Antinori - Castello della Sala : Pinot Nero 2022

Tasting notes and serving recommendations for Antinori - Castello della Sala’s Pinot Nero 2022

Tasting

Appearance

The wine displays a brilliant garnet-red color with subtle highlights.

Nose

The nose reveals delicate aromas of violet and rose, accompanied by notes of small red berries such as redcurrant and wild strawberry. Spicy hints of pink pepper and coriander complete this refined bouquet.

Palate

On the palate, the wine is intense and flavorful, with silky, refined tannins. The whole is remarkably balanced and leads to a long, persistent finish.

Food and wine pairings

This pinot nero pairs perfectly with mushroom-based dishes, roasted poultry, grilled salmon, or roast pork. It also goes very well with roasted Mediterranean vegetables and truffle risottos.

Serving and cellaring

The Pinot Nero 2022 can be enjoyed now but also has excellent aging potential. It is recommended to serve it at a temperature of 14 to 16°C. Decanting one to two hours before serving will allow the wine to fully express its aromatic complexity.

An elegant and refined pinot nero from Umbria

The estate

Acquired in 1940 by Marchese Niccolò Antinori, Castello della Sala is a historic estate of the Antinori family, whose commitment to viticulture dates back to 1385. Located in Umbria, about eighteen kilometers from Orvieto, the estate covers 600 hectares, including 229 hectares of vineyards. Now managed by the three sisters Albiera, Allegra and Alessia Antinori, representing the twenty-sixth generation, the property benefits from the expertise of Renzo Cotarella, chief executive officer and chief winemaker since 1979. The castle itself was built in 1350 by Angelo Monaldeschi della Vipera and stands as a remarkable testament to the region’s medieval heritage.

The vineyard

The pinot nero vines cover about four hectares located at more than 400 meters above sea level on the estate’s highest plots. The clay-limestone soils are notably enriched with fossil shells and sedimentary deposits dating back to the Pliocene era. The continental-Mediterranean climate provides excellent temperature variations between day and night, helping preserve acidity while allowing optimal grape ripening. To protect the clusters from excessive sun exposure, an innovative technique consists of folding the shoots over the canopy so that the foliage provides shade for the fruit.

The vintage

The 2022 vintage in the Umbria appellation began with a warm, dry winter and spring, with repeated heat peaks in June. The estate’s specific pedoclimatic conditions, particularly the water-retention capacity of the fossil-rich limestone soils, allowed the vines to avoid water stress. Welcome rainfall in early August encouraged optimal ripening, followed by dry weather until harvest. The harvest took place during the first week of September under magnificent conditions, allowing grapes of excellent freshness and an outstanding aromatic profile to be picked.

Winemaking and aging

After manual harvesting, the Pinot Nero 2022 grapes are destemmed and gently crushed before being transferred into small truncated-cone stainless steel vats. A cold maceration of about three days precedes alcoholic fermentation, carried out at a controlled temperature of around 26°C for approximately one week. This Italian wine is then transferred into 228‑liter French oak barrels where alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation are completed. Aging continues for several months in barrels before bottling and additional maturation in the historic sixteenth-century cellars located beneath the castle.

Grape variety

100% pinot nero