2021 Marchesi Antinori Cervaro della Sala
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Tasting notes
The 2021 Cervaro della Sala comes to life in the glass with crushed stones, oyster shells and damp earth evolving into lemon oil, green apple and hints of chamomile. This is pure elegance, with silky, verging on creamy textures and brilliant acidity. A salty staining of minerality adds tremendous depth to baked apple and spice notes. It finishes crunchy and long with a citrus tinge as touches of custard and nectarine slowly fade. This is a dramatic Cervaro della Sala that possesses amazing balance. It will be fascinating to watch it mature over the coming years.
Critic scores
James Suckling
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
This is very aromatic and lifted with mineral, nougat, floral, and lightly cooked apples. Some flint and matchstick. Medium- to full-bodied with a fine phenolic and acid backbone that energizes the wine. Complex aftertaste with subtle fruit and pastry at the end. This will age beautifully but hard not to drink now.
This wine is mostly Chardonnay with about 7% Grechetto. The presence of the Grechetto has declined quite a bit over the past couple of vintages. Given these tweaks to the winemaking formula, the 2021 Cervaro della Sala promises an exceptionally crisp and linear presentation with salty mineral tones, lots of stone fruit and tart apple. No malolactic fermentation or oak is used on the Umbrian grape that always adds a hint of rusticity and Umbrian authenticity. However, the Chardonnay is fermented in oak and aged in both new and used barrel. In light of climate change, work is being completed to reduce vineyard density, with new plantings going in at 3,500 vines per hectare, down from 5,500 vines per hectare like we saw in the past.
About the producer
Marchesi Antinori is a leading Italian producer, historically based in Tuscany, who rose to fame after creating Tignanello – one of the first Super Tuscans . Combining tradition and innovation to craft fine wine, the family-owned firm has been a force in the Italian wine industry for over 600 years.