“Testamatta” – “crazy-head” in Italian - is the best word to describe Bibi Graetz: a positive, creative and passionate person. Testamatta wine expresses the purity, minerality and transparency of Sangiovese from old vines on the top of the hills characterized by soils rich of stones. A Supertuscan made with 100% Sangiovese, result of the combination of tradition and creativity.
“Elegance, this is the word that describes Testamatta 2019. The 20th Anniversary of Testamatta is a real milestone, the peak of quality that I was searching in my Sangiovese since the first vintage in 2000. Testamatta 2019 is perfectly balanced with deep layers which shown an incredible complexity.” - Bibi Graetz
The season has been very stable with the right quantity of heat and rain in all the season. The cold and dry winter and the average quantity of rain in the spring prevented the proliferation of illnesses. The correct growing of the plants was supported by the lowering of the minimum temperature in the preharvest period, this led to a slow and complete maturation and to an incredible aromatic expression. This smoothness of the climate provided grapes of outstanding quality. The harvest started on September 21st and ended the 8th of October.
Testamatta grapes are selected and sourced from the best 5 vineyards of the winery: Vincigliata, Londa, Lamole, Montefili and Siena. Each vineyard, divided in parcels, is harvested up to 8 times, making sure all the grapes are picked at the perfect ripening point. The 5 old-age vineyards, (up to 80 yrs old) are located in different areas of Tuscany: Lamole & Montefili in the heart of Chianti Classico at 600 and 400 meters altitude, Vincigliata nearby Firenze at 280 meters altitude, Londa at north of Firenze, towards the Rufina valley and Siena in the south of Tuscany at 250 meters altitude. The hand-picked grapes, selected in the vineyards firstly and later for the second time at the winery, are destemmed and then soft pressed. The fermentations are conducted by natural and indigenous yeasts, in open top barriques (225L) for the smaller parcels of the vineyards and in barrels or stainless steel for the larger ones without any temperature control and “bleedings” neither, with 6 manual puch-down and pump-over per day. After 7-10 days of maceration, the different parcels are moved into old barriques and barrels for 20 months.