Umbria IGT

Pinot Noir

After a soft destemming and pressing, the must went into small, conical, stainless steel fermenters where it was given a cold three day maceration on its skins and then fermented for a week. The fermentation took place at temperatures of 79° Fahrenheit (26° centigrade) and finished in small French  oak barrels, where it also went through a complete malolactic fermentation. The barrel aging period continued for ten months, and the wine was then bottled. It was marketed only after a period of bottle aging in the historic Castello della Sala cellars

The ten acres (four hectares) of Pinot Noir grapes at the Castello della Sala estate are situated at an altitude of over 1300 feet (400 meters) above sea level on calcareous soils rich in marine fossils which alternate with strata of sedimentary sands from the Pliocene epoch. The wine was first produced in 1990. Castello della Sala is a fortress erected in the 14th century located approximately ten miles (18 kilometers) from the city of Orvieto and was acquired by the Antinori family in 1940.

A ruby red in color typical of its grape variety, the wine offers floral notes along with aromas of red currants and strawberries.
The palate is elegant and of much finesse with soft and silky tannins which, however, do not cover the perceptibly mineral character which assists the length and persistence of the finish and aftertaste.