92 pts, Eric Guido, Vinous, July 2023. Rich and savory in the glass, the 2022 Bramito della Sala slowly opens to show hints f young peach and apricot, crushed rocks and hints of cardamon. This is silky yet lifted in feel with ripe white pit fruits complemented by hints of vailla bean and lemon custard. The 2022 finishes with admirable length and potency, as a bump of residual acidity maintains a lovely freshness. Bramito della Sala remains one of the best values in Italian Chardonnay.
Antinori Castello della Sala: Bramito del Cervo 2021. Bramito della Sala is produced from the vineyards surrounding the medieval castle at Castello della Sala. One variety that thrives in this terroir is Chardonnay. The vineyards are on soils rich in fossil deposits with veins of clay that give the wine minerality and elegance. Bramito della Sala’s first vintage was 1994.
Bramìto della Sala is bright yellow in color with green hues. Notes of pineapples and crisp Golden apples dominate the nose accompanied by sweet sensations of vanilla. Sapid and mineral in character, the palate has good structure and is sustained by excellent freshness.
Castello della Sala is located in the Umbria region, not far from the Tuscan border, about 18 kilometers from the historic city of Orvieto. The Medieval castle's property extends over an area of 600 hectares (1482 acres), 200 hectares (494 acres) are planted with vineyards at an altitude that varies between 220 and 470 meters above sea level (722/1541 feet) on the gently rolling hillsides that characterizes the beautiful countryside in this area. Castello della Sala is the perfect place for growing white varieties. The vines grow in clay and calcareous based soils, rich in fossil shells, and they are well exposed to the rising of the sun with an excellent difference of temperature between day and night. The one exception to the rule is Pinot Noir.
The 2021 growing season began with cold winter conditions followed by fairly typical spring weather. At the beginning of April, when bud break was already well underway, a sudden drop in temperatures caused a significant reduction in yields but did not have any adverse effects on the potential for the highest quality fruit. Consequently, vine development was delayed by about two weeks. May saw cool temperatures and limited rainfall. The summer months brought sunny skies and beneficial temperature swings between day and night allowing the vines to catch up to a normal pace and guaranteed an optimal ripening phase. Beautiful weather starting in August provided perfect conditions for vineyard crews to carefully select the best quality grapes at just the right time to obtain the finest varietal expression. The 2021 harvest, exceptional in quality but with limited yields, began the third week of August.
Grapes were brought to the cellar, destemmed and gently crushed. The must and the skins were chilled to a temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) for a short period of maceration, approximately 2-4 hours, in order to enhance flavors and extract the grape variety’s aromatic profile. After clarification in stainless steel vats, the different lots were handled separately, some went into oak and some into stainless steel vats where alcoholic fermentation occurred at a controlled temperature of 16-18 °C (61-64 °F); only the oak fermented lots underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine was then blended and bottled.
