Wine Score
Bibi Graetz Testamatta Colore Toscana IGT, Tuscany
Bibi Graetz’s top 10 IGT Toscana wine is not a Bordeaux blend but made from one-third each of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Colorino from 60-year-old vines in Fiesole, to the northeast of Florence. Geographically it qualifies for the Chianti Colli Fiorentini appellation, but the blend proportions do not – in any case a Toscana IGT designation perhaps fits in better with these lofty pricing levels – $533 on average.
This wine stands out from many in the list as being relatively recently conceived; our earliest vintage is 2003. This means that release price is proportionately more important with this wine and there are no museum pieces being dusted off to provide a boost.
Grape Variety
Chianti Red Blend is a blend from Tuscany, Italy made primarily with Sangiovese grapes. Find out more about this wine and how to find great quality.
Flavors : Red Fruits, Bitter Herbs, Balsamic Vinegar, Smoke, Game
Notes : Preserved Sour Cherries, Dried Oregano, Aged Sweet Balsamic, Dry Salami, Espresso, Sweet Tobacco
Chianti, a red blend from Tuscany, is the most recognized wine outside of Italy. It is as essential to Italian cuisine as extra virgin olive oil. There are few pleasures as distinct as a tart, spicy, herbaceous Chianti wine next to a plate of sliced prosciutto or pasta al pomodoro.
Sangiovese that forms the majority of the Chianti blend is a thin-skinned grape, so it makes translucent wines. In the glass, Sangiovese displays a ruby red color with flashes of bright burnt orange –a hue commonly associated with aged wines. Besides Sangiovese, Chianti wines may contain wine grapes like Canaiolo, Colorino, Cabernet Sauvignon and even Merlot. White grapes were once allowed in Chianti Classico but not anymore.
Tuscany
Tuscany is the most enduringly famous of all Italian wine regions, thanks to the romantic glamor of its endless rolling hills, cypress-lined country roads and hilltop villages. But even without all of this, evaluated on the merits of its wines alone, Tuscany stands tall, its reputation founded on such iconic wines as Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
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