La Braccesca | Antinori

On the border between Tuscany and Umbria lies one of the largest wineries of the prominent noble family Antinori: La Braccesca. The name of the winery and its coat of arms go back to the Counts of Bracci. The 265 hectares of vineyards, which are expected to grow to 300 hectares in the next few years, are divided into two closely spaced but very different segments. The 162 hectare main part is located in Cortona. The remaining vineyards cover the territory of the municipality of Montepulciano, with the three most important growing areas being Cervognano, Gracciano and Santa Pia, covering 73 hectares. When the Antinori family acquired the magnificent Montepulciano winery in 1990, the famous Nobile di Montepulciano had just begun its resurgence. After it had changed hands several times before, it was only the new owners who succeeded in converting the estate into a top producer. Today, the 420-hectare winery stands for an all-round successful combination of tradition and modernity.

Already at the beginning of the nineties, the Antinori house had begun to plant new vineyards as an indispensable basis for the development of great wines. On the one hand, classic varieties such as Prugnolo Gentile, a local variety of Sangiovese, from our own mass selections, were cultivated. International varieties such as Merlot and Syrah, which find their ideal terrain on the slopes of Cortona, complement the selection of grapes. In a few years, the expansion project for the selection of the best grape varieties with the maximum achievable quality will be completed in each cultivation zone. In order to meet its own high demands on the wines, La Braccesca also keeps the grape yields per hectare below the permitted limits.

Tenuta La Braccesca's wine cellars, which are completely underground, are equipped with large steel tanks equipped with the latest technology for all processing stages. The rooms accommodate barriques as well as barrels and barrels of various sizes. Depending on the personality of the wines, French, American or Hungarian oak is favoured for the ageing of the plants.

The first wine marketed under the aegis of the Antinori family was the 1990 vintage Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG in 1993, followed over time by five other red wines, before being rounded off with Achelo Cortona DOC Syrah, presented for the first time in 2006. SUPERIORE.DE