#48 in James Suckling’s top 100 of 2024

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.

Colore is the product of old vines in the Chianti Classico hills, in Lamole and Olmo. ‘Colore is my dream from the beginning of working with old vineyards…the vineyard in Lamole is beautiful, it’s THE vineyard in Chianti Classico,’ says Bibi Graetz. 2022 was a hot year and so Bibi decided to only use fruit from his north-facing vineyards. ‘The hot year gives me this material, even if it is up in the mountains, north-facing; the fruit has this kick.’ Precisely sculpted and very intense, Colore 2022 is both pillowy and bright. Dark berries, spice and blood orange are gathered up by a lingering, zesty finish. It’s more closed than Testamatta at the moment, but should reveal more of its beauty in time.

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.