2024 Antinori "Cervaro della Sala" Chardonnay Umbria

Notes

The 2024 Antinori "Cervaro della Sala" (Umbria IGT) is a towering, aristocratic icon that stands as one of Italy’s most legendary and collectible white wines. Sourced from the cool, high-altitude vineyards surrounding Castello della Sala near Orvieto, this structural masterpiece is a masterful blend of Chardonnay ($\sim 90\%$) and Grechetto ($\sim 10\%$). Unlike the unvoted, stainless-steel-driven whites of the region, Cervaro uses a highly technical, Burgundian approach: the Chardonnay undergoes brief skin-contact cold maceration, is fermented directly in new French oak barriques (Allier and Troncais), and undergoes complete malolactic fermentation on the fine lees. The indigenous Grechetto is vinified separately in stainless steel to act as a vital injection of raw, high-toned verticality before the final blend is assembled.