Vintage Character Bibi Graetz 'Casamatta' Rosso 2023 is a red Toscana IGT from Bibi Graetz, made from Sangiovese. The Florence hills received useful winter rain in 2023, then experienced hot spring and summer weather with enough further rain to avoid a simple drought narrative. Cool harvest nights relative to warm days supported fruit definition. In the approachable Casamatta Rosso, that season shows as ripe yet lifted Sangiovese rather than the deeper extraction of Colore or Testamatta. It is bottled at 14% alcohol. Moisture and night-time cooling shaped the vintage as much as warmth.
Tasting Profile & Food Pairing Tasting notes for the 2023 describe dark cherry and blackberry with spice, a juicy centre and soft tannin. The dry palate is medium bodied, with enough acidity to keep the ripe fruit bright and a clean, gently savoury close. Try it with tomato-based pasta, grilled pork or mushroom risotto. The young wine is open enough for relaxed service, though a little time in the glass can show more herb and floral detail. This is fresh, fruit-led Casamatta, without the vanilla of Graetz's longer-aged reds.
Winery Background Casamatta Rosso is the steel-led, accessible Sangiovese expression of Bibi Graetz's Fiesole estates. Its fruit comes from the Vincigliata and Olmo vineyards, with a short steel fermentation followed by six months in steel, which keeps the style fruit-first. The tier sits below the more selective Testamatta and Colore and is separate from the single-vineyard Soffocone. Graetz began his project on the hill of Vincigliata, and this Casamatta draws on more than one vineyard.