Umbria’s Magical Castello della Sala – Cervaro 2022, Nibbio 2020, Muffato 22 and more!

Castello della Sala is one of the most soulful estates within the Antinori family’s vast holdings yet it remains deeply personal, as it serves as both the creative heart and home of Antinori’s legendary winemaker, Renzo Cottarella. Situated in the rolling hills of Umbria near Orvieto, the estate dates back to the 14th century and was purchased by the Antinori family in 1940. It was Renzo, however, who turned it into a sanctuary of thought, beauty, and quiet innovation. A native of the region, Cottarella chose Castello della Sala not for convenience but for connection: its morning mists, its elevation, and its solitude. An avid hunter, Renzo’s dawn walks through the vineyards with his dogs are part ritual, part meditation—moments of silence where he listens to the land. The wines he creates here are a direct reflection of that inner world: contemplative, layered, and profound—meant not merely for pleasure, but for reflection.

Under his hand, Castello della Sala has become the birthplace of some of Italy’s most cerebral white and dessert wines, alongside a startlingly complex, cool-climate Pinot Nero. Cottarella’s philosophy is rooted in patience and restraint: he allows the site to speak before intervening. The estate spans over 500 hectares, with vineyards planted between 200 and 450 meters above sea level on fossil-rich clay and limestone soils. The microclimate is uniquely fresh and humid, thanks to its altitude and the nearby Paglia river, creating ideal conditions for both slow-ripening Chardonnay and noble rot on late-harvest grapes. Fermentation is conducted in both stainless steel and small French oak barrels depending on the variety, and each wine is handled with quiet precision—minimal interference, natural clarification, and long lees contact when needed for depth and texture.

Castello della Sala’s wines, much like Renzo himself, are introspective and intellectual. They draw you inward rather than outward—wines for silence, not spectacle.

Castello della Sala Vipera 2023

Vipera, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and a trace of Grechetto, is a study in liveliness and aromatic precision. The 2023 vintage bursts with elderflower, grapefruit, and white pepper, yet remains taut and mineral-driven. Partial stainless-steel fermentation retains its vibrant freshness, while a short lees ageing adds dimension—an elegant, modern Umbrian white.

Special Price $34.99

Castello della Sala Nibbio 2020

This iconic 100% Chardonnay stands as a masterclass in Italian white winemaking, capturing both the precision of modern technique and the soulful depth of Castello della Sala’s terroir. Hand-harvested from high-altitude, limestone-rich vineyards, the grapes are gently pressed, fermented in a combination of stainless steel and fine French oak, and aged on fine lees to develop texture and complexity without masking the site’s clarity. The 100% Chardonnay 2020 reveals layers of white peach, yellow apple, and citrus blossom, threaded with toasted almond, flinty minerality, and a lingering saline finish—an incisive, contemplative white that balances purity, richness, and introspection, arguably placing it among the finest and hardest to find whites in Italy.

Special Price $324.99

Castello della Sala Pinot Nero 2021

Renzo’s intellectual red, this Pinot Noir comes from high-altitude parcels planted on marl and fossil limestone. Fermented in small oak vats and aged in French barrels, the 2021 vintage shows extraordinary finesse: wild strawberry, rose petal, and spice weave into a silky, transparent texture. It’s a contemplative wine—Italian in spirit, Burgundian in soul.

Special Price $79.99

Castello della Sala Muffato della Sala 500ml 2022

A late-harvest blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Grechetto, Traminer, and Riesling affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), fermented and aged in French oak. The 2022 Muffato glows with aromas of apricot, saffron, honey, and candied orange peel, balanced by bright acidity and remarkable length. It’s not merely a dessert wine—it’s a spiritual one, distilling Renzo’s mornings in mist and silence into golden liquid form.

Special Price $64.99 500ml

Wines will be ready for delivery in circa two weeks