The Wine Advocate | RP 95
Published: May 04, 2023

Made with Chardonnay and a smaller part Grechetto, the 2020 Cervaro della Sala offer generous and creamy fruit while also maintaining a sharp sense of crispness and verticality. The 2020 vintage saw more hot days than 2019, and the wine has plumped up generously as a result. However, it remains vigorously within the confines of a consistent winemaking regime that seeks freshness and energy. The wine is generous in texture but not exaggerated in its aromas of orchard fruit, quince and toasted almond. Some 200,000 bottles were produced, which is about 25% less compared to the previous vintage (but still more than 2021 that saw frost damage).

These wines were tasted during a visit to the Marchesi Antinori headquarters in Bargino, Tuscany. Castello della Sala is one of the group's most interesting estates and is especially important to Managing Director Renzo Cotarella, who is native to Umbria and grew up not too far away from this postcard-perfect castle. The wines from the classic 2021 vintages are beautiful, both the reds and the whites; however, Mr. Cotarella tells me that yields are much lower due to frost damage in the spring of that year.

The big news from Castello della Sala is the release of a new high-end Chardonnay, Nibbio della Sala, introduced this year. The wine is made in a very fresh, linear style with the requisites for cellar aging. Although Nibbio della Sala comes from the Castello della Sala property, the branding is Marchesi Antinori, so you will find a review of this exciting new wine listed under that name in this report.

Drink Date: 2023 - 2038

Antinori.it

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.

Climate
The 2020 growing season will be remembered for dry weather conditions. Winter saw virtually no rainfall and temperatures were never too extreme nor severe. Spring arrived slightly later than in previous years and was dominated by mild daytime weather and temperatures above seasonal averages, except for several cool spells at the beginning of April. From June to Ferragosto (August 15th), hot, dry conditions brought the grapes to full maturity earlier than usual. Peak harvest time was a carefully chosen decision based on obtaining the fruit’s finest expression.

Harvesting of Chardonnay for Cervaro della Sala began at the end of August with healthy, perfectly ripe fruit possessing excellent freshness and an exceptional aromatic profile. Grechetto was harvested fifteen days later towards mid-September.

Vinification
The vinification cellar was designed to take full advantage of gravity flow; a concept that allows us to handle the harvested berries and fermentation processes as gently as possible without the use of mechanical pumps.  The grapes are harvested in the early morning hours to preserve the purity of the fruit and protect it from elevated daytime temperatures. The must, which has undergone maceration on the skins at a temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) for about 4 hours, is first transferred by gravity flow into tanks for decantation and clarification, then transferred into barriques where alcoholic fermentation takes place followed by malolactic fermentation. In February, Chardonnay is ready to be transferred back into stainless steel vats and blended with Grechetto, which was fermented separately and did not age in oak. Subsequently, Cervaro della Sala aged in the bottle for several months in Castello della Sala’s historic cellars before being released for sale.

Tasting Notes
Cervaro della Sala 2020 is straw yellow in color with greenish highlights. Its nose is complex with intense notes of citrus fruit, acacia blossoms that blend with hints of vanilla. A rich, mineral palate offers light notes of hazelnut butter. Lengthy and persistent, Cervaro della Sala 2020 has remarkable aging potential.