Bibi Graetz Colore 20 Anniversario Toscana 2019

Bibi Graetz is the hottest producer in Tuscany, with his “Testamatta” bottling turning the Tuscan wine biz upside down soon after the first release in the early 2000s. Now, enter “Colore” – his flagship wine taken from the very best barrels and his oldest, highest elevation vines. This 100% sangiovese is a must for any serious Italian wine collector!

The 2019 vintage marks the 20th anniversary of Bibi Graetz winery. What a couple of decades! Countless 95-100 point scores and a reputation that went almost immediately to rising star and is now approaching all-time legendary status. His impact on Italian wine has been staggering, and we’re just thrilled to have stumbled upon these wines some years back. His winery sits on the hill of Fiesole, overlooking the verdant, rolling foothills of Florence in the heart of Tuscany. From the very beginning, his goal was to acquire some of the oldest vineyards in Tuscany, with a focus on the ancient, local varietals, Sangiovese being chief amongst those, but also including Canaiolo and Colorino.

“Colore” is the highest expression of his dream, from very old vineyards of Sangiovese that are 70, 80, or even 90 years old. Fruit from three separate vineyards – Lamole, Vincigliata, and Siena – is the basis of this blend, though only the best barrels make the final bottling. Set on porous soils of sand mixed with stone, these high-altitude vines are hand-harvested, with up to eight passes through each vineyard, pulling only those clusters that are perfectly ripe. The fruit is sorted again at the winery before undergoing spontaneous fermentations in old, open-top barriques. The grapes are punched down by hand 6-8 times each day during fermentation before transferring to new barriques where they’ll finish secondary fermentation as they age for the next 20 months.

The 2019 vintage was a remarkable one for the region, and Bibi had this to say about the conditions, “Monumental, there is no better word to describe this vintage. Roundness in every single aspect of the wine: elegance, freshness and great acidity that gives very fine layers, surprisingly detectable on the nose and at the first sip. Colore 2019 celebrates my 20th anniversary as a winemaker. It has been a great journey since 2000, full of satisfactions and now with this vintage I finally close the circle. My wines at the beginning were looking for structure and concentration, in 2009 I realized that “elegance” should have been the main drive. In 2019 I did it!”

Can’t disagree in the slightest. This effort is powerful, taut, and exceptionally structured – elegance is interwoven throughout, but make no mistake, this is ample, layered, and even intimidating in its youthful exuberance. This is a wine to be treasured, and any patience shown will be rewarded threefold over the years to come. Classic cherries, berries, and red currants, with tinges of blood orange, spearmint oil, toasted fennel seed, savory balsam herbs, and camphor. This is serious stuff that will only get even better as time marches on. We only have 3 cases left at the best price in the country…do what you must and grab a few of these for your collection! While they last!