Italian wine bottle record set by Bibi Graetz

After a 27-liter bottle of Colore 2016 became the most expensive Italian bottle ever sold, renowned wine maker Bibi Graetz set a new record for Italian wine. 

In honour of Bibi Graetz’s first wine release on the esteemed Place de Bordeaux last year, a special 27-liter Colore bottle was created in this unusual huge style. Based in Fiesole, close to Florence, Graetz is well known for its excellent wines, especially its Tuscan reds, such as Colore and Testamatta, which are sold through La Place de Bordeaux. They also produce the relatively risqué Soffocone di Vincigliata.

Inspired by the feelings and experiences evoked by the 2016 vintage, Graetz—who was raised in a family of artists and collectors (his father, Swiss-Israeli sculptor Gidon Graetz, has public art sculptures in cities worldwide)—created a new painting for the label in a display of characteristic creativity. After then, this piece of art was made into the label for this genuine collector’s item.

The bottle was kept in a unique case made from the wood of the barrique that the wine was matured in, sealed with Bibi Graetz’s signature, and covered with a stainless-steel lid. The bottle was acquired for CHF 100,000 by a customer at the exclusive enoteca ARVI in Zurich. The purchase appeared to be spontaneous, motivated by the eye-catching bottle and case. The customer paid with a credit card.

Graetz’s upbringing in a creative atmosphere has shaped his perspective on wine and inspired him to pursue novel and inventive methods of viticulture and oenology. Working with limited quantities of grapes from well-chosen vineyards, he employs an artisanal approach, and his wines are praised for their unique character, concentrated flavours, and elegance.

His work has won him many admirers worldwide, and he is regarded as one of Tuscany’s most inventive and skilled winemakers. As stated by the drinks business, last year Graetz teamed up with Hedonism Wines to open a vault at the Mayfair store dedicated solely to his wines. Inside is allegedly the largest collection of Bibi Graetz wines in London.