Cervaro della Sala

The grapes, harvested during the night, were brought to the winery in refrigerated vehicles to insure low temperatures when destemmed and pressed. The different varieties were fermented separately since they ripen at different times and also require a different vinification approach; an eight to twelve hour period of skin contact with the must of Chardonnay at 50° Fahrenheit (10° centigrade) prior to the start of fermentation was utilized on the grapes. After this initial phase the must went into French (Alliers & Tronçais) oak barrels where it fermented for about two weeks. The wine remained on its lees in barrel for six months, during which time it went through malolactic fermentation. The various barrels were then blended and bottled and the wine aged for an additional ten months in the bottle in the historic cellars of the Castello della Sala before being released on the market.

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 wines to have malolactic fermentation and aging take place in barriques. The first vintage of Cervaro to be produced was the 1985 vintage.

The wine, straw yellow in color with green highlights, expresses a full range of intense aromas which range from citrus fruit to pears and figs along with acacia flowers, which fuse with hints of vanilla to increase the overall complexity. Its flavors are ample and well structured, very mineral and with sweet notes of hazelnut butter, crispness and tonic vigor. It is destined to age and evolve very well indeed.