Antinori Bramito della Sala Chardonnay (2024)

Bramìto della Sala is the everyday Chardonnay from Castello della Sala, Antinori's estate in the green hills of Umbria, where a fourteenth-century castle looks out over vineyards planted on ancient, fossil-rich marine soils streaked with clay. Niccolò Antinori bought the castle in 1940 specifically to make white wines worthy of the family's great Tuscan reds; Bramìto is the more relaxed sibling to its famous flagship, Cervaro della Sala.

It is 100% Chardonnay, and the winemaking is judged to keep the fruit fresh while adding just a little richness. After a short, cool maceration on the skins, the lots are split: part ferments in oak, part in stainless steel, and only the oak-fermented portion goes through malolactic. Blended back together, it gives a wine with a gentle creamy roundness over a bright, mineral core - oak in support, never on top.

In the glass it's bright straw-gold, with white flowers, chamomile, golden apple and a twist of citrus, a whisper of vanilla, and a clean, stony freshness that keeps it lively. Elegant and finely balanced rather than weighty. Serve chilled, around 10-12°C.