La Braccesca By Antinori Rosso di Montepulciano "Sabazio" DOC

The winter of the year 2011 was very rainy, but with temperatures which were not particularly low; the bud break of the vines began in early April and finished in a ten day period with the later-ripening varieties. Spring weather continued in a regular fashion, guaranteeing an excellent bud set during the period of the flowering of the plants (late May and early June), but was followed by a further, and lengthy, period of temperatures notably cooler than normal seasonal averages, which lasted until early August and assisted the development of the vegetation. An abrupt rise in temperatures then arrived and lasted until September 17th, a period marked by the absence of the normal temperature swings between daytime heat and evening and nighttime coolness, slowing the ripening of precocious varieties such as Merlot. Other varieties were able to ripen normally once more normal weather, and the typical daily temperature swings, returned. The arrival of rains, finally, favored an excellent ripening in the Sangiovese grapes as well, which were picked from late September to early October.
The wines produced from these grapes are characterized by a good structure and balanced aromas.