Antinori Cervaro della Sala 2024, Umbria

Antinori

Italy

Umbria

Richer, textured style

White

12.5

75.0

• Dry

95% Chardonnay, 5% Grechetto

"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. 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."
97/100 Wine Advocate

"Opens with a seductive bouquet as vanilla bean and crushed almond evolve into a blend of yellow apples, chamomile, mint and cardamom. It floods the palate with silken waves of ripe pit fruits and spices. Tactile mineral tones build tension over a core of brisk acidity. Balanced and refined, beautifully structured and long with a citrusy concentration and salty flourish that lingers long. This is a stunning Cervaro della Sala built for the cellar despite its deeply alluring state."
94/100 Vinous