Umbria

Intense straw yellow with green reflections, it has a persistent scent of apple and delicate floral notes. The taste is very fine and delicate. The harmonious acidity gives this fresh white wine drive and tension. SUPERIORE.DE

From the Castello della Sala, not far from Orvieto, 500 metres above sea level, there are without exception excellent wines like the San Giovanni della Sala. A dense, well-balanced classic, which completely convinces with minerality and spiciness. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2019 San Giovanni della Sala is remarkably fresh, balancing richness with tension, as pretty yellow flowers give way to green apple, with hints of sage and ginger. It floods the palate with silky textures carrying ripe orchard fruits, and subtly sweet spices settle upon the senses as juicy acids add verve. The finish is medium in length, showing salty minerality and lingering inner florals. This blend of Grechetto, Procanico, Pinot Bianco and Viognier is a pleasure to taste." Vinous

Rich, well balanced bouquet with notes of kumquats. On the palate yellow stone fruit, graphite, minerals and a delicate vanilla note. This fresh whiteness is already elegant, balanced, full-bodied and persistent on the palate, the further aging in the bottle will complete it. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2019 Bramìto della Sala lifts from the glass with a strikingly fresh and perfumed bouquet, showing smoky stone dust and young peach with hints of lime and yellow flowers. Soft textures wash across the palate, soothing yet also leaving a sizzle of brisk acids and minerals and creating a juicy and tactile expression. The finish is medium in length yet vibrant, resonating on notes of lemony citrus and tart apple. This is a beautiful and mouthwatering Umbrian Chardonnay." Vinous

Deep purple-red colour, in the bouquet nuances of juniper berries, tar, smoke and liquorice. The Montefalco Rosso Riserva offers great juiciness and brings an attractive combination of elegance and structure, richness in aromas and polished tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2016 Arnaldo Caprai Montefalco Rosso Riserva blends 70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino and 15% Merlot to create a powerful but deeply alluring expression, showing crushed blackberry and cherry offset by spiced orange, with sweet and savory herbs, crushed stone and hints of animal musk. On the palate, soft textures envelop the senses, contrasted by tart red fruits, grippy minerality and fine tannins, yet for all of the youthful tension, there’s a cooling, subtle sweetness here that provides balance. The finish is long and structured, resonating on sweet herbs, with hints of mocha and tobacco. It’s not a shy wine, yet if you enjoy the style, a few years of cellaring will unlock even further depth." Vinous

"Here’s a very floral and "postmodern” Montefalco that shows dried violets, lavender, bay leaf, pine cones and some dried meat. It’s still warm and hearty on the full-bodied palate, but bolstered by carefully wrought tannins and direct acidity. Drink from 2021." James Suckling

Fragrance of dried black berries with nutty tones, some tar, tobacco, candy, dark caramel and a light wooden note. Powerful in the mouth, ripe, again partly dried fruit with a little cocoa-spicy wood aromas, slightly compote on the palate, dense and persistent, warming alcohol, present, mainly crumbly tannin, some tar, behind it tobacco and herbs. Wonderful, partly salty finish. SUPERIORE.DE

"Aromas of dark-skinned berries, toasted oak and underbrush lead the nose. The spicy, structured palate offers dried black cherry, black pepper, tobacco and clove alongside tight, close-grained tannins." Wine Enthusiast

"This is a plush, ripe red with dried plums and notes of tar and ash, as well as a touch of menthol. Full-bodied and ripe, but structured and dialed-in. Decadent on the finish. With a tad less alcohol, this would score even more highly. Drink from 2023." James Suckling

"The 2015 Montefalco Sagrantino Collepiano benefits from more stringent fruit selection. "We are limited to only the best fruit for this wine, and we changed the way we pick with multiple harvests," says Marco Caprai. This warm and sunny vintage has shaped a generous and inviting wine that is opulent, bold and rich all at once. This wine offers ample power, yet it's not as bruising as past vintages I remember." Robert Parker

Fine Spätlese: Complex fragrance and silky taste with aromas of sweet, juicy peaches, ripe pears, jasmine and honey. Muffato della Sala is one of the most delicious sweet wines to be drunk fresh in Italy. SUPERIORE.DE

"That was a cool and wet vintage, and although the Botrytis cinerea set in easily enough, the 2014 vintage is noticeably thinner and weaker in terms of intensity. The 2013 Muffato della Sala (packaged in a 500-milliliter bottle) takes that intensity way up, thanks to the normal, or classic, weather seen in this growing season. The bouquet delivers honey, acacia flower and touches of caramel. The wine's texture is rich and beautifully enhanced by dried apricot and quince." Robert Parker

Black red and almost impenetrable in the glass. In the bouquet blackberry, black cherry, some rum pot and tobacco. Generous and ripe on the palate, flanked by firm tannin, which is pleasantly flanked by the fleshy core. Marco Caprai has once again succeeded in taming the Sagrantino grape and helping it to reach its highest dignity - a grape variety that demands a great deal of sensitivity every year, even from the "primitive" Montecalco. SUPERIORE.DE

"Aromas of blueberry brandy, underbrush, dark spice and eucalyptus take shape in the glass. On the tightly knit, brawny palate, assertive, close-grained tannins support dried black cherry, licorice and clove alongside the heat of evident alcohol." Wine Enthusiast

"The plush elderberries and hints of peperoncino and balsamic work rather well with the dried cedar and dark chocolate. Full-bodied and nicely indented in furrows of chewy tannins revealing dark fruit and detailed acidity." James Suckling

"Though tightly knit and well-defined by sculpted tannins, this fresh red shows overall elegance, featuring a lovely, fragrant range of plumped cherry and strawberry fruit, with star anise, graphite and cardamom notes, ashy smoke accents and hints of dried mint and marjoram. Creamy finish." Wine Spectator

"Black fruit, spice, tar and cured tobacco open the bouquet of the 2015 Montefalco Sagrantino Valdimaggio. You also get slightly more mature aromas of rum cake or cherry liqueur from this warm and sunny vintage. This is a complete and generous wine that shows tight tannins at the back. Despite that evident muscle and brawn, the tannins are carefully managed so that they don't taste bitter or astringent. In fact, quite the opposite." Robert Parker

If one has the chance to ever get a Sagrantino Passito from Montefalco in a glass, then the time practically stops! Sensual bouquet of blueberries, liquorice and undergrowth. Firm and racy on the palate, with nice acidity, juice and power. Very melty and not at all sticky, it inspires with an irresistible taste of wild berry confit, dark berries and a fine tart nougat note. World class! SUPERIORE.DE

For many years Castello della Sala has been producing one of the most famous white wines in Italy, the Cervaro. In recent years, it has become fresher and deeper, without the conservative, broad style that older late-harvest editions of this wine have been characterised by. In the bouquet apple compote, cream, notes of oak bark and peach. The palate is full of tropical fruits with a fine acid vein and precise mineral components. A long-lasting, beautiful white wine and every year, rightly one of the most sought-after white crescents in the wine world. SUPERIORE.DE

"Clear, bright straw yellow. In the nose of flintstone, delicate fumé, elegant wood insert, ripe pear, quince, banana, in the aftertaste of mango. On the palate elegant and with a compact body, spreads a wide fan, mineral undertone, light fruit, with pressure and salt, keeps growing." Falstaff

"The 2018 Cervaro della Sala is a blend of 92% Chardonnay with a splash of Grechetto, showing a rich and alluring bouquet, leading off with a hint of vanilla bean and giving way to peach, a dusting of confectioner’s spice and dried yellow flowers. On the palate, silky textures flesh out across the senses, carrying flavors of ripe apple, apricot and sweet herbs, as minerals and acids mingle toward the close. The finish is long and almost salty, buzzing with energy and making the mouth water for another sip. The balance here is impeccable, as is the use of barrel fermentation to create such textural richness." Vinous

"Compared to the 2017 vintage that shows a more accessible and full-bodied style, the 2018 Cervaro della Sala is a classic edition—it's about as classic as I have ever tasted this landmark white from Umbria to be. This cooler vintage prizes finesse and elegance, and those traits are matched by efforts in the winery to accomplish that same goal. On many levels, the 2018 vintage opens a new chapter for Cervaro della Sala, with a stronger emphasis on preserved lemon, crisp pear and crushed mineral. The wine offers beautiful freshness and linearity. I must also mention that this vintage is released while the fruit is still a bit closed or shy. That slightly reductive approach bodes very well for the wine's future evolution." Robert Parker

"Focused and complex on the nose with stone, sliced cooked apple and hints of toffee. Full-bodied, with a density and freshness and liveliness. Vivid and energetic. All about class here." James Suckling

Deep violet-red colour, with hints of juniper berries, tar, smoke and liquorice on the nose. The 2010 Montefalco Rosso Riserva offers plenty of juiciness and brings an attractive combination of elegance and structure, rich aromas and polished tannins. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2010 Montefalco Rosso Riserva is an excellent wine that delivers both power and grace. This achievement should not go underestimated. It is easy for Montefalco Rosso (a blend of Sagrantino and Sangiovese) to show muscle, brawn and enormous structure, because those qualities come in abundance - especially with Sangrantino. It is far more difficult to deliver harmony and this wine does exactly that. Dark fruit nuances are followed by spice, barbecue smoke and black licorice." Robert Parker

Marco Caprai is once again setting benchmarks in his region with this vintage. The 2014 edition of his top wine is a darkly saturated and almost viscous wine in an opulent and generous style. The wine smells of dark fruit, tobacco and smoky barbecue. However, the real protagonist is the almost Christmassy, warm spice. In the finish it shows a firm structure and the astringency typical of the Sagrantino, which will give way to an impressive elegance and depth as it ages further in the cellar. SUPERIORE.DE

"A rich and flavorful red with ripe fruit, as well as meat and wood undertones. Medium to full body. Polished and chewy tannins. Slightly austere. Flavorful finish." James Suckling

"The 2014 Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni is a steady and rich wine that shows dark primary fruit that is followed by a long succession of spice, smoke and tar-like aromas. You get the full Sagrantino package here, with ample muscle power and brawn. However, the wine's overall length and persistence is somewhat clipped in this challenging vintage." Robert Parker

For many years Castello della Sala has been producing one of the most famous white wines in Italy, the Cervaro. In recent years, it has become fresher and deeper, without the conservative, broad style that older late-harvest editions of this wine have been characterised by. In the bouquet apple compote, cream, notes of oak bark and peach. The palate is full of tropical fruits with a fine acid vein and precise mineral components. A long-lasting, beautiful white wine and every year, rightly one of the most sought-after white crescents in the wine world. SUPERIORE.DE

"Clear, bright straw yellow. In the nose of flintstone, delicate fumé, elegant wood insert, ripe pear, quince, banana, in the aftertaste of mango. On the palate elegant and with a compact body, spreads a wide fan, mineral undertone, light fruit, with pressure and salt, keeps growing." Falstaff

"The 2018 Cervaro della Sala is a blend of 92% Chardonnay with a splash of Grechetto, showing a rich and alluring bouquet, leading off with a hint of vanilla bean and giving way to peach, a dusting of confectioner’s spice and dried yellow flowers. On the palate, silky textures flesh out across the senses, carrying flavors of ripe apple, apricot and sweet herbs, as minerals and acids mingle toward the close. The finish is long and almost salty, buzzing with energy and making the mouth water for another sip. The balance here is impeccable, as is the use of barrel fermentation to create such textural richness." Vinous

"Compared to the 2017 vintage that shows a more accessible and full-bodied style, the 2018 Cervaro della Sala is a classic edition—it's about as classic as I have ever tasted this landmark white from Umbria to be. This cooler vintage prizes finesse and elegance, and those traits are matched by efforts in the winery to accomplish that same goal. On many levels, the 2018 vintage opens a new chapter for Cervaro della Sala, with a stronger emphasis on preserved lemon, crisp pear and crushed mineral. The wine offers beautiful freshness and linearity. I must also mention that this vintage is released while the fruit is still a bit closed or shy. That slightly reductive approach bodes very well for the wine's future evolution." Robert Parker

"Focused and complex on the nose with stone, sliced cooked apple and hints of toffee. Full-bodied, with a density and freshness and liveliness. Vivid and energetic. All about class here." James Suckling