Castello della Sala | Umbria
Niccolò Antinori bought the fourteenth-century Castello della Sala in 1940, to provide a source of white wines to match the excellence of his Tuscan reds. With the introduction of Cervaro della Sala in 1987, his dream was fully realised; this is one of Italy's defining white wines, as influential and sought-after as Tignanello.
In addition to Cervaro the estate also produces several other white wines. Bramìto is effectively a mini-Cervaro, further proof of Umbria's affinity with the Chardonnay grape; Conte della Vipera is a Bordeaux-inspired blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. The inhabitants of the castle originally ruled over the whole province of Orvieto, so the range would not be complete without a flagship example from that DOC. The San Giovanni Orvieto Classico Superiore is made from considerably lower yields than permitted and as such displays considerable concentration.