Bibi Graetz
Testamatta
Toscana IGT
2016

The producer

Bibi Graetz is a renowned and innovative winemaker from Tuscany, celebrated for his unconventional approach and his focus on crafting high-quality wines that challenge traditional norms. Based in Fiesole, just outside Florence, Bibi Graetz started his winemaking journey in 2000 on his family estate, which includes vineyards with some of the oldest vines in Tuscany, many over 50 years old. With a background in art, Graetz brings a creative and experimental flair to his winemaking, producing highly expressive wines that emphasize terroir and the unique character of indigenous grape varieties such as Sangiovese, Colorino, and Canaiolo. His flagship wine, Testamatta, meaning "crazy head," has achieved critical acclaim for its depth, elegance, and complexity, embodying his passion for innovation and artistry. Graetz’s wines are a reflection of Tuscany’s heritage with a modern twist, appealing to both traditionalists and contemporary wine lovers alike.

The wine

Testamatta is a 100% Sangiovese wine crafted from five exceptional vineyards in the Chianti region of Tuscany, where all the vines are over 50 years old. While rooted in the tradition of Tuscany’s indigenous grape, Testamatta is often referred to as a "Super Tuscan" due to the meticulous and innovative winemaking approach it shares with this renowned category. Bibi Graetz takes extraordinary care during harvest, picking grapes up to eight times from each vineyard to ensure only the perfectly ripened bunches are used. The result is a wine of unparalleled depth, elegance, and character, reflecting the essence of Tuscany with every sip

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.