Bibi Graetz, Testamatta Rossa, Toscana 2019

Very attractive combination of dried fruit and spices with black cherries and plums. Aromas of flowers and sandalwood, too. Full-bodied and very refined, yet intense, with plush, velvety tannins that are wonderfully integrated and intertwined with the fruit. Ripe center palate. Tight at the end, suggesting the need for some serious bottle age. Very structured. Try after 2025.

20 year anniversary vintage at this brilliant 58ha estate, and it’s hard not to love the complexity and the sense of controlled power. Raspberry, black cherry, butterscotch, truffle, scorched earth and slate, cleverly put together with clear confidence. So much happens after the wine has left your mouth - it has a whole second act where much of the nuance appears. It’s the detail that sets Testamatta apart - with the team going through the vineyard up to 8 times to ensure picking when ripe - from estate-owned plots across Tuscany where the vines range from 5 years old up to 80 years old from 400m to 600m altitude. Natural yeasts, six manual punch downs per day, 10 days maceration maximum and barrel ageing with no new oak.

Yet another fine year, however some wines in 2019 - although not Testamatta - lacked a little concentration. Relatively light in colour, it's at the other end of the density scale to the wines of the early 2000s. There are piquant raspberry and redcurrant aromas and both the nose and palate show admirable delicacy and restraint. Very elegant and pure, its fine acidity gives excellent length and ageing potential.

The Bibi Graetz 2019 Testamatta is a little closed and shy. This is one of the first vintages in which Bibi did not do green harvest, a practice he has since avoided because he believes the vines find ideal balance when left alone. In fact, yields in 2017 were lower because of the heat, but they rebounded in 2019, with 20% more production. This wine has red fruits, currants and dusty mineral sensation to close.