“Cervaro della Sala” Umbria IGT 2023

Castello della Sala | Antinori | Umbria
Marchesi Antinori S.p.A. | Piazza Antinori 3 | IT 50123 Firenze

10080123 · 0,75 l · 96,00 €/l · Price (DE) incl. VAT, excl. Shippingavailable immediately

On a hill above Orvieto, surrounded by woods and olive groves, stands a medieval castle. The Castello della Sala has belonged to the Marchesi Antinori for generations – but it owes its wine fame to a single moment: in 1985, when Renzo Cotarella pressed the first Cervaro della Sala in the cellar of this castle. One of the first white wines in Italy to ferment in barriques, which underwent malolactic fermentation and was designed for ageing and complexity. An experiment that became a benchmark. The name Cervaro honours the Monaldeschi della Cervara – the 14th century nobility who once owned the castle. The soil dates back to the Pliocene, rich in marine shell fossils, clayey and calcareous, at an altitude of 220 to 470 metres. 95 percent Chardonnay, 5 percent Grechetto – the international character of Chardonnay tamed and grounded by the local accent of Umbrian Grecchetto. The Chardonnay ferments and matures in barriques with partial malolactic fermentation; the Grechetto never comes into contact with wood – it brings tension, freshness, a vertical energy that keeps the wine upright. Ten months of bottle ageing in the Castello cellars before leaving the castle.

The 2023 vintage began quietly: a mild winter, a wet spring that replenished the groundwater reserves, then stable summer weather from mid-July with ideal day-night temperature fluctuations. The Chardonnay was harvested at the end of August – fully ripe, fresh and with an excellent flavour profile. The Grechetto followed three weeks later.

The result is the Cervaro, which has received exceptional critical acclaim – james Suckling awarded it 97 points, Monica Larner called it the best Cervaro she has ever tasted. Pale straw yellow in the glass with green reflections. An elegant smoky sparkle on the nose when first opened – flint, crushed granite – that lifts to reveal a world beyond: Acacia blossom, bergamot, cedrat, ginger, crème fraîche, a hint of steamed bread. Refined on the palate and with an energy that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a white wine: fresh, savoury, with roasted hazelnuts and spices on the long, mineral-saturated finish. A Cervaro that takes its time. And you should give it time. SUPERIORE.DE

"Bright straw yellow colour. 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." Falstaff

"A lively white with pleasing acidity that carries a finely woven palette of poached apricot, toasted hazelnut, passion fruit and persimmon with accents of vanilla, lime blossom and minerals. The tension and focus are good, but so is the finesse with which the profile travels across the palate and unfolds on the lingering, savoury finish. Chardonnay and Grechetto." Wine Spectator

"The youthful, shy Cervaro della Sala 2023 exudes a smoky reduction and reveals depths of crushed yellow apples, sesame, pine shavings and nuances of custard. This is pure elegance in the glass, while silky textures wrap around the palate. A hint of residual acidity keeps the energy going, even as the 2023 finishes tannic and powerful, with a lingering finish of mineral apricots. This is a suburban version of the Cervaro della Sala." Vinous

"Classic Burgundian style. White chocolate, pink grapefruit, lemon peel and white flowers on the nose. Full-bodied, with weight, vibrancy and tension, with a silky texture and a finish of lemon juice. Amazing balance in this vintage, with the bitterness of lemon peel in the aftertaste giving it an extra dimension." James Suckling

"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. The wine is mostly Chardonnay, with a smaller part 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." Wine Advocate