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.

Weather in 2019 Winter weather was mild and sunny while spring brought lower than average temperatures and frequent rainfall. These climatic conditions persisted up until the end of May and affected flowering and fruit set in both grape varieties, causing a delay of approximately 10 days. The month of June provided relatively dry weather. The vines benefitted from generous groundwater reserves and maintained good vine balance even during the hot month of August, completing veraison and slowly progressing to perfect ripeness. Optimal temperature fluctuations between day and night produced healthy clusters with rich aromatic compounds. Chardonnay for Cervaro della Sala was harvested at the end of August with healthy, ripe berries that had optimal freshness and an excellent aromatic profile. Harvesting operations of Grechetto took place 15 days later towards the end of September.

The castle’s fermentation cellars were constructed to take full advantage of the principle of gravity and assists the movement of the grapes and their maceration without the crop being pumped or subjected to mechanical movement of the mass. The picking of the grapes takes place during the very first hours of the day so that the cellars receive fruit in pristine condition, without the influence of the higher and warmer temperatures of the day. The must is treated to a maceration on its skins for four hours at a temperature of 10 degrees celsius and subsequently falls into stainless steel fermentation tanks where it loses its impurities before going into small oak barrels. Here it fully ferments and then is put through a complete malolactic fermentation. After five months of aging, the Chardonnay is usually ready to be blended and to go back into stainless steel, where it is assembled with the Grechetto, which has been fermented, separately, on its own, without contact with wood. The Cervaro della Sala is then aged in bottle for various months in the Castello della Sala cellars before being placed on the market.

Technical Information:
Grape: 92% Chardonnay | 8% Grechetto
Region: Umbria, Tuscany
Alcohol: 12.5 %

Tasting Note: Cervaro della Sala 2019 is pale yellow in color with notable greenish highlights. Its intense, complex nose shows notes of citrus fruit, pineapples and acacia blossoms that blend harmoniously with hints of vanilla and flint. On the palate, it’s generous, refined and well structured; pleasantly savory notes are well-balanced by typical sweet sensations of hazelnut butter. The 2019 vintage will be remembered as one of Cervaro della Sala’s greatest vintages, perfectly enjoyable upon release, but has remarkable aging potential for years to come.

The Tenuta Tignanello estate is in the heart of Chianti Classico, in the gently rolling hillsides between the Greve and Pesa river valleys. It extends over an area of 319 hectares (788 acres), of which about 130 (321 acres) are dedicated to vines. Two of the estate’s prized vineyards are on the same hillside, Tignanello and Solaia, on soils that originated from marine marlstone from the Pliocene period rich in limestone and schist. The vines enjoy hot temperatures during the day and cooler evenings throughout the growing season. The estate’s two signature wines, Solaia and Tignanello, are produced from these vineyards and have been defined by the international press as “among the most influential wines in the history of Italian viticulture”. According to Marchesi Antinori, Solaia and Tignanello are an ongoing challenge and a never-ending passion. The Tignanello estate has vineyards of indigenous Sangiovese grapes as well as some other untraditional varieties such as Cabernet Franc.