Antinori Antinori Cervaro della Sala 2023
IGT

Antinori Cervaro della Sala

Castello della Sala
Vintages 2024 2023

Antinori's flagship white from Castello della Sala in Umbria, a Chardonnay-led Umbria IGT with a splash of Grechetto. Barrique-fermented with partial malolactic, it carries citrus, flint and toasted-almond depth over taut acidity. James Suckling rank

UK Market From £58.26 Found across 4 retailers
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Tasting Notes

What Cervaro della Sala tastes like

Castello della Sala's barrique-fermented Chardonnay shows citrus and flint over a savoury, saline core, with toasted-almond depth from partial malolactic in oak.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
6 June 2026
Vintage in glass
2023
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Taste profile
Body Light / Full
Tannins Smooth / Grippy
Sweetness Dry / Sweet
Acidity Soft / Crisp
Nose

Light straw-gold with green flashes. Castello della Sala's Chardonnay leads with pink grapefruit, bergamot and citron, lifted by acacia blossom and elderflower. Barrique work and partial malolactic add buttered bread, vanilla and pastry cream, and there is the flinty, struck-match note the estate flags as a signature of its marine-fossil Pliocene soils. Vivino's 39,513 ratings cluster on exactly these markers: oak and butter, then citrus and stony minerality.

GrapefruitGrapefruit
BergamotBergamot
ElderflowerElderflower
AppleApple
FlintFlint
Wet stonesWet stones
AlmondAlmond
HazelnutsHazelnuts
VanillaVanilla
HoneyHoney
Palate

Taut and energetic rather than broad, with the Grechetto fraction tightening the Chardonnay's weight. Toasted almond, roasted hazelnut and a fine ginger-and-white-pepper spice run under a savoury, saline texture; the 220 to 470 metre vineyards and wide day-night swings keep acidity vivid. At 13% the balance is precise, the oak integrated rather than showy.

Finish

Long, harmonious and saline, closing on toasted nuts, tropical fruit and a flinty mineral echo that holds the freshness right to the end.

Overall

Antinori's benchmark white and one of Italy's most respected Chardonnays, barrique-aged here since the 1985 debut. The 2023 drew 97 points from both Robert Parker and James Suckling, who named it his number one Italian white; the Vivino crowd rates it 4.4 from nearly 40,000 ratings, prizing its richness-against-freshness balance while the occasional drinker finds the oak assertive. A cellar-worthy white for those who want Italian Chardonnay with structure.

Drink now Best by 2035
Live UK pricing

Buying Cervaro della Sala 2023 and 2024 in the UK

Two vintages are tracked here, the 97-point 2023 and the fresher 2024, with UK listings running roughly GBP 68 to 82 a bottle across several merchants.

Best price · 75 cl £58.26 at 8wines
Price spread £58.26 – £81.67 Across 4 UK retailers tracked
Retailers tracked 4UK 4 in stock
Vintages live 2024 · 2023 Current release: 2024
Per-litre (75 cl basis) £77.68 Per-litre price for the lowest current offer
Last checked 7 Jun 2026, 14:08 BST Refreshed once every 24 hours
Wine fit score

How Cervaro della Sala scores for your table

A high-scoring, age-worthy icon white: strong on food and occasion, a considered choice rather than an everyday pour at GBP 68 plus.

Best for an occasion 9.0/10

Antinori's flagship white, named James Suckling's number one Italian white, is a confident choice for a celebration or a serious dinner.

Best with food 8.8/10

Taut acidity, saline texture and barrique weight make Cervaro a versatile match for creamy risotto, mushrooms, roast poultry and vitello tonnato.

Best for cellar 8.2/10

Barrique-fermented and built to age since its 1985 debut, the exceptional 2023 carries the structure and freshness to cellar to 2035.

Best value 7.8/10

A 97-point icon white selling around GBP 68 to 82 in the UK sits well below the prestige-white tier it competes with on quality.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our editorial methodology.

Denomination Compliance Snapshot

Umbria in five fields

A compact view of what the Umbria denomination actually requires, and how this bottle sits inside it. Pulled from the official Italian disciplinare.

Allowed grapes
Variety list not yet recorded
This bottle: Chardonnay, Grechetto.
Minimum ageing
Recorded by producer
Disciplinare ageing rule not yet recorded.
Region / area
Umbria
Style
IGT · Umbria
Classification
IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica)
What that means →
Retailer Shortlist

Where to Buy

Compare tracked offers from verified retailers at a glance. Stock is shown only where the retailer exposes it. Logos, sale pricing, and the strongest offer are surfaced first.

Best Live Price £58.26
Retailers Tracked 4
Last Checked 7 Jun 2026
8wines logo

8wines

Best price In stock
Vintage 2024
£58.26
£77.68/L · checked 30 May
Visit retailer
75 cl · On sale (was £69.77) · Low stock confidence
Vintages

Cervaro vintages: 2023's exceptional year and beyond

The estate calls the 2023 vertical and refined after a hot, swing-rich summer; the 2024 is built on cooler spring temperatures and a generous aromatic profile.

2024 Current release
Lowest price
£58.26
Retailers
1 in stock · 1 awaiting restock
ABV
13.0%
Window
Drink now through 2034

A cooler-than-average spring and hot, stable summer gave the 2024 healthy fruit with a generous, complex aromatic profile and good acid-sugar balance. Built for the medium term, with the citrus-and-flint freshness Cervaro is known for.

2023 Previous release
Lowest price
£68.00
Retailers
3 in stock
ABV
13.0%
Window
Drink now through 2035

A hot, well-balanced 2023 with optimal day-night swings through July and August; Castello della Sala calls it vertical and refined. Drinking well now, the structure and freshness support cellaring to 2035.

Drink-now / hold guidance reflects general style cues for this wine, not a forecast for a specific bottle. Where vintage-level editorial notes exist, they appear above.

The disciplinare, the place, the label

Why Cervaro is one of Italy's benchmark whites

Made at Castello della Sala since 1985 by Renzo Cotarella, Cervaro was among the first Italian whites fermented and aged in barrique, on marine-fossil Pliocene soils near Orvieto.

01

DOC, DOCG, IGT: what the badges mean

Italian wine law sorts bottles into a pyramid. DOCG sits at the top: tightly drawn boundaries, prescribed grapes, mandatory ageing, government tasting before release. DOC is the same idea with looser thresholds. IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) is broader still, requiring only that 85% of the grapes come from the named territory.

Umbria is in the IGT tier. That is not a quality verdict, it is a description of how much freedom the producer has at vinification and ageing.

02

The denomination rules, in detail

  • Allowed grapes. Varieties not yet recorded
  • Tasting panel. No mandatory pre-release tasting
03

Region and area context

Umbria falls within Umbria , covering Umbria.

04

Reading the label

  • Castello della SalaProducer / estate
  • Chardonnay · GrechettoGrape varieties (in declared order of dominance)
  • Umbria IGTGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2024Vintage (year of harvest)
  • 13.0% vol · 75 clAlcohol by volume and bottle size
  • Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05

What sits behind the price of Antinori Cervaro della Sala

Tracked from
£58.26
Direction
Mostly cost up
Drivers
4 up / 2 down
Main factor
Barrique fermentation and partial malolactic in oak
  1. 01

    Barrique fermentation and partial malolactic in oak

    Cost up

    Cervaro is fermented and aged in barriques with partial malolactic, the technique Castello della Sala pioneered for Italian whites in 1985. New French oak and the cellar time it demands are a major cost the entry-level Orvieto whites never carry.

  2. 02

    Hand-harvested estate fruit at 220 to 470 metres

    Cost up

    Grapes are picked by hand in the early morning across hillside vineyards rising to 470 metres, then handled by gravity flow without pumps. Manual harvest and the gentle, labour-heavy cellar add real cost per bottle.

  3. 03

    Antinori brand and 97-point critic standing

    Cost up

    As Antinori's flagship white, named James Suckling's number one Italian white at 97 points, Cervaro commands a prestige premium that keeps the UK price near GBP 68 to 82 rather than mid-teens.

  4. 04

    UK duty and VAT on an imported still white

    Cost up

    At a roughly GBP 75 shelf price, HMRC still-wine duty of GBP 2.67 plus 20% VAT account for around GBP 15 before the merchant's margin, a fixed wedge on every imported bottle.

  5. 05

    Grechetto fraction grown on the same estate

    Cost down

    Blending in roughly 5% estate Grechetto, fermented in steel without oak, slightly tempers the all-Chardonnay barrique cost while keeping fruit sourcing in-house at Castello della Sala.

  6. 06

    Established 1985 line at consistent volume

    Cost down

    With near 40 vintages of steady production since 1985 and 229 hectares under vine, Cervaro benefits from scale that keeps it below the price of scarce single-vineyard Italian whites.

Perfect Pairings

Dishes that complement this wine

Porcini mushroom risotto, plated

Porcini mushroom risotto
Agnolotti del Plin on stoneware bowl with Butter, Egg, Egg Pasta Sheets

Agnolotti del Plin
Pumpkin risotto, plated

Pumpkin risotto
Vitello Tonnato on stoneware bowl with Anchovy, Caper, Egg Yolk

Vitello Tonnato
Roast chicken, plated

Roast chicken
Food Pairing

Chardonnay weight, Umbrian freshness: dishes that fit Cervaro

The barrique body and bright acidity of this Umbria IGT suit creamy risotto, mushrooms and roast white meat, while the saline cut handles tuna-caper sauces.

Fat cutting Strong match

Butter, sage and Parmesan risotto

The barrique weight and partial malolactic of Cervaro carry creamy, buttery primi, while its vivid acidity from the high Castello della Sala vineyards slices through the fat so each forkful resets. Toasted-almond and flint notes echo a browned-butter, nutty risotto.

Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Pumpkin risotto · Agnolotti del Plin · More pairings →

Aromatic bridge Strong match

Earthy mushrooms and truffle

Cervaro's struck-flint minerality and savoury, nutty depth bridge straight to porcini and white truffle. The Chardonnay weight matches the dish body without flattening the earthiness, and the saline freshness keeps a rich plate lively.

Try with: Porcini mushroom risotto · Agnolotti del Plin · More pairings →

Body matching Good match

Roast poultry and white meat

At 13% with barrique structure, Cervaro has the body to stand up to roast chicken and herb-roasted veal without overwhelming them. Citrus and white-pepper spice lift the meat, while the fresh acidity cuts roasting fat and crisp skin.

Try with: Roast chicken · Roast turkey · More pairings →

Salt balance Good match

Veal in tuna-caper sauce

Vitello tonnato's salty, caper-driven sauce meets its match in Cervaro's saline texture and citrus cut. The wine's roasted-hazelnut richness shadows the creamy tonnato while the acidity keeps the brine from cloying.

Try with: Vitello Tonnato · More pairings →

Acidity matching Good match

Sweet squash and stuffed pasta

Pumpkin risotto and butter-sage stuffed pasta lean sweet and fatty; Cervaro's outstanding freshness from wide day-night swings counterbalances the sweetness, and the vanilla and pastry-cream notes from barrique fermentation harmonise with the squash.

Try with: Pumpkin risotto · Agnolotti del Plin · More pairings →

Avoid Clash

Chilli heat and sweet-sour sauces

Cervaro's oak, alcohol and nutty richness amplify chilli burn and fight sticky sweet-and-sour glazes, leaving the wine bitter and the dish hotter. Save this barrique Chardonnay for savoury, creamy plates and reach for an off-dry aromatic white with fiery food instead.

Skip with: Vindaloo · Sweet and sour pork · Spicy Sichuan chicken · Pairing guide →

Drinking + cellar

Cellaring Cervaro della Sala

Built to age since its 1985 debut, the structured 2023 should hold and improve to around 2035, peaking near 2030.

Drinking window
2026 → 2034

Peak around 2030. Best in the years above; holds without falling over either side.

Decanting
no

A short splash decant softens the first-pour edge and opens the aromatics.

Cellar potential
High

Barrique-fermented and built to age since its 1985 debut, the exceptional 2023 carries the structure and freshness to cellar to 2035.

Buy now or wait?
Buy now

£58.26 is the lowest tracked offer for the current vintage and we have no signal of further discounting.

Sources & trust

Where these Cervaro della Sala facts come from

Prices & stock

Read directly from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Last refresh: 7 Jun 2026, 14:08 BST. We do not hold stock and we do not accept payment for placement.

Confidence · High
Tasting notes

Drawn from what drinkers consistently report on Vivino and Wine-Searcher, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic.

Confidence · Medium
Appellation rules & ageing

From the official Italian disciplinare for this denomination, cross-checked against the Ministry of Agriculture register.

Confidence · High
Why it costs what it costs

Our reading of the price, drawn from the disciplinare, public UK duty rates, and typical landed-cost benchmarks. Not a quote from the producer or a retailer.

Confidence · Medium
Drink window & cellar potential

Style guidance for this kind of wine at this price point. Treat it as advice, not a forecast for the bottle in your hand.

Confidence · Medium
Related

Castello della Sala, Umbria and Chardonnay: explore more

Producer
Castello della Sala Umbria
Grapes
Chardonnay Grechetto
Denomination
Umbria IGT
Region
Umbria Region guide
Cuisine
Italian Cuisine 4 dishes paired International Cuisine 1 dishes paired

Common Questions

It is mostly Chardonnay with a small share of Grechetto, around 95% to 5%, grown at Castello della Sala in Umbria and bottled as an Umbria IGT. The Grechetto adds freshness and a local Umbrian accent to the Chardonnay.

Yes. It was one of the first Italian white wines to be barrique-fermented with partial malolactic fermentation, a technique Castello della Sala introduced with the debut 1985 vintage. The oak gives buttered-bread, vanilla and toasted-nut notes balanced by bright citrus and flint.

It is built to age. The structured, barrique-fermented style means most vintages drink well for ten years or more; the exceptional 2023 should cellar comfortably to around 2035, peaking near 2030.

Reach for rich, savoury Italian primi: porcini or pumpkin risotto, agnolotti del plin, and vitello tonnato all work, as does roast chicken. Its acidity and saline texture cut creamy, buttery dishes while the body stands up to white meat.

Recent UK listings for the 2023 and 2024 vintages sit roughly between GBP 68 and GBP 82 a bottle. That is strong value for a wine that scored 97 points from both Robert Parker and James Suckling.

It is Antinori's benchmark white and widely seen as one of Italy's finest Chardonnays. James Suckling named the 2023 his number one Italian white, and it carries a 4.4 Vivino average from nearly 40,000 ratings.

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Antinori Cervaro della Sala
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