In Umbria, not far from the border with Tuscany, at about 18 kilometers from the historical city of Orvieto rises Castello della Sala, an imposing manor of medieval times, whose lands extend for 500 hectares, of which 170 hectares are planted with vineyards, halfway between the Paglia river and the peak of Monte Nibbio.
The 170 hectares of vineyards, cultivated with traditional grape varieties such as Procanico and Grechetto, as well as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sèmillon, Pinot Blanc, Viognier and a small percentage of Traminer and Riesling, are located at an altitude of 220 - 470 meters above sea level.
Castello della Sala is an area highly suited for the production of white wines with just one exception: Pinot noir finds in this terroir the ideal conditions to express itself at its best. The area is characterized by a clayey and calcareous soil, rich in fossil shells, with vineyards well exposed to the rising of sun and with excellent thermal excursions.
In the spring of 1979, at the age of 25, agronomist Renzo Cotarella arrived at Castello della Sala.
They immediately started working on an ambitious project: to create a white wine capable of expressing itself during the years and to evolve over time.
Chardonnay is experimented and knowledge about the interesting Grechetto is deepened, capable of giving typicality and territoriality.
The search for a great wine that stands out for its character and personality becomes almost an obsession.
After a series of disappointing vintages, it was the 1985 vintage which gave the first true Cervaro della Sala: one of the first Italian wines to undergo malolactic fermentation and ageing in barriques.
The modern conception of the vinification cellar, conceived to exalt the freshness and aromas of grapes and to guarantee an uncompromising quality, lives in harmony with the historical aging cellar, dated back to the sixteenth century and located under the ancient stronghold of Castello della Sala.
Part of the Cervaro della Sala and Pinot Nero della Sala still rest in French oak barriques, protected by the thick walls of the fortress, which are capable of maintaining a naturally constant temperature and humidity.