Bibi Graetz

Here at OenoFuture we are passionate about finding exceptional investment opportunities in new and atypical wine regions for our clients. While traditional fine wine investment has focused heavily on the big-name Bordeaux estates, over the past few years the market has diversified and broadened hugely with top producers from Burgundy, Italy, Spain and the New World gaining significant market share.

One such winemaker who has rapidly made his mark on the fine wine world is Bibi Graetz who also happens to be a talented abstract artist. Bibi released his first wines in 2000 working a tiny 5 acre vineyard on the grounds of his parents’ medieval castle, the Castello di Vincigliata, which looks out over the city of Florence.

Despite not having any formal winemaking training, Bibi’s masterful wines have earned a place amongst Tuscany’s finest bottles and are loved by wine enthusiasts and critics all over the globe. His top wines have consistently achieved scores in the high 90s from leading fine wine critics and publications like Robert Parker, James Suckling, and Wine Spectator, and in 2006 Wine Spectator named Bibi’s Testamatta as its top Tuscan wine, describing it as “one of Tuscany’s true cult wines.”

Testamatta is a testament to the brilliance and potential of Italy’s magnificent Sangiovese grape when in the hands of a talented artisanal winemaker. Unlike many of the region’s so-called Super Tuscans, Bibi’s Testamatta reveals the natural beauty of the Sangiovese grape with minimal intervention from the winemaker.

As an artist at heart, Bibi’s philosophy in the vineyard and in the winery is simple; to allow nature to take its course with a light human touch to enhance what is already present in the raw ingredients. For example, Bibi’s Testamatta spends 18 months ageing in oak barrels yet the vast majority of these barrels are 10-15 years old meaning their influence does not overpower the pure character of the grape variety.

Another of Bibi’s greatest triumphs is his Colore which he produces in very limited quantities only in the best years. This spectacular red wine is made from equal parts Sangiovese, Canaiolo, and Colorino grapes sourced from Bibi’s 60 year old vineyards at Castello di Vincigliata. In keeping with Bibi’s gentle touch philosophy, the wine is aged in used barrels for 21 months to create an intense, incredibly complex red with serious ageing potential.

Colore and Testamatta both represent the contemporary, forward-looking side of Tuscan winemaking. This, combined with their strong market performance in recent years, makes Bibi’s top wines a solid prospect for those looking to embrace alternative fine wine regions and create a broad, diversified investment portfolio.

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