Bibi Graetz is at the forefront of Tuscany’s new wave of pioneering winemakers, devoted to the local Sangiovese grape, and in contrast to the Super Tuscans, eschewing the use of international varieties. Bibi’s wines are focused around old vine Sangiovese, from top vineyards all over the Chianti Classico region, with 50-80 year old vines which produce great intensity but tiny yields – for the Colore, yields are as little as one bunch of grapes per vine! Yes, that sounds mad, but it is the same as at Chateau d’Yquem and Egon Muller, two of the world's most respected producers. The 2019 vintage is his 20^th and, he believes, his finest ever, as he has finally achieved the 'peak of quality' he was looking for in Testamatta and 'elegance' in the Colore.
 
“Bibi’s wines take you to the essence of winemaking” Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
 
When the 2006 vintage was scored 98 points on the Wine Advocate, the world took notice, and over the last 15 vintages, Bibi has finely tunes his wines, reducing the use of new oak and extracting more gently, the wines are now all about purity and elegance, which makes them highly collectible and sought after.
 
"Monumental, there is no better word to describe this vintage. Roundness in every single aspect of the wine: elegance, freshness and great acidy that gives very fine layers surprisingly detectable on the nose and at the first sip. Colore 2019 celebrates my 20th anniversary as a winemaker. It has been a great journey since 2000, full of satisfactions and now with this vintage I finally close the circle. My wines at the beginning were looking for structure and concentration, in 2009 I realized that “elegance” should have been the main drive. In 2019 I did it!" - Bibi Graetz
 
The 99-point Colore 2019, meaning 'The Dream,' is a step up in richness, complexity and ageability, and in 2019 it is 100% Sangiovese. Usually a little Colorino or Canaiolo is blended in, but the quality of the Sangiovese was so high in 2019 that Bibi decided to let it shine. Only the very finest fruit from the best sites makes it into Colore, and most of that is from Lamole, arguably Chianti’s finest site. Some vines are over 135 years old and produce yields as tiny as 12 hectolitres per hectare – for comparison, the yield at Petrus is 30hl in a tough year, nearly 3 times as much! Chateau d’Yquem is closer, at around 10hl per ha. James Suckling awarded 99 points, calling it “old-vine magic” whilst Jane Anson, scoring 98, called it “deliciously moreish”