Antinori - Castello della Sala : Muffato della Sala 2022

Characteristics and tasting advice for the Muffato della Sala 2022 from Antinori - Castello della Sala

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a brilliant and intense golden-yellow hue.

Nose

The bouquet reveals remarkable complexity and elegance. It opens with generous aromas of ripe tropical fruits, notably pineapple, mango, and papaya. These exotic notes are accompanied by nuances of stone fruits such as dried apricot, yellow peach, and candied citron zest. Floral touches of chamomile, saffron, and fresh ginger add further aromatic dimension. Subtle notes of honey, caramel, and butter enrich the whole, creating a sophisticated and multi-layered nose.

Palate

On the palate, the Muffato della Sala 2022 expresses a remarkable balance between concentrated sweetness and vibrant acidity. The texture is ample and dense, reflecting the concentrated nature of the botrytized grapes. The pronounced sweetness is constantly counterbalanced by lively freshness that preserves the wine’s vibrancy. The tasting successively reveals flavors of tropical fruits, stone fruits, followed by mineral and saline qualities inherited from soils rich in marine fossils. The finish is particularly persistent and harmonious, with notes of honey, citrus marmalade, dried apricots, and candied fruits that linger long on the palate.

Food and wine pairings

This dessert wine pairs perfectly with desserts made with dried fruits, notably panettone and pandoro. It also accompanies pastries made with honey, jams, and candied fruits with elegance. For bolder pairings, it matches remarkably well with blue-veined cheeses such as gorgonzola, where its acidity balances the richness of the cheese while its honeyed notes create harmonious complementarity. It can also elevate dishes featuring foie gras or preparations combining citrus fruits and passion fruit.

Service and cellaring

The Muffato della Sala 2022 is ideally enjoyed at a temperature between 10 and 12°C, allowing its aromatic expression to be preserved while maintaining its balanced character.

An exceptional dessert wine from central Umbria

The estate

Officially founded in 1385 when Giovanni di Piero Antinori joined the Florentine winemakers’ guild, the Marchesi Antinori House represents one of the oldest wine dynasties in the world, with twenty-six generations of uninterrupted family ownership. Castello della Sala, acquired in 1940 by Niccolò Antinori, is the Umbrian jewel of the family. Located eighteen kilometers from Orvieto, the estate covers 600 hectares, including 229 hectares of vineyards. Today, the property is run by the three daughters of Piero Antinori — Albiera, Allegra, and Alessia — representing the twenty-sixth generation, alongside Renzo Cotarella, CEO and chief winemaker since 1979. The estate is renowned for its exceptional white wines crafted with respect for the environment and the expression of the terroir.

The vineyard

The vines of Muffato della Sala are grown on the hillsides of Castello della Sala in Umbria, at altitudes ranging from 220 to 470 meters. The soils, mainly clay-limestone, are distinguished by their richness in marine fossils and shells, evidence of the region’s geological past. This composition gives the wines a distinctive minerality and remarkable saline qualities. The Mediterranean climate, influenced by continental elements at higher elevations, is characterized by sunny days followed by cool nights, with diurnal temperature variations that can reach twelve degrees Celsius. During October and November, frequent morning mists create the ideal conditions for the development of botrytis cinerea, the noble rot essential to the production of this Italian wine.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage in Umbria began with a relatively warm and dry winter and spring, with a particularly arid June marked by several heat spikes. Despite these conditions, the vines did not suffer from water stress thanks to underground water reserves and the retention capacity of the clay soils. Welcome rainfall at the beginning of August helped rebalance the situation and restore vine vigor. The arrival of October and November brought the essential morning mists, creating the humid environment necessary for the gradual development of noble rot on the berries. These conditions allowed optimal sugar concentration and intensified the aromatic complexity of the grapes.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest of Muffato della Sala 2022 took place from late October to late November, with successive passes through the vineyards to select only the clusters that had reached the optimal level of botrytis infection. Harvesting began with traminer at the end of October, continued in November with riesling, sauvignon blanc, and sémillon, and concluded at the end of November with grechetto. After rigorous sorting, the grapes were gently pressed without destemming. The must fermented at a controlled temperature of around seventeen degrees Celsius for approximately eighteen days, before fermentation was stopped to preserve the natural sweetness. The wine was then transferred to 228‑liter French oak barrels from the forests of Allier and Tronçais for aging of around six months. Additional maturation in stainless steel tanks for approximately two years followed, allowing stabilization and harmonious integration of all components before bottling.

Grape varieties

Sauvignon blanc, grechetto, traminer, sémillon, riesling