The Italian-Norwegian winemaker has set up his own estate in Tuscany, where he grew up. Together with the winemaker Alberto Antonini, he cultivates autochthonous grape varieties on almost 80 hectares. He applies himself to creating, with a master’s hand, fine and elegant wines, with a perfectly worked complexity. Zoom in on this exceptional estate.
Winegrower-artist
Bibi Graetz was not predestined to produce wine. Born into a family of artists, he graduated from the prestigious Academia dell’Arte in Florence, thus destined for an artistic career. However, at the end of the 1990s, he decided to focus on wine and in 2000 he set up his own winery, Azienda Agricola Testamatta, in the hills above Florence. There, in close collaboration with Alberto Antonini, he created very high quality wines that were quickly spotted by wine lovers. Often considered as a “cool winemaker”, a bit casual, his wines are nevertheless true works of art, to which he pays great attention… even to the labels. For Bibi Graetz has been able to reuse his skills and past experience, and designs the labels for each wine himself, according to his inspiration.
A sublime Tuscan estate
The Bibi Graetz vineyard is divided into two parts. On more than 80 hectares, spread over the hills overlooking Florence, and on the island parcels of Giglio, vines are grown according to organic principles.
Fascinated by old vines and what they can offer in terms of finesse and elegance, Bibi Graetz has sought to acquire a large number of old red vines. In fact, he has the largest collection of these in Tuscany. Sangiovese, canaiola, and colorino allow him to produce exceptional red wines. The vines flourish at high altitudes, on soil that is poor in pebbles. A perfect recipe for elegance and precision.
The white wines are produced on the island of Giglio. This location also resonates with Bibi’s life, as it is the place where he spent his childhood holidays. Whether by chance or by fate, this island is renowned for its exceptional and extreme terroir, between sky, land and sea, and for its ansonica vines, planted on a sandy soil composed of granite powder. While Bibi is in favour of the numerous experiments on these vintages, the old farmers of the island have nevertheless passed on their know-how and knowledge to him. The result? White wines combining minerality and finesse, perfectly reflecting their terroir.
