Antinori - Cortona Bramasole Magnum 2009

Just a miles away from the city of Montepulciano, near the border between Tuscany and neighboring Umbria, the La Braccesca estate is surrounded by a splendid territory, first Etruscan and Roman, then medieval and Renaissance.
The property extends over 508 hectares (1255 acres) where, once upon a time, the holdings of the Bracci counts who gave their name to the estate - were located: the counts, whose name means arm in Italian, also gave their coat of arms to the property, an armored arm which holds a sword.
The land owned by La Braccesca is situated in two very close, but entirely different, zones: Montepulciano, the classic and prestigious area of Vino Nobile, and Cortona, which has made a name for itself in world markets principally with international grape varieties, above all Syrah. These two different souls, the essential spirit of different terroirs, represent the La Braccesca style with its respect for tradition and, at the same time, tireless research, its balance between the old and the new, its professional mastery in its work and its passion for quality. The wines of the La Braccesca estate are the results of this happy synthesis.
Vineyard
The overall vineyard surface of La Braccesca is currently 340 hectares and will shortly increase in the future. 237 of these hectares are currently located in the township of Cortona, while 103 fall within the township limits of Montepulciano. These include 73 hectares (some 180 acres) situated in three of the most renowned sub-zones for the production of excellent Montepulciano red wine: Cervognano, Gracciano, and Santa Pia.
The estate already began to plant new vineyards in the early 1990's, the fundamental factor in the creation of high level wine.
Classical varieties such as Prugnolo Gentile (the local type of Sangiovese) from the estate's own mass selections were planted, as were such non-native grapes as Merlot and Syrah; the latter, in the neighboring township of Cortona, has found an ideal habitat in which to express itself.
Work still continues: in a few years the property will conclude its expansion plans, aimed at selecting the finest grape varieties for achieving maximum quality in every part of the estate. For the same reason, the average production level (i.e. the yield) of grapes per hectare has been maintained below those allowed by the regulations of the various appellations.
The 237 hectares of the principal block of the estate, near Cortona, are situated at approximately 290-300 meters (950-1000 feet) above sea level and are planted principally to Syrah. Here the soil is of mixed composition and well endowed both with clay and with loam.
The 103 hectares at Montepulciano, including the 73 hectares at Cervognano, Gracciano, and Santa Pia, situated around 280 meters (925 feet) above sea level, are prevalently cultivated, instead, with Sangiovese and, to a lesser extent, Merlot and Syrah. Their soil is, on the whole, clayey (red clays) and rather rocky.
The climate is Mediterranean in character and, in the area of Cortona, is favorably influenced by nearby Lake Trasimeno, well ventilated by winds, and with rains which normally fall in the months of October-December and March-June. There are 130-170 days of sunshine per year. Average spring temperatures are 11.5-12.5 degrees centigrade (53-55 degrees Fahrenheit), while summer temperatures average 23-24° centigrade (74-76° Fahrenheit).
Cellar
The fermenting cellars contain temperature-controlled stainless steel fermenting tanks of various sizes equipped with the most advanced technology for the various phases of the transformation of the grapes: temperature control to either chill or heat the grapes, automatic systems for either the pumping over of the cap of skins inside the tanks or for délestage (?rack and return?) extraction techniques. The technology allows cellar work to be adaptable to all of the various types of skin contact utilized during fermentation and is conceived to make all of the phases as soft and least traumatic as possible. All to maximize the final quality of the wine.
The aging cellars, instead, completely sunk below ground level, are divided into two spaces for barrels and for casks.
Despite their recent construction and the fact that they are equipped with the most sophisticated technology for constant circulation of the air and proper levels of humidity, they manage as well to create that special atmosphere of slow passage of time which only the oldest cellars are able transmit. They house both 60 gallon and 130 gallon barrels and larger casks of different sizes coopered from various types of oak: French, American, and Hungarian are all used according to the personality of the wine they will contain.
Stainless steel and oak, traditional care and the most modern technology, all at the service of constantly evolving concepts which allow the quality reached in the past to systematically improve: in the La Braccesca cellars this is the synergy between old and new which creates great wines.