2019 - Colore, Bibi Graetz, Toscana

Colore comes from the oldest vineyards of Sangiovese that range up to 135 years, and there is a gentle, unforced complexity to this wine that is deliciously moreish. Expect raspberries, black cherries, rosemary, liquorice, the soft floral aromatics of late-afternoon roses, caressing and silky and giving so much pleasure but not expecting too much of you. You can drink this now with a carafe but it will age, because there is acidity and grip. A lovely wine to slow down to. Bib Graetz’s 20th anniversary, proving again why he is such a compelling figure in Tuscany.

This year saw larger yields and bigger production overall. The Bibi Graetz 2019 Colore offers soft mineral notes and pretty fruit tones with violet and lilac at the back. This vintage not only delivered more in terms of quantity, but it also gives a lot in terms of flavor intensity and fruit weight. It is naturally concentrated and rich with tannins that have an elegantly chalky element. The 2019 is undergoing a very positive bottle evolution.

Sweet spices, autumnal leaves, wild strawberries and white smoke hints make the 2019 Colore a total pleasure on the nose. This is wildly energetic and spry with tart wild berries accelerated by zesty acidity. Its fruits are crisp and pure, driven by saline minerality and exotic spices. The 2019 finishes lightly structured and buzzing with residual tension as licorice and balsamic tones slowly fade. This is a radiant beauty and nearly unrecognizable from the old, large-scale stylings of Bibi Graetz. Well done.

Pale garnet with less overt fruit than their Testamatta. Fibrous tannins with a touch of sour cherry and dark chocolate. Fine and transparent with firm structure – very traditional, very Tuscan in its bitter grippiness. (RH)