Bibi Graetz Testamatta Toscana 20th Anniversario 2019 (Magnum 1.5L)

97 POINT, Special Edition, 20th Anniversary bottling from the one and only Bibi Graetz…in MAGNUM!!! This is a one-off bottling commemorating twenty years of Tuscany’s most colorful character – and the wine that has forever changed the game in Tuscany’s elite wine circles.

Graetz exploded onto the Tuscan wine scene in 2000, buying up old vine plots at high elevations in some of the tippy-top best spots throughout Tuscany. Testamatta is his self-portrait, naming the wine “crazy head” after himself. Hailing from a family of artists, his rise to the very top of Tuscany’s wine scene over the past 20 years has been unconventional (to put it mildly!). But with slews of 97+ point scores, his modern, think-outside-the-box style has paid off in a momentous, Tuscan landscape-altering way!

At a time when all of Tuscany was trying to duplicate the success of Ornellaia, Sassacaia, and the wave after wave of Super-Tuscan style wines made from Bordeaux varieties – Bibi swam against the current, protecting Tuscany’s heritage varieties – sangiovese, colorino, and canaiolo – and strategically selecting the highest elevation sites for an advantage in the inevitable battles to come. Now, twenty years in, the shift is tangible – and while Super-Tuscans don’t look to be going anywhere anytime soon, there is a new movement to embrace the heritage clones and ancient sites of Tuscany – a movement that may never have occurred without Bibi’s success.

100% sangiovese, fruit sourced from the best 5 vineyard plots, with vines starting at 50 years old, fermented and aged in new barrels…made at his medieval castle, Castello di Vincigliata overlooking Florence. This is an eye-opening effort that even gave the maestro himself pause.

“The 20th Anniversary of Testamatta is a real milestone, the peak of quality that I was searching for in my Sangiovese since the first vintage in 2000. Testamatta 2019 is perfectly balanced with deep layers which show an incredible complexity.” – Bibi

Beautiful and seductive nose of morello cherries, peonies, sandalwood, and mocha, giving way to flavors of dried plums, more cherries, lavender, raspberry coulis, balsam, and toasted black pepper. TASTY! The wine is light, yet formidable, with velvety fine tannins, lingering and delicate oak notes, brimming with roasted spices, and a lip-smacking finish. This is a magnum to savor, and one that will proudly stand as a gem in any cellar, and for decades to come. Don’t miss these extremely limited beauties, especially at a price of over $80 below retail!

PAIRING IDEAS: This big bottle deserves an even bigger steak… and there’s no better match than the region’s famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina. Basically, an extra thick 3+ pound porterhouse served family style. It’s a beast, and this beauty is just the fit to tame it.

MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: Give a listen to Blue Foundation’s “Eyes on Fire” – a modern-day Danish band that pulls heavily from the early 90s alt-rock, grunge metal style.