100 Points Special Mixed Case | 12 Flaschen

Balocchi di Colore N°1 2020 Podere di Vincigliata: 93 Punkte

A dusty and beautiful blend of black cherries, bay leaf and sage lifts up from the 2020 Balocchi di Colore N°1. This is pleasantly ripe yet wonderfully balanced with crisp acidity and sweet rosy inner florals over a core of wild berries. It finishes long and lightly structured, leaving tangerine and young strawberry behind. The Balocchi di Colore N°1 is a varietal Sangiovese from a vineyard in Fiesole that was planted in 1960 at 250 meters of elevation. Of note, the bottlings of Balocchi di Colore are only available as a set of three. - Eric Guido (03/2023)

Colore 2021: 94 Punkte

Hauntingly dark and alluring, the 2021 Colore entices with a blend of dusty violets and lavender, giving way to dried blueberries and sweet smoke. It washes across the palate with textures of pure silk, finessed and lifted in feel, with depths of tart wild berry fruit that saturate. Brisk acidity adds balance, and hints of licorice form toward the close. While firm, the 2021’s tannins are crunchy and crisp, adding structural tension without taking away from its undeniably pretty persona. This finishes with outstanding length and a sour cranberry tinge that puckers the cheeks. The future is bright, but patience is required. - Eric Guido (10/2023)

Testamatta 2018: 97 Punkte

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. (07/2020)

Balocchi di Colore N°1 2020 Podere di Vincigliata: 96 Punkte

A structured and linear red with black cherries and blackberries with some mineral undertones. Full-bodied, very long and racy. Lovely and pure with wonderful acidity. Sangiovese plot on the hillsides above Fiesole. New wine. Needs four or five years to come around. About 2,000 bottles made. Try after 2027. (02/2023)

Colore 2021: 99 Punkte

Intense aromas of purple fruits such as raspberry, spice, lead pencil and granite. Perfumed flowers as well. Full-bodied, tight with poised tannins that show transparency and focus. Crunchy and very long. Better after 2028 when it opens and integrates beautifully. (06/2023)

Colore 2022: 100 Punkte

Perfection in sangiovese, with cherry blossoms, chalk, seashells, fine sand and violets on the nose and palate. Medium- to full-bodied with focused and poised tannins that are wonderfully integrated and rather endless. Crunchy and chewy at the end. Such presence. You want to spend time with this wine. A top selection from two vineyards Olmo and one in the village of Chianti Classico in Lamole, 60 and 88 years old, respectively. This is a wine that gives great pleasure now, but will be even better in two or three years. (07/2024)

Colore 2021: 99 Punkte

The 2021 Colore, 100% Sangiovese, is medium garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, a glorious perfume of raspberry coulis, Morello cherries, and rose oil emerges from the glass, followed by hints of cinnamon toast, Sichuan pepper, and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate is coated with vibrant red berry and floral layers, framed by exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing epically long and fragrant. This is absolutely stunning! (08/2023)

Colore 2021: 95 Punkte

Pure and elegant, offering a beam of cherry, strawberry, pomegranate, rose and mineral aromas and flavors. This harmonious version builds in intensity to the long, fruit-filled finish, where a hint of blood orange peeks through. Sangiovese. Drink now through 2037. 480 cases made. - B.S.

Testamatta 2018: 94 Punkte

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. - Monica Larner (08/2020)

Balocchi di Colore N°1 2020 Podere di Vincigliata: 95 Punkte

Compared to the N. 3 (made with Colorino), which is darker in color and richer in concentration, this wine reveals a ruby color with extra shine and more of that characteristic Sangiovese transparency. The Bibi Graetz 2020 Podere di Vincigliata Balocchi di Colore N. 1 (made with 100% Sangiovese) offers punchy aromas of dark cherry and raspberry tart. This wine presents a very lifted or vertical bouquet with rose, floral aromas and lilac. It is silky and fine on the palate with a glossy texture brought on by balanced acidity. This is a single-vineyard expression of the grape that Bibi has dedicated most of his career to thus far. Only 2,000 bottles were made. - Monica Larner (05/2023)

Colore 2021: 98+ Punkte

The Bibi Graetz 2021 Colore is Sangiovese from old vines, but otherwise, winemaking and the oak regime is identical to the other top red, Testamatta. In this case, fruit comes from the Lamole area with vineyards at a high 600 meters above sea level. Some are south-facing but high up on the mountain. As Bibi explains: “Colore delivers power and freshness, whereas Testamatta delivers transparency and freshness.” The Colore shows the pure energy and liveliness of Sangiovese with violet, wild cherry and orange zest. The wine delivers an elegantly earthy side with a very delineated mouthfeel driven by very fine, silly tannins. This is a beautiful wine with delicately sweet cherry on the finish. Bibi has been making little changes to this wine over the years (other than giving it a new winery home in Fiesole) to capture an ideal or benchmark for Sangiovese. His 2021 is his best wine yet. Production is 35,000 bottles, which is slightly lower compared to the last vintage. - Monica Larner (05/2023)

Colore 2022: 96 Punkte

The Bibi Graetz 2022 Colore sources its fruit from only two sites in this vintage: from 60-year-old vines in the Olmo vineyard (with 400-meter-plus elevations) and 88-year-old vines in Lamole (Chianti Classico). The vines are mostly south-facing, but the elevations are key. Meanwhile, Testamatta comes from mostly cool, north-facing sites. These results show lots of vertical heft and sharp tones with bright fruit, mineral graphite and blue flower. Bibi seeks transparency in his wines, and although the 2022 vintage delivers heavier fruit aromas overall, the wine does offer a pretty textural lightness. - Monica Larner (07/2024)