Castello della Sala and its wines: San Giovanni and Cervaro.

Today's journey takes us to visit the Castello della Sala, an estate that encompasses a territory of 600 hectares, one third of which is cultivated with vineyards, along with Massimiliano Pasquini, manager of the estate since 2008. Of 14th-century origins, the manor is located about eighteen kilometers from the town of Orvieto, a land of white wines that are rediscovered and blended with international varieties: we find Procanico and Grechetto, but also the timeless Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Viognier, and other types of grapes, planted between 220 and 470 m above sea level.

Massimiliano, could you tell us the history of this place?

We are at the gates of the town of Ficulle, in a fortified fortress that has been owned by the Antinori family since 1940. Some of the interiors, such as the famous 15th-century chapel, are frescoed and testify to the long history of this land: this is reflected in the choice of blends for the estate's wine.

The Antinori family began, from the end of the 1960s, to introduce international grapes to create labels such as San Giovanni della Sala (Orvieto Classico), Muffato (a sweet wine), Cervaro della Sala, Bramito, Conte della Vipera, and the unique red wine of the Castle, a Pinot Noir.

In front of us, we have two glasses at the moment. Which wines will we taste, and from which vintages?

The first wine we will approach will be San Giovanni della Sala, from the 2021 vintage. This wine takes its name from the little church of San Giovanni located within the fortification, and it is the first product from the estate: the 2021 vintage is the last available on the market, with a bottle aging of four months. We produce approximately 100,000 bottles, this year with 15% Grechetto, 25% Brocanico, 15% Viognier, which matures very well here and offers aromatic notes to the blend, and finally a last 10% of Pinot Bianco, which enhances the longevity of the flavor.

How would you describe the style of the wines produced here?

I would say it is very modern, well defined by the Antinori family. A style that recalls Orvieto Classico but with a touch of innovation, for a wine that is overall not too strong or muscular but elegant, vertical, balanced between aromaticity, body, and acidity.

San Giovanni is a "ready-to-drink" wine, so to speak, ready after a year from the harvest. Its best expression is in the youthful period, although it can last for 2-3 years.

What will fill the second glass, then?

The next wine we will taste will be a Cervaro della Sala from 2020, probably the wine that receives the most attention from production to commercialization. Born in 1985, this wine is a blend of two grapes, Chardonnay – fermented in barrel with alcoholic fermentation, followed by malolactic fermentation – and Grechetto – fermented exclusively with alcoholic fermentation, in stainless steel. All the grapes, of course, are ours.

The percentages of the two grapes can change from year to year, in 2020, for example, we used 88% Chardonnay and 12% Grechetto, which is usually added in greater amounts in the hotter years (like 2017), where acidity is needed. In cooler years like 2014 and 2019, we used less.

Have you ever considered using 100% Chardonnay?

Yes, we have also tried to produce bottles of pure Chardonnay, but we much prefer to give personality to the wine and respect the terroir of this magnificent place, which we invite you to visit.

We invite you to listen to the interview and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Castello della Sala, preferably accompanied by a good glass of wine. Cheers and… Until the next episode!

To catch up on previous episodes of The Italian Wine Podcast, you might start with Epokale, the 100-point wine of the Tramin winery.