2015 Antinori Cervaro della Sala

2015 Cervaro della Sala

Vinification: The grapes were picked during the earliest hours of the morning to order to assure that the grapes which reached the cellars were entirely whole and healthy, not stressed by high daytime temperatures. After a brief four hour period of skin contact at 50° Fahrenheit (10° centigrade) the must went into stainless steel tanks before going into oak barrels. Both the primary and the malolactic fermentation took place in barrel. After approximately three months the Chardonnay went back into the stainless steel tanks to be blended with Grechetto (which had been fermented separately in stainless steel). After bottling, the wine was aged in bottle for several months in the historic cellars of the Castello della Sala before commercial release.

Historical data:  The Cervaro name derives from the noble family which owned Castello della Sala during hte 15th century, the Monaldeschi del Cervaro. The Antinori family purchased the estate in 1940. The first vintage of Cervaro della Sala to be produced was the 1985, marketed in 1987.

Tasting notes:  The wine, a light straw yellow with brief greenish highlights, expresses rich, complex, and intense aromas. The notes of citrus fruit, pears, and acacia flowers are in perfect balance with the sweet and spicy notes of vanilla. The palate is supple but vibrant, elegant and well structured, characterized by the classic mineral sensations and by the light notes of hazelnut butter.

Climate: The 2015 vintage was characterized by a mild climate, one without excessive temperature peaks.  The reserves of ground water accumulated during the winter assisted a regular start of vine growth and development during the spring.  Bud burst was earlier than in the preceding vintage, as was the flowering, which began just after mid-May and was followed by an excellent bud set.  The light rainfall after mid-August and the consequent drop in temperatures created optimal conditions for a ripening without vine stress. The Chardonnay harvest began at the end of August  and  was  followed  by  the  picking  of  the Grechetto,  which  reached  proper  ripeness  levels  during the period from the 10th to the 20th of September.

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