Colore Bianco 2021

Bibi Graetz, Colore Bianco 2021

Bibi Graetz made his name with top red wines from Tuscany, but for Colore Bianco he looked further afield: to the island of Giglio, where hundred-year-old Ansonica vines grow on thousand-year-old terraces above the Mediterranean Sea. A minuscule production of a virtually forgotten grape in a place where viticulture shouldn't really be possible.

What you smell
Intense yellow flowers (broom), ripe peach and a hint of almond paste. Layered and inviting.

What you taste
Full-bodied and powerful, but never heavy. The saline undertone, a legacy of the sea, keeps everything fresh and gives the wine an almost tactile tension. Long finish with a slightly bitter almond note that returns.

How it's made
Hand-harvested Ansonica from ancient vines. Vinification partly in stainless steel tanks, partly in oak barrels. Seven months of aging in wood for extra texture and complexity.

Serving
Between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. Use a larger glass so the complex aromas can unfold.

Pairs well with

• Grilled lobster with herb butter: the richness of the wine can stand up to the sweet lobster meat, while the saline note balances the butter.
• Swordfish with Mediterranean herbs: the firm structure matches the fleshy texture of the fish, the herbs complement the floral character.
• Risotto with seafood and saffron: creaminess meets creaminess, the saltiness of both enhances each other.

Scores

• James Suckling: 96/100
• Robert Parker: 96/100
• Falstaff: 94/100

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