Tasting Notes
Climate
2017 was, on the whole, a dry year with a winter characterized by an absence of rainfall and temperatures which were below seasonal averages. A late frost, which struck particularly hard low-laying vineyard plots during the month of April caused a loss of grape production. The warm and dry weather of the summer months favored an early ripening but guaranteed as well a very healthy crop. Drip irrigation was utilized to combat the scarcity of water which occurred in certain vineyard parcels. The harvest took place with the picking of healthy grapes, capable of producing a wine with a notably positive balance between acidity and alcohol. The picking of the Chardonnay to be utilized for Cervaro della Sala began at the end of the second week of the month of August while the Grechetto was harvested during the first days of the month of September.
Vinification
The fermentation cellars have been constructed so as to take full advantage of the principal of gravity flow and allow the management of the grapes and the period of skin contact without any sort of mechanical action deriving from the pumping of the crop or must. The picking takes during the very first hours of the morning in order to bring to the cellar fully healthy grapes which have not been stressed by high daytime temperatures. The must produced by a four hours period of skin contact at a temperature of 50° Fahrenheit (10 °C) is transferred by gravity flow into stainless steel decantation tanks where they lose their impurities before going into 60-gallon oak barrels. Here they ferment and then are put through a complete malolactic fermentation. After five months in oak, the wine goes back into stainless steel to be blended with the Grechetto, which is fermented on its own without any contact with oak. The Cervaro della Sala, after bottling, is then given a further several months, pre-release period of bottle aging in the historic cellars of the Castello della Sala.
Historical Data
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.
Tasting Notes
The 2017 vintage, characterized by a generally warm climate, nonetheless maintains the freshness and the typical Mediterranean style of Cervaro della Sala. The nose offers perceptible notes of chamomile and flint. The palate is savory with the characteristic and delicate sensations of vanilla and butter which meld gracefully into hints of tropical fruit to compose a well-defined bouquet. The wine is still young, but will be able to evolve well for years to come as well.
Awards
James Suckling 99/100 USA
Climate
2017 was, on the whole, a dry year with a winter characterized by an absence of rainfall and temperatures which were below seasonal averages. A late frost, which struck particularly hard low-laying vineyard plots during the month of April caused a loss of grape production. The warm and dry weather of the summer months favored an early ripening but guaranteed as well a very healthy crop. Drip irrigation was utilized to combat the scarcity of water which occurred in certain vineyard parcels. The harvest took place with the picking of healthy grapes, capable of producing a wine with a notably positive balance between acidity and alcohol. The picking of the Chardonnay to be utilized for Cervaro della Sala began at the end of the second week of the month of August while the Grechetto was harvested during the first days of the month of September.
The History
Back in 1928, Niccolò Antinori decided to christen this wine Villa Antinori, in honor of the family’s eponymous villa; it was a reflection of his own personal interpretation of Chianti Classico’s and Tuscany’s unique identity.
The Style
Villa Antinori was first crafted in 1928 by Marchese Niccolò Antinori, Piero Antinori’s father, as the Antinori family’s signature wine; an exceptional wine that can represent the family’s history, identity and continuity like no other. “Villa Antinori is a full-blooded Tuscan red […] which grapes are grown, mature and are harvested from our Tuscan estates and then fermented and aged in the Antinori family estates.” Piero Antinori.
The design
The label’s design represents our concept of home, our territory and Tuscany. “The French have châteaux, but we have Villas!” Niccolò Antinori cheerfully explained his choice for the illustration on the front label, an innovative design that broke with more traditional packaging conventions of that time.
In Honor of the Monaldeschi della Cervara Family
The wine’s name honors the Monaldeschi della Cervara family who was the historic owner of Castello della Sala in the XVI century.
An old railway station
The Vignaferrovia vineyard takes its name from a characteristic old nineteenth century railway station still located a short distance from the vines.
Grown in an area with Great Potential
Poggio alle Nane comes from a winegrowing area well known for its production of high quality wines, an area in which both Cabernet and Carménère best express their characteristics.
A red amidst whites
At Castello della Sala, an area historically important for white wines, Pinot Nero offers an authentic and typical expression of its variety with a strong territorial character.
An ancient grape variety
Aleatico, an old and traditional Tuscan grape variety grown since Etruscan times, is able to give a modern expression of itself in this unique territory.
Villa del Cigliano
Villa del Cigliano, located in the gently rolling hillsides of San Casciano Val di Pesa, in the province of Florence, has always been a symbol of strong family relationships; the villa has watched over the lives of generations of Antinori family members since 1546, the year Alessandro di Niccolò Antinori became the owner of the property.
The Design
The label was designed by Silvio Coppola in 1974 for the release of Tignanello 1971. The idea to commission this artist was discussed at an event at Castello della Sala in 1973. Silvio Coppola was an important Italian graphic and interior designer who was famous for his minimalist lighting fixtures and austere furniture but also for book cover designs for Italian publishing company Feltrinelli. Silvio Coppola was the perfect match for the job.
The Bolgheri Amphitheater
The Guado al Tasso estate’s most characteristic geographic feature is the Bolgheri Amphitheater, a beautiful plain encircled by rolling hillsides that faces the Tyrrhenian Sea. The shape of the territory creates a unique microclimate with beneficial temperature fluctuations. The estate’s vineyards are located at the foot of the amphitheater, an optimal position as cold nocturnal breezes cool down the vines. These particular climatic conditions give the grapes pronounced aromas and guarantee a perfect ripening of the berries.
The Barrique
Cervaro della Sala was one of the first Italian white wines to have malolactic fermentation and aging take place in barriques.
The Name
Poggio alle Nane’s name comes from the area where its vines grow. Duck breeding farms once existed and the name “Nane” is local dialect for duck. The vineyards extend from the hillside to the lake that are still part of the property.
Rocky soils
The Vignaferrovia vineyard grows on rocky, gravelly soils, a condition that naturally limits the grapevine’s growth rate and enhances the quality of the berries.
Winding vineyards
The 4 hectares (10 acres) of Pinot Nero grow along the hillsides shaping the landscape into a series of sinuous terraced vineyards.
A single letter symbol
“A” represents in one single letter the combination of the estate’s initials, Fattoria Aldobrandesca, and the grape’s variety, Aleatico.
The Signature
Marchese Piero Antinori, the current Honorary President, decided to have his father, Niccolò Antinori, sign the label as a sign of recognition for his father’s confidence in him.
Te Duce Proficio
Guado al Tasso added the Antinori family’s historic family crest on the capsules.
The Concept
The idea behind Cervaro della Sala was to craft a white wine able to age over time.
Sea breezes
Southwestern vineyard exposure allows sea breezes to mitigate hot summer temperatures and limit heat spikes.
Understanding nature
The particularly hot climate of Castello della Sala has forced agronomists to invent new ways to protect the grapes from the hot summer sun. The vines’ shoots are allowed to grow in length and are then folded over the plant so its leaves can shade the Pinot Nero grape clusters.
A Pursuit for Balance
“A” was crafted following the family’s pursuit for exceptional balance between Aleatico’s pronounced character and the unique qualities of the estate’s volcanic soils.
Te Duce Proficio
The historic family crest of the Antinori family
A Tribute to the Della Gherardesca Family
Guado al Tasso designed a label with the Della Gherardesca family crest and the initials DG as a tribute to the former estate owners.
The Enologist
In 1985, Renzo Cotarella, who was chief enologist at Castello della Sala at that time, made the first vintage of Cervaro della Sala.
A personal interpretation
The Antinori family wanted to give their own deeply personal interpretation of the historic wine, Brunello di Montalcino.
The Sun
Tignanello’s stylized “Sun” by Silvio Coppola
Antinori Estates
Estates in Italy
