard sites, including Fiesole, Lamole, and Siena. These old vines, some dating back eighty years, provide the concentration and depth required for this top-tier cuvée. In the cellar, the grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation in open-top French oak barriques without temperature control, with manual punch-downs ensuring a gentle extraction of colour and tannins.

The 2023 vintage reveals a vibrant bouquet of wild strawberries, redcurrants, and peonies, underpinned by an electric mineral core and a hint of white pepper. On the palate, the wine is incredibly light on its feet yet possesses profound structural depth. The tannins are remarkably fine-grained, providing a silky framework for the bright, lifted acidity. This expression captures the pure essence of Sangiovese, offering a long, perfumed finish and exceptional potential for long-term ageing.

*****

JAMES SUCKLING 98 points/100
Seductive aromas of flowers, cherries, lemon blossoms and roses. Medium-bodied, crunchy and polished, with firm, silky, ultra-fine tannins. It’s all about structure with finesse. Such energy and tension. Complex and beautiful in the finish. A blend of sangiovese from Olmo and Lamole in Chianti Classico. Give this three or four years to come around.

DECANTER 98 points/100
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2038
2023 was ‘a very complicated vintage’, according to Bibi Graetz, who produced 32,000 bottles of Testamatta 2023 out of a typical production of over 100,000. Despite the issues, he claims it's ‘probably the best Testamatta we have made’ – and I wholeheartedly agree. Slatey, stony scents mingle with fragrant wild strawberry, raspberry and orange peel. It's incredibly fresh and precise in the mouth, offering vibrating dark cherry and red berry fruits at the core surrounded by flecks of salt and herbs, then a stunning, extended finish of blood orange, cherry and lip-smacking sapidity. Wow! Approximately 80% of the fruit is sourced from vines in Fiesole, and 20% from Lamole.