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Antinori, Castello della Sala 'Cervaro della Sala' 2016

WhiteItaly2016

By Daniel Min · Tasted 2020-02-10 · Published 2026-09-20 · Updated 2026-09-20

In one paragraphAntinori's Castello della Sala Cervaro della Sala 2016 is a white from Umbria, Italy, blending Chardonnay with the native Grechetto grape at 12.5–13% ABV. The estate, Castello della Sala, is a medieval castle that belonged to the Monaldeschi della Cervara family in the 14th century, and Antinori explains that the name "Cervaro" itself honors that family. Agronomist Renzo Cotarella joined the estate in 1979 at age 25 with a single goal — an Italian white capable of aging — and after years of trial and error with Chardonnay and the local Grechetto grape, finally succeeded with the 1985 vintage, which Antinori describes as one of the earliest Italian wines to undergo both malolactic fermentation and barrique aging (worth reading as the producer's own account, though it was clearly an unusual approach for Italian white winemaking at the time). On Vivino, this 2016 vintage has 3,780 ratings averaging 4.4 (the label overall: 40,503 ratings, also 4.4), and 5 listed critic scores run 93–97. The nose leads decisively with oak, butter and vanilla (2,379 mentions), followed by pear and peach (1,285). Structure: acidity 3.8/5, intensity 3.3, sweetness 2.4. Drinking window: 2018–2024, and I drank mine in February 2020, within that window. I scored it 4.5. Price: US$107 per 750ml ex-tax (Wine-Searcher, Sept 2026) (Wine-Searcher).

At a glance

5 critic scores on Vivino — 97 (Mar 2018), 95 and 95+ (Dec 2018, two entries from the same critic), 93 (Jul 2018), 93 (Jan 2013).

Market note: Cervaro della Sala is the flagship white of the Castello della Sala estate, covered on this site alongside two other Antinori labels: Solaia and Villa Antinori Rosso.

What this wine is

Castello della Sala is a medieval castle dating to the 14th century, originally owned by the Monaldeschi della Cervara family. According to Antinori, the wine's name, "Cervaro," honors that very family — not, as one might assume, a grape variety or a feature of the vineyard's terrain, but a name that remembers the castle's former owners.

The wine's own story begins in the summer of 1979, when 25-year-old agronomist Renzo Cotarella joined the estate with a single goal: an Italian white wine capable of aging. He experimented with Chardonnay while studying Grechetto, the local native variety, and after several years of trial and error, finally succeeded with the 1985 vintage. Antinori's own materials describe that 1985 Cervaro della Sala as one of the earliest Italian wines to undergo both malolactic fermentation and barrique aging together — worth reading with the caveat that it's the producer's own account, though it was clearly a departure from convention in Italian white winemaking at the time.

Grechetto contributes the local character and personality; Chardonnay provides the backbone for aging potential. That combination is what puts Cervaro della Sala in the unusual position of being an Italian white built to be cellared, not just drunk young.

What the world says

This 2016 vintage has been rated by 3,780 people on Vivino, averaging 4.4 — exactly matching the Cervaro della Sala label overall (40,503 ratings). 5 critic scores are on file, topping out at 97 (Mar 2018), with two scores in the mid-90s and two at 93.

The flavor keywords lead decisively with oak, butter and vanilla (2,379 mentions), followed by pear and peach (1,285), and minerals and honey (1,023). Structure: acidity is high at 3.8/5, intensity 3.3, sweetness 2.4 — a profile where the weight of oak aging and bright acidity both stay in play.

"A stunningly rich and full-bodied Italian white made from Chardonnay and native Grechetto grapes. Great." — Vivino review, Jun 2024, 4.4 stars

"A beautifully balanced wine of oak, butter, citrus and honey." — Vivino review, Jun 2021, 4.5 stars

The drinking window runs 2018–2024, and I drank mine in February 2020, within that window.

How I drank it

10 February 2020, 4.5 stars. "Oak, butter, vanilla, almond. Both wine novices who mostly drink whites and wine experts alike said 'wait, what is this?' and loved it." A wine that pulled the same reaction from people who barely know white wine and people who know it well — that's the note I left. That same night I scored Domaine Bachelet Gevrey-Chambertin 2003 at 4.0 — between a red Burgundy and an Umbrian white side by side, this one came out higher.

My original note that night also included a small story about price — I'd first heard a figure that turned out to be wrong, which surprised me, and only made sense once I heard the actual price. This site's policy is to leave out domestic Korean pricing and importer details, so I won't repeat the numbers here, but the gist was that the real price felt entirely fair.

Vivino's own structure data shows acidity at 3.8/5, which is exactly what keeps this wine's dominant oak-and-butter character (2,379 mentions, by far the top group) from feeling heavy — and my own note's rundown of "oak, butter, vanilla, almond" lines up precisely with that same oak group. Set alongside the other two Antinori wines covered on this site — Solaia 2012 (5.0 from me) and Villa Antinori Rosso 2016 (4.5) — Cervaro della Sala more than holds its own as Antinori's standard-bearer on the white side.

Vivino community data

2016 vintage rating distribution (3780 ratings, average 4.4)

Most-mentioned aromas

Structure: Acidity 3.8/5 · Intensity 3.3/5 · Sweetness 2.4/5

Average by vintage (all vintages: 40503 ratings, average 4.4)

My original note (Vivino, 2020-02-10)

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Frequently asked questions

Links & sources

View on Vivino · Prices on Wine-Searcher

• Vivino — wine page and community data
• Antinori official — Castello della Sala
• Antinori official — 1985, The Year Cervaro della Sala Was Made
• This magazine — Antinori, Tenuta Tignanello 'Solaia' 2012
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