"Scorched earth and pure sun-ripened fruit are at the forefront of the 2020 Testamatta, with ripe red cherry, tarragon, and toasted cedar. Medium bodied, with a mineral and lifted texture, it offers fine tannins and a citrus tinged finish. A razor edge of acidity drives the wine forward and creates a linear feel. It will certainly benefit for more time in bottle to ease into its full potential and can be enjoyed over the next 15 or so years. Located in Fiesole, Bibi Graetz founded his eponymous estate in 2000. All the red wines are entirely produced from Sangiovese and offer the wonderfully polished style of the region, which is why I have included them here as a stepping stone for what is to come with my next report on Chianti."

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"The subtle nose on this wine releases oak notes first, then cherries, soy sauce, herbs, pencil shavings and eraser, and finally a little orange peel. Graphite and soil come through on the palate alongside more cherries, orange and dried herbs. Tannins hold their shape but let the fruit speak, while acid cuts right down the tongue."

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"Beautiful, fresh aromas of sour cherries, orange peel and lemon bush. Medium-bodied with firm, racy acidity and ultra-fine tannins that add brightness and energy to the wine. This is definitely following the new wave of crunchy, vivid Tuscany sangioveses, which emphasize drinkability and transparency. Lighter than past vintages. Drink now or hold."

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"Bibi Graetz has long been tinkering with his formula for this wine, and this vintage represents a new chapter. The 2020 Testamatta is a blend of Sangiovese from old and new vines, with a priority on cooler growing conditions (and even a few northern exposures). In the wake of climate change, and in the pursuit of elegance, Bibi is changing his approach. He also has a new vineyard property near Fiesole, and the introduction of these grapes (from a breezy, high-elevation site) are what gives Testamatta its beautiful clarity, sharpness and lifted bouquet. The new Fiesole fruit makes up about 30% to 35% of this wine. The results are vibrant, transparent and fresh both in terms of acidity and aromatic intensity. This is a wine in transformation and a wine to watch."

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"The name of this Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2020 means ‘crazy head’, perhaps referring to Bibi’s passionate pursuit of old vine Sangiovese. This wine is a clear, transparent, ruby color and has a very appealing nose of delicate, pure, red fruits like red cherry and wild strawberries wrapped in spice and light salty notes from sea breezes. The nose is charming and alluring. On the palate it is very Burgundy-like in weight and texture with a fine silkiness to the texture but it has very Sangiovese-like tannins. The wine is round and silky with a juicy freshness and fine but firm, savory tannins that linger with bitter cherry and sea salt flavors to the finish. A graceful and characterful version of Sangiovese."

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"A sleek, well-delineated red, delivering cherry and raspberry flavors on an elegant frame. Fresh, and builds nicely on the mineral- and floral-laced finish. Drink now through 2028. 10,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported. "

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"Delicate aromas of red berry, sunbaked earth and dark spice shape the nose along with a whiff of Mediterranean scrub. Bright and elegantly structured, the linear palate features juicy Marasca cherry, crushed raspberry and baking spice framed in polished tannins. Drink through 2029."

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"A pure expression of Sangiovese, the Bibi Graetz 2019 Testamatta is a wine in constant evolution. Bibi has added 17 more hectares of vineyard to the program, with 12 hectares in Fiesole (north of Florence) and 5 hectares in San Donato in Colle (south of Florence) with 70-year-old vines. The base of the wine sees fruit from old vines planted in the 1950s in the cool-climate Lamole subzone of Chianti Classico. These new terroirs bring a lot more aromatic nuance and complexity to the wine with perfumed blue flower, candied orange peel, wet earth and plumy black fruit. White Alberese soils add a strong chalky mineral signature to the finish of this elegantly streamlined and linear Tuscan red."

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"Yet another fine year, however some wines in 2019 - although not Testamatta - lacked a little concentration. Relatively light in colour, it's at the other end of the density scale to the wines of the early 2000s. There are piquant raspberry and redcurrant aromas and both the nose and palate show admirable delicacy and restraint. Very elegant and pure, its fine acidity gives excellent length and ageing potential. Drinking Window 2023 - 2036"

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"Very attractive combination of dried fruit and spices with black cherries and plums. Aromas of flowers and sandalwood, too. Full-bodied and very refined, yet intense, with plush, velvety tannins that are wonderfully integrated and intertwined with the fruit. Ripe center palate. Tight at the end, suggesting the need for some serious bottle age. Very structured. Try after 2025."

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"This is a great wine, with scope and imagination that doesn't want to let you go. Genuinely stands out among the wines of this tasting, and these are a fine array of wines."

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"The 2018 vintage resulted in elegant but relatively light wines, and cool nights kept them fresh. The subdued red fruit nose has finesse and poise, while the attack is lively and relatively forward. This is no blockbuster but it shows fine acidity and concentration. It may lack some complexity now but it's still youthful. Long. Drinking Window 2023 - 2032"

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"The 2018 Testamatta shows elegant Sangiovese purity and transparency, starting with delicate wild berry and blueberry tones and finishing long with pretty accents of crushed limestone and a touch of campfire ash. In the glass, the wine is radiant and vivid with a luminous ruby or garnet color. Oak use is reduced to a bare minimum, with barrels that are up to their 16th year of use. "The older they are, the better," Bibi explains. As the wine opens in the glass, it presents pretty lilac and violet. This wine represents a blend of fruit from various sites (all with old vines that are farmed organically) across the region of Tuscany. The northern-most sites close to Florence tend to add the floral notes that are so characteristic of this cool vintage (which saw a bit more rain than average and extra work in the vineyards to kept these vines healthy). I visited the vineyards with Bibi in 2018 and remember how beautiful the grapes appeared on the vines. Much of the fruit used here comes from the Vigna del Cancello in Casciano del Murlo, which is midway between Siena and Montalcino. These southern sites give the wine its backbone and tannins. Bibi Graetz tells me that he struggled to create the blend for this 60,000-bottle release. He decided on a final blend, only to change his mind and re-blend two and a half months later. His second stab was specifically aimed at capturing finesse and softening the wine's tannic imprint. Indeed, the wine ultimately offers more in length (with fresh fruit flavors and bright acidity) than it does in power or mid-palate. The finish is silky, long and very fine."

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"Shows superb length and intensity with blueberry and blackberry character. Mineral and salty undertone. Full and racy. Beautiful length."

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"Very subtle aromas of cherries, bark, black truffles and flowers. Hints of crushed stones. It’s full-bodied, yet very tight and solid with a very tight, minerally structure. Very long and intense. Racy and bright at the end. Powerful, orange-peel and citrus-fruit undertones. Salty and minerally. This needs time to develop in the bottle. Extremely structured. A wine not to touch until after 2023."

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"A focused, linear style, this red features cherry, iron, earth and tobacco flavors, with a hint of wild scrub in the aroma, all matched to a firm, well-integrated structure. Tightens up on the finish, remaining long and detailed. Drink now through 2024. 7,500 cases made, 1,850 cases imported. "

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"It would have taken a high degree of incompetence to produce a poor wine in 2016, and Testamatta is a triumph. The nose is lean but elegant, with wafting aromas of cherries, red fruits and a floral tone. Fresh and intense, it has polished tannins and lifted acidity that gives great persistence; a mouthwatering character that's highly seductive. Drinking Window 2022 - 2038"

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"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."

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"#30 Top Italian Wines 2018 - 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."

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"A rich version, with a layer of oak and flavors of black cherry, plum and underbrush. Stays firm through the tobacco-tinged finish, yet there is ample fruit here. Sangiovese. Best from 2020 through 2032. 1,500 cases imported."

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"Another fine year produced this pure expression of Sangiovese fruit. The nose is reticent but floral, infused with rose petals and red fruits. It's concentrated on the palate but svelte too, and not overly extracted. The tannins are certainly present but not dominant, balanced by the wine's freshness. There's force and drive on the very long finish. Drinking Window 2022 - 2035"

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