2023 Bibi Graetz, Colore Bianco, Isola del Giglio, IGT Toscana, Italy.
A big thank you to Isabella Ceccatelli, who showed me the Bibi Graetz 2023 Isola del Giglio Colore Bianco recently and gave me all the details on this unique island wine from Tuscany and who also presented the lineup of current releases from Bibi Graetz. This aromatic and deeply golden hued white is made using the the rare naive Ansonica grape from a special vineyard site in the Pietrabuona valley on this rustic Tuscan island where Bibi spent time in his youth and Ceccatelli says its an old vineyard site overlooking the sea, where as Bibi puts it, the wind, the sun and the salt break the granite rocks to create sandy soils where the Ansonica grape has been grown for centuries. This is a super exotic rarity, and I was thrilled to try it, the 2023 vintage gave perfect conditions for the perfect blend of ripeness and freshness to exist together and Graetz captured the essence of place with hints of tropical fruit, zesty citrus, white peach and a salty sea shore essence in the background.The palate is generous, delicately mineral toned and vinous with added layers of apricot, fleshy melon, dried mango, tangerine, white flowers, vanilla and some fine bitter almond nuttiness, as well as a light dusting of wild herbs and subtle brioche notes. This wine, which comes in 3 pack bottle cases, wildly pricy, is not easy to find and has its own fanatical following.
The very limited Bibi Graetz Colore Bianco, 100% Ansonica, is sourced from a picturesque terraced vineyard located on the southwest part of this tiny island, off the Tuscan coast, with vines planted in thousand-year-old granitic soils and trained in the local goblet method, the Alberello alla Gigliese. This method, Graetz explains, involves training low to the ground on a modified guyot system which protects the vines from the winds, not unlike Santorini, and harsh winters. All the clusters are handpicked and transported in small baskets to the winery, located at the center of the isle at Castello del Giglio, where the grapes are de-stemmed and gently pressed. They see some skin contact and then fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks for 6-7 days. After that 70% of the must is then moved into barriques for another 10 days without temperature control to finish up. Then that portion of the wine ages for 7 months in the barriques in contact with the lees, getting some stirring (bâtonnage) while the remaining 30% ferments and matures in stainless steel. This provides the wine with depth, complexity and richness, but retains a fresh nature and balance, as seen here in this lovely version. Graetz’s wines are always treats and while obviously most people focus on the Fiesole Sangiovese based wines that have made this an iconic label, it was fun to have a chance to try this one again and re-learn its place in the collection, again Grazie to Isabella, of Bibi Graetz, for sharing this one with me.
($175 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive