Castello della Sala | Antinori

Moving centuries. Hardly anywhere else is such a long history the background of a winery. The founding family came to Umbria already after the troops of Charlemagne in the IXth century. The Castello della Sala was built by Angelo Monaldeschi della Vipera in 1350, just a few kilometres from Orvieto, and was the foundation of the famous winery.

But actually it was originally about water - and thus about power. The geological peculiarities of Orvieto, layers of clay and sand, volcanic and limestone rocks, as well as the tufa mountain, have provided a unique supply of water, which is why Orvieto is enthroned on an underground cave world worth seeing. This allowed the della Viperas to dominate Orvieto for a long time, as can be seen in the Cathedral and the Castello with its magnificent frescoes. In the 16th century Giovanna della Vipera donated the castle and all the land to the church. With the Italian wars of independence around 1860 Orvieto and thus also the Castello fell to the young Italian state. The ownership is gradually transferred to changing private owners without ambitions.

It was not until 1940 that calm returned, when the Marchese Niccoló Antinori was able to acquire the vineyard and the Castello della Sala. Even then, it was clear to the Antinoris that white wines of outstanding quality must be possible here.

But it was to take another forty years before the rebirth of the once so famous manor began. In the summer of 1979, Piero Antinori hired Renzo Cotarella, an oenologist who was 25 years old at the time, to realize his idea of a large, storable Italian white wine. He was inspired to do so by the famous French models who, after a long period of maturity, only reach top form. So they planted Chardonnay. And failed for several years.

Only with the outstanding vintage 1985 - and some coincidences - the first "real" Cervaro della Sala was created. The white wine that was to become a cult. Renzo Cotarella experimented not only with the Chardonnay but also with the local grape variety Grecchetto, which he liked more and more. Chance had it that the Chardonnay underwent malolactic fermentation. And the combination of the two grape varieties brought the resounding success. The Cervaro della Sala was born.

Of the 500 hectares of land that surround the Castello della Sala, 170 are now planted with vines. Of course the two main varieties Chardonnay and Grecchetto dominate. In addition, Procanico, Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, Viognier, Pinot bianco, some Traminer and Riesling, as well as Pinot nero (Spätburgunder), which produces surprisingly fine drops on the calcareous soils, grow.

The vineyards are situated at 220 to 470 metres above sea level, the soils are as varied as in Orvieto, from loamy soil to volcanic soil to shell limestone. The vineyards are well ventilated by nearby waters and from the slopes of Monte Nibbio in the back, and the microclimate is characterized by strong temperature differences between day and night - perfect for good fruit and acid formation.

The wines of Castello della Sala have been among the most awarded in Italy for many years. According to Wine-Searcher the Cervaro della Sala is the most popular Italian white wine worldwide.

The Antinori family is one of the largest and most successful winery owners in Italy. Since 2017 the 27. The third generation with the three daughters of Marchese Piero Antinori, who had been in charge of the business since 1966, Albiera, Allegra and Alessia, at the helm of the 650 years successful wine empire, to which such famous estates as Tignanello, Solaia belong, Tenuta di Peppoli, Badia a Passignano, Guado al Tasso, La Braccesca, Santa Cristina, Pian delle Vigne, Aldobrandesca, Prunotto, Tormaresca, Montenisa and holdings in California, Washington, Chile, Hungary and Romania. SUPERIORE.DE