Marchesi Antinori La Braccesca Bramasole Syrah 2018 750ml

About (Marchesi Antinori) La Braccesca
Headquartered in Montepulciano, Tuscany, the Antinori family’s La Braccesca estate makes under-the-radar gems that represent both the region’s traditional roots and its modern reinvention. The Antinori family has owned La Braccesca since 1990, and the 840-acre estate comprises two very distinct parcels: 255 acres around Montepulciano and 586 acres that span the border between Montepulciano and Cortona, located to the North. Often mistaken for Montalcino, Montepulciano sits in southern Tuscany, and this Sienese wine region can feel confusing to outsiders because Montepulciano is also a grape grown in Abruzzo; however, Montepulciano’s emblematic bottling is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is made from Sangiovese. The La Braccesca estate does craft four different traditional Montepulciano wines, but the winery also makes two Syrah bottlings, which derive from the estate’s Cortona holdings — and the winery’s Bramasole vineyard is one of Cortona’s best for the Rhône’s dark-skinned, juicy Syrah grape. While the DOCG rules surrounding Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are pretty strict, Cortona’s DOC rules reflect the hilly region’s international flair, its loam-and-clay soils, and its higher elevation. If you’re an Antinori fan who first fell in love with wines from Chianti Classico or Bolgheri, you owe it to your palate to experience La Braccesca’s stylish, value-packed beauties.