IGT White

Antinori Cervaro della Sala

Castello della Sala
Grapes
Chardonnay, Grechetto
Denomination
Umbria IGT
Region
Umbria
ABV
13%
Drink
Now to 2034

Antinori's flagship white from Castello della Sala in Umbria: Chardonnay fermented in small oak barrels with a dash of steel-raised Grechetto. Citrus, pear and hazelnut butter over fresh acidity. First made in 1985 and liked year after year.

Best price
£68.00

2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery charge shown at checkout

XtraWine logo Buy at XtraWine Compare 10 offers
Vintages 2024 2023

Prices read daily from 11 UK retailers. We earn a commission on some links; it never changes the order.

Where to buy Antinori Cervaro della Sala

£68.00 best price · 7 retailers in stock · checked 25 Oct 2026

Stock is shown where the retailer publishes it, offers are sorted by price, and unavailable offers can’t be clicked.

Hedonism Wines Best price 2024 · Half bottle 37.5cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery from £8.95, free on 6 bottles
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£45.00 £120.00/L
Buy
XtraWine Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery charge shown at checkout
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£68.00 £90.67/L
Buy
Svinando Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 22 Oct · Delivery £8.90, free on 2 bottles
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£72.00 £96.00/L
Buy
Vinatis Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery £6 for 1 to 6 bottles, £0.50 per extra bottle
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£72.78 £97.04/L
Buy
Hedonism Wines Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery from £8.95, free on 4 bottles
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£75.00 £100.00/L
Buy
8wines Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery charged at checkout Code NEWCUST8J: Enter NEWCUST8J to get £8 off with the minimum wine order of £88. Valid only for new customers, until 31 Dec 2027
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£75.04 £100.05/L
Buy
Millesima Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery £20, free on 3 bottles
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£83.70 £111.60/L
Buy
Orchard Wines Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery £6.99, free on 2 bottles
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£115.00 £153.33/L
Buy
Hedonism Wines Best price 2024 · Magnum 150cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery from £8.95, free on 2 bottles
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£175.00 £116.67/L
Buy
Hedonism Wines Best price 2024 · Double magnum 300cl · checked 25 Oct · Free delivery
Read from the retailer's page once a day. Confidence is low, so treat it as a guide and confirm at the retailer.
£400.00 £133.33/L
Buy
Unavailable (10)
XtraWine Best price 2024 · Half bottle 37.5cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery charge shown at checkout
Out of stock
£40.00 £106.67/L
Out of stock
House of Decant Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 20 Oct · Free delivery on 2 bottles, otherwise see shop
Out of stock
£69.99 £93.32/L
Out of stock
Svinando Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 20 Oct · Delivery £8.90, free on 2 bottles
Out of stock
£72.00 £96.00/L
Out of stock
8wines Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 20 Oct · Delivery charged at checkout Code NEWCUST8J: Enter NEWCUST8J to get £8 off with the minimum wine order of £88. Valid only for new customers, until 31 Dec 2027
Out of stock
£73.68 £98.24/L
Out of stock
Laithwaites Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 20 Oct · Delivery £7.99, free on 12+ bottles
Out of stock
£75.00 £100.00/L
Out of stock
Vino.com Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery usually £16.90, free on 2 bottles Code WINE6R8T: £17 off your first wine order with £180 minimum spend, until 13 Jan 2028
Out of stock
£76.00 £101.33/L
Out of stock
Vinatis Best price 2023 · 75cl · checked 20 Oct · Delivery £6 for 1 to 6 bottles, £0.50 per extra bottle
Out of stock
£81.67 £108.89/L
Out of stock
Hedonism Wines Best price 2014 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery from £8.95, free on 3 bottles
Out of stock
£115.00 £153.33/L
Out of stock
XtraWine Best price 2024 · Magnum 150cl · checked 25 Oct · Delivery charge shown at checkout
Out of stock
£214.00 £142.67/L
Out of stock
QuieroVinos Best price 2024 · 75cl · checked 25 Oct · From Spain: delivery from €15.25, UK duty and VAT extra
Out of stock
£54.88 £73.17/L
Out of stock

Stock status is read from each retailer’s page once a day and may lag. Case and magnum listings show a per-bottle or per-litre equivalent and sit outside the best-price figure.

Tasting Notes

What Cervaro della Sala tastes like

Castello della Sala's barrel-fermented Chardonnay shows citrus and flint over a savoury, salty core. Toasted-almond depth comes from a partial second, softer fermentation in oak.

Tasted by
ItalianWines editorial
Tasted on
6 June 2026
Vintage in glass
2023
Source
Drinker consensus · confidence Medium
Typical of Chardonnay
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. Work in small oak barrels and a partial second, softer fermentation add buttered bread, vanilla and pastry cream. There is also the flinty, struck-match note, a signature of the marine-fossil Pliocene soils. Oak and butter lead, then citrus and a stony feel.

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

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

Finish

Long, harmonious and salty. It closes on toasted nuts, tropical fruit and a flinty, stony echo that holds the freshness right to the end.

Overall

Antinori's benchmark white and one of Italy's most respected Chardonnays, aged in small oak barrels 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. Drinkers like it year after year for its balance of richness and freshness, though 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. UK listings run roughly GBP 68 to 82 a bottle across several merchants.

Best price · 75 cl · 2024 £68.00 at XtraWine
Price spread · 75cl · 2024 £68.00 - £83.70 Across 5 UK retailers with 75cl · 2024 in stock
Retailers · 75cl · 2024 5UK 5 in stock
Vintages live 2024 · 2023 Current release: 2024
Per-litre (75cl · 2024 basis) £90.67 Lowest current 75cl · 2024 offer
Last checked 25 Oct 2026 Refreshed once every 24 hours
Other vintages and formats: 4 price lines

Half bottle 37.5cl · 2024: £45.00, 1 UK retailer

75cl · 2023: £72.00 - £115.00, 2 UK retailers

Magnum 150cl · 2024: £175.00, 1 UK retailer

Double magnum 300cl · 2024: £400.00, 1 UK retailer

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, salty texture and oak-barrel weight make Cervaro a versatile match for creamy risotto, mushrooms, roast poultry and vitello tonnato.

Best for cellar 8.2/10

Barrel-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.

Best intro to this style 5.8/10

The Chardonnay grape is familiar, but the oak-led, structured style and premium price make this a step up rather than a first bottle.

Best everyday bottle 2.4/10

At GBP 68 plus and made for the table or the cellar, Cervaro is a special-bottle white rather than a midweek pour.

Scoring is rule-based and deterministic. The model and weightings are documented in our Wine Fit Score 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
63 varieties listed
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 →
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
Best price
£68.00
Retailers
8 in stock
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
Best price
£72.00
Retailers
2 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.

2014 Sold through
Best price
not listed
Retailers
0 in stock

A rain-marked, complicated season saved by a mild September. Antinori picked the Chardonnay ten days late and calls the fruit healthy and balanced. James Suckling rated this vintage 96 points; Wine Spectator gave it 91.

2024 Current release
Best price
£68.00
Retailers
8 in stock
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.

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 small oak barrels. It grows 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. 63 varieties listed in the disciplinare
  • Tasting panel. No mandatory pre-release tasting
03

Region and area context

Umbria IGT is the region-wide label, so the grapes can come from anywhere in Umbria.

The zone the estate stands in The producer

Made at Castello della Sala, Ficulle. Directions

04

Reading the label

  • Castello della SalaProducer / estate
  • Chardonnay · GrechettoGrape varieties
  • Umbria IGTGeographic indication and quality tier
  • 2024Vintage (year of harvest)
  • 13.0% volAlcohol by volume
  • Imbottigliato all’origineEstate-bottled
05

What sits behind the price of Antinori Cervaro della Sala

Tracked from
£68.00
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 small oak barrels with a partial second, softer fermentation. Castello della Sala pioneered the technique 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. It is 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 oak-barrel cost. Fruit sourcing stays in-house at Castello della Sala.

  6. 06

    Established 1985 line at consistent volume

    Cost down

    Near 40 vintages of steady production since 1985 and 229 hectares under vine give Cervaro scale. That keeps it below the price of scarce single-vineyard Italian whites.

01

Barrique fermentation and partial malolactic in oak

Cost up

Cervaro is fermented and aged in small oak barrels with a partial second, softer fermentation. Castello della Sala pioneered the technique 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.

Food Pairing

Chardonnay weight, Umbrian freshness: dishes that fit Cervaro

The oak-barrel body and bright acidity of this Umbria IGT suit creamy risotto, mushrooms and roast white meat. The salty 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
Not needed

Pour it straight from the bottle.

Serving temperature
8-12°C

Aim for the cooler end on a warm day; warmer end opens up more aromatics.

Cellar potential
High

Barrel-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

£68.00 for a 75cl bottle of the 2024, at XtraWine, is the best price we track, 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: 25 Oct 2026, 02:49 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, summarised in our own words. A crowd read across many tasters, not a single critic. Drinkers score it 4.4 out of 5 from 7,142 ratings on Vivino.

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

Common Questions

It is mostly Chardonnay with a small share of Grechetto, around 95% to 5%. It is 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 fermented in small oak barrels, with a partial second, softer fermentation. Castello della Sala introduced the technique 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, barrel-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 salty 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 with two leading critics, James Suckling among them.

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 drinkers like it year after year.

You May Also Appreciate

Conte della Vipera

Conte della Vipera

Umbria

7 retailers

£27.70

+ delivery

View Wine
Marchesi Antinori Bramito del Cervo SAVE -15%

Marchesi Antinori Bramito del Cervo

Umbria

6 retailers

£20.90

£24.59

+ delivery

View Wine
Pino Nero Della Sala - Castello Della Sala - Antinori

Pino Nero Della Sala - Castello Della Sala - Antinori

Umbria

4 retailers

£53.00

+ delivery

View Wine
Arnaldo Caprai Anima Umbra

Arnaldo Caprai Anima Umbra

Umbria

2 retailers

£12.54

+ delivery

View Wine

Affiliate disclosure. Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Editorial coverage, ratings and tasting notes are written independently and a retailer cannot pay to be listed or to be ranked higher.

How retailer prices are sourced. Prices and stock are read from each retailer’s public product page once a day. Outbound buy links carry rel="nofollow sponsored noopener". The list is sorted by price; we do not accept payment for placement.

What we will never do. Imply we tasted a bottle when we didn’t. Imply stock when a retailer is out. Imply independence on links that are paid affiliate links.

Antinori Cervaro della Sala
Check Availability