2020 Colore del Testamatta

The 2020 Colore is pleasantly unexpected and is a total feminine beauty. When I anticipate power, it delivers grace with a stunning bouquet of freshly cut roses, blood orange, wild strawberries and sweet smoke. It's deeply textural, yet not heavy, feeling like crushed velvet gently draped across the palate, leaving mineral-tinged blackberries and currants in its wake. This finishes on a note of elegance with fine-grained tannins without slowing its momentum as spice notes slowly fade. The Colore is all old-vine (70 years or older) Sangiovese from vineyards Lamole, Vincigliata, Olmo and Siena.

The 2020 Colore is spiced and pure, with vibrant ripe cherry, cinnamon, and cedar. There is elegance and ripeness within its medium frame, revealing notes of wild raspberry, dried herbs, and orange zest. There is another level of refinement from the Testamatta that will continue to improve over the coming 15-20 years. Located in Fiesole, Bibi Graetz founded his eponymous estate in 2000. All the red wines are entirely produced from Sangiovese and offer the wonderfully polished style of the region, which is why I have included them here as a stepping stone for what is to come with my next report on Chianti.

Harvested 24 September to 15 October. 100% Sangiovese. More complex and savoury than Testamatta, offering dried herbs, wood spice, brambly fruits and hedgerow. The palate is glossy and refined while retaining the tannic, sandy integrity of Sangiovese. Succulent red cherry builds a sweet edge to a long, fine finish. (TP)