Castello della Sala - 'Cervaro della Sala'

The Cervaro name derives from the noble family which owned Castello della Sala during the 15th century, the Monaldeschi della Cervara.

“Intense aromas of crushed lime and lemon as well as mineral and flint follow through to a medium body, ultra-precise acid and fruit balance. Long and linear finish. Just a hint of vanilla and cream.” 95 points, James Suckling

Onshore Cellars - ICONIC Producer

Castello della Sala has a history dating back to 1350 when it was built by Angelo Monaldeschi della Vipera. Since then it has passed through the hands of many different owners, until finally being purchased by Marquis Niccolò Antinori in 1940. Due to customer demand, he wanted to add a white wine to the family portfolio and so looked to the Umbrian Apennines near the wine producing region of Orvieto. His first challenge was to improve the soil which at the time included 52 hectares of olive groves and vineyards, as well as 29 individual farms and 483 hectares of woods and fields.

In 1979 Niccolò’s son, Piero Antinori, employed Renzo Cotarella, a young professional agronomist, and in less than 10 years he succeeded in creating the wines that were to become the symbol of the estate. His aim was to make white wines of a greater standing than anything currently produced in the Orvieto Classico appellation, and so he experimented with Chardonnay and focused on how to get the best out of the Grechetto grape. After a series of disappointing vintages he finally succeeded, and in 1985 the first true Cervaro della Sala was born - one of the most widely renowned and appreciated Italian white wines in the world.

Since then Cotarella has gone on to become the CEO and Chief Winemaker at Antinori.