Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2022

Bibi Graetz Testamatta 2022, Sangiovese in motion

I recommend this Testamatta for its roots in several Tuscan landscapes and its long aging in wood, rather than for a ready-made tasting promise. This organic red, made from Sangiovese and classified IGT Toscana, reflects patient work in the vineyards and an estate story born from an unexpected choice.

From the Tuscan hillsides to the Bibi Graetz cellar

Bibi Graetz's adventure in wine began in 1990, when the lease on the vineyards around Castello di Vincigliata, the family castle near Fiesole, came to an end. An artist before becoming a winegrower, Graetz then committed to viticulture. For Testamatta, the estate blends grapes from five areas: Lamole and Montefili, in the heart of Chianti Classico, between 400 and 600 meters above sea level; Vincigliata, near Florence, at 280 meters; Londa, north of Florence; and Siena, to the south, around 250 meters. The 2022 vintage is a Sangiovese, grown using natural practices and respecting the grape variety, according to the source. The wine carries the IGT Toscana designation.

The plots are monitored separately, and the harvest may involve up to eight passes through the vineyards to check the ripeness of the bunches. In the cellar, the grapes are sorted, destemmed and pressed; each plot is vinified separately. Fermentation takes place with indigenous yeasts, in open 225-liter barrels, without temperature control, with six daily punch-downs. Maceration on the skins lasts seven to ten days. The wine is then aged for at least two years in old oak barrels, more than a decade old; the vintage sheet also indicates 24 months in oak barrels. The available sources do not give precise notes on the color, nose or palate: I prefer to tell you so rather than invent aromas or a texture.

At the table, in the Tuscan spirit

Given its grape and origin, I would happily place it at the center of a meal where the cooking has character: grilled meat, a slow-cooked dish or pasta with tomato sauce can offer lovely pairings to explore. Serve it with a generous dish, without trying to mask the wine under overly powerful flavors; the wood aging and the work on Sangiovese deserve room to shine. It is also a bottle to open to take time to talk about the landscapes whose grapes it gathers, from Fiesole to the southern hills. If you enjoy Tuscan reds built around Sangiovese, this 2022 Testamatta can be a fine invitation to taste the diversity of Bibi Graetz's terroirs.