Antinori, Castello della Sala, 'Cervaro della Sala,' Umbria IGT, Italy, 2023

Overview of the Wine
The Antinori family of Florence, one of the world's oldest and most distinguished wine producers, has lived in Tuscany since the 14th century and celebrated its 625th anniversary as wine makers in 2010. The current company president, Marchese Piero Antinori, believes in the tradition that the primary role of wine is to accompany food and enhance the dining experience. In Florence, the Antinori family has led a "Renaissance" in Italian wine making by combining long traditions, a love of authenticity and a dynamic innovative spirit.

The name Cervaro comes from the noble family that owned Castello della Sala during the 14th century, Monaldeschi della Cervara. A blend of Chardonnay grapes and a small quantity of Grechetto make a wine that can age over time and represent the elegance and complexity of this unique estate. Cervaro della Sala is one of the first Italian white wines to have malolactic fermentation and aging take place in barriques. The first vintage of Cervaro to be produced was the 1985 vintage.

Winemaker
Renzo Cotarella

Grape / Blend
85% Chardonnay, 15% Grechetto

Origin
Umbria, Italy

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
Cervaro della Sala 2023 is light straw yellow with greenish hues. The nose offers notes of acacia blossoms, bergamot oranges, citron and ginger together with delicate hints of buttered bread and flint. The palate is refined, elegant and energetic: its savory character is sustained by outstanding freshness. The finish is harmonious, delicate and defined by notes of tropical fruit, roasted hazelnuts and hints of spices. An exceptional vintage, vertical and refined.

97 Points - Wine Advocate
The most impressive aspect of the Castello della Sala ethos is its ability to reinvent itself. This latest edition of Umbria's headline white is a true delight. Renzo Cotarella and his team have created an Italian masterpiece that is reminiscent of the great whites of Burgundy. The 2023 Cervaro della Sala opens to an elegantly reductive note of flint or crushed granite before sliding gracefully into silky fruit sensations, breakfast pastry and crème fraîche. It offers carefully balanced richness and textural importance. Winemaking is moving away from 500-liter barrels to embrace larger foudre. No bâtonnage is implemented. The wine is mostly Chardonnay, with a smaller part (between 5% and 10%, depending on the vintage) of Grechetto that has been further reduced in order to avoid any rustic tones from the Italian grape. Part of the Chardonnay does malolactic fermentation, but the Grechetto does not. This gives energy and verve to the final results. Castello della Sala has recently planted more Chardonnay (now totaling 80 hectares) for flexibility in choosing the best clusters. Throughout its many reinventions, this is the best Cervaro della Sala I have tasted.

96 Points - Falstaff
Bright straw yellow. Smells very inviting on the nose, precise, flint, salted butter, precious wood, elegant yellow fruit, slight hint of citrus fruit on the finish. Great juiciness and salinity on the palate, very polished, rich and precise, superbly balanced, mineral notes on the finish, long. 

95 Points - Vinous
Youthfully coy, the 2023 Cervaro della Sala blows off an air smoky reduction to reveal depths of crushed yellow apples, sesame seeds, pine shavings and nuances of vanilla custard. This is pure elegance in the glass, as silken textures envelop the palate. A bump of residual acidity maintains energy throughout, even as the 2023 tapers off tannic and potent, with a resonance of mineral-infused apricots. This is a suburb rendition of Cervaro della Sala.

Product size: 750ml