Bibi Graetz rebelled against both the Super Tuscans and the traditionalists.
Bibi Graetz may have started his career in art rather than viticulture, but in just two decades has risen to become one of Tuscany's most ingenious cult winemakers. Crafting wines in a medieval castle overlooking the city of Florence, he turned his back on the constraints of the Chianti DOCG in favour of indigenous varietals and innovative, risk-taking winemaking.
Regardless of the popular super-Tuscan trend for using international varieties, Bibi was determined to use only the indigenous varieties of the area in his winemaking. But, he was also adamant that the grapes he used would be the best he could find in Montepulciano - and if that meant that they lay outside the classically 'great' viticultural areas of Chianti Classico, then so be it.
Bibi favours old vines - and when you're working with some that reach up to 80 years old, every choice in the vineyard matters. The team have taken steps to become pioneers of sustainability and organics in their winemaking, mastering the art of extracting highly concentrated fruit from low yielding plants. This allows them to tread lightly in the vineyard, using only indigenous yeasts and free-run juice to produce beautifully balanced wines that, in true Bibi style, really pack a punch.
