Bibi Graetz Colore 2012
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Winemaker Notes
Opulent and fresh with cedar, berry, tobacco, and orange-peel aromas, this medium-bodied wine has firm tannins and precise flavor which is powerful on the center palate followed by a nice length on the finish.
Blend: 34% Sangiovese, 33% Canaiolo, 33% Colorino
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Some pine needle with mushroom and dried earth. Fresh and bright. Medium-bodied with firm, fine tannins and a fresh, vivid finish. Lovely length and brightness. Drink now.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2012 Bibi Graetz Colore is a Tuscan rock star. TASTING NOTES: This enormous wine delivers complexity as few wines can. Enjoy its aromas and flavor of ripe fruit, rustic earth, savory spices, and chalky stones with a clove-studded smoked shoulder of ham. (Tasted: September 9, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2012 Colore is on the market now. Production of 2013 and 2014 was skipped, and the next vintage we shall see (very soon) is 2015, which is also reviewed in this report. This vintage produced large berry sizes for Sangiovese—something Bibi Graetz is always happy to see because it is an indicator of elegance and finesse within the context of the house style. If you consider this wine, his observation makes perfect sense. This warm vintage is powerful and rich in its natural state, so any additional berry density might easily lead to overextraction and heaviness. However, the mouthfeel is objectively thinner and more compact in this vintage. Colore represents a blend of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino in equal parts. The bouquet is redolent of wild berry, dried cherry and toasted spice. This vintage offers a very attractive mineral note as well. Fruit is selected from three of Bibi Graetz's favorite vineyards with ancient vines: Lamole (in Chianti Classico), Vincigliata and Siena. Only 5,000 bottles were made.
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Wine Spectator
Muscular and concentrated, yet with a sense of elegance derived from vibrant acidity, this red displays black cherry, blackberry, leather, iron and tobacco flavors. Consistent from the start to the long finish. Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino. Best from 2020 through 2028. 100 cases imported.
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From a medieval castle, Castello di Vincigliata, acquired by his parents over 60 years ago, winemaker Bibi Graetz crafts his wines on a hillside overlooking the great city of Florence. Beginning initially with only a small, 5-acre vineyard on this hillside in Fiesole, in little under two decades, Bibi has become one of Italy's most ingenious winemakers adding "cult winemaker" in addition to "talented abstract artist" to his dossier.
Since the release of his first wines in 2000 and without any formal training, Bibi Graetz has managed to stir-up the Tuscan wine scene, and with the creation of Testamatta and Colore, has made his name eponymous with great Tuscan wines. Regularly scoring in the high 90’s with wine publications like Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, and James Suckling, coupled with his unique and artisanal winemaking approach, Bibi Graetz’s wines have garnered a loyal following among wine collectors and wine trade.
Sourcing grapes from parcels of old vines around Tuscany give the Bibi reds great depth and soul; while grapes from vines on the Isola del Giglio have provided proof that Tuscany can be known for beautiful white wines as well. This affinity for old vines allows for the concentrated yet elegant wines of Bibi Graetz making this portfolio a collectible from Tuscan producers. His passion for producing his flagship wines exclusively from traditional varieties of Sangiovese, Colorino, and Canaiolo for the reds and the indigenous varieties of Ansonica and Vermentino for his whites have resulted in very distinctive wines that consistently set his wines apart from those from the rest of Tuscany, and Italy.
Legendary in Italy for its Renaissance art and striking landscape, Tuscany is also home to many of the country’s best red wines. Sangiovese reigns supreme here, as either the single varietal, or a dominant player, in almost all of Tuscany’s best.
A remarkable Chianti, named for its region of origin, will have a bright acidity, supple tannins and plenty of cherry fruit character. From the hills and valleys surrounding the medieval village of Montalcino, come the distinguished and age-worthy wines based on Brunello (Sangiovese). Earning global acclaim since the 1970s, the Tuscan Blends are composed solely of international grape varieties or a mix of international and Sangiovese. The wine called Vine Nobile di Montepulciano, composed of Prognolo Gentile (Sangiovese) and is recognized both for finesse and power.