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Castello della Sala (Antinori) Chardonnay Cervaro della Sala 2016 750ml
Case of 6
OUT OF STOCKPre-arrival
Sample image only.Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering, the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description.
SKU 931478
Out of stock
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TOP 100 ITALIAN WINES OF 2018 #58 – This is the Batard Montrachet of Italy with such and amazing depth and compression of beautiful fruit and chalk. Dried mango and dried green papaya. Full body, yet tight and focused. Energized acidity. Vibrance. Don’t miss this one. A wine for now or in the future.
Of all the white wine grape varietals, surely the one that has spread the furthest and is most widely appreciated is Chardonnay. This green-skinned grape is now grown all over the Old and New Worlds, from New Zealand to the Americas, from England to Chile, and is one of the first varietals people think of when considering white wine grapes. Perhaps this is because of its huge popularity, which reached a peak in the 1990s, thanks to new technologies combining with traditional methods to bring the very best features out of the Chardonnay grape and allow its unique qualities to shine through. Most fine Chardonnay wines use a process known as malolactic fermentation, wherein the malic acids in the grape juice are converted to lactic acids, allowing a creamier, buttery nature to come forward in the wine. No grape varietal is better suited to this process than Chardonnay, which manages to balance these silky, creamy notes with fresh white fruit flavors beautifully.
Country
Italy
There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.
Region
Umbria
Despite being one of Italy's smallest wine regions, the central Italian region of Umbria is a vitally important one, and home to many of the country's finest and most historic wines and wineries. The reputation of Umbrian wines may have suffered in the 1970s, along with the produce of much of the rest of the country, but the 1980s and 1990s saw significant efforts made by vintners when it came to improving their produce and overall image. By consulting international oenologists, the wineries of Umbria were able to update their traditional techniques, and produce considerably finer wines from their Sangiovese grapes, as well as from imported varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. Indeed, the barrel fermented white wines of Umbria, now made with a blend of Chardonnay and Grechetto varietal grapes, has gone on to be something of a flagship product for the region, and is regarded as one of the best and most characterful white wines in Italy.
JS97pts
James Suckling
TOP 100 ITALIAN WINES OF 2018 #58 - This is the Batard Montrachet of Italy with such and amazing depth and compression of beautiful fruit and chalk. Dried mango and dried green papaya. Full body, yet tight and focused. Energized acidity. Vibrance. Don’t miss this one. A wine for now or in the future.
WA95pts
Wine Advocate
The 2016 Cervaro della Sala ushers forth with grace, beauty and finesse. The mouthfeel is thinner and more streamlined, but this is in large part intentional. I have written about this in the past: This celebrated Italian white has experienced a restyling effort to lighten and brighten it up. Harvest is executed a bit earlier in order to limit alcohol. The percentage of Grechetto was reduced to make more room for the freshness and natural acidity that comes from the increased Chardonnay component. Lastly, skin maceration times were tweaked and reduced from about eight hours in past vintages to four to six hours (at cooler temperatures) in this vintage. All of these changes work to reverse the textural heaviness and fruit maturity that, to many, feels out of date in today’s wine market. The results are clear. This is a pristine and elegant interpretation with crisp notes of peach and tropical fruit followed by sharp mineral definition. Those salty flavors come from the Grechetto. The wine ferments and stays in oak for five months. This is a classic vintage that has produced a profoundly vertical and focused wine. I’m told that great efforts have been made to recreate this magic formula in 2017, despite the fact that vintage is much hotter and drier. For now, we have this beautiful wine to drink.
WS91pts
Wine Spectator
A bright, elegant, medium-bodied Chardonnay, deftly marrying a vibrant spine of acidity to aromatic lime blossom and spice overtones. Features flavors of ripe yellow peach, toast, chalk and crushed hazelnut, with a long, racy finish. Drink now through 2026. 4,000 cases imported.
Winery Notes
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.
