Muffato della Sala 2020

The sweet wine Muffato della Sala belongs to the category of botrytized wines, that is produced from grapes that have been transformed by an attack of the so-called “noble rot”. It was produced for the first time with the 1987 harvest and was the first great successful Italian noble-rot wine, still today it is one of the main botrytized wines made in Italy. The production area is that of Orvieto, where Castello della Sala boasts 165 hectares of vineyards and 20 today are dedicated to the production of Muffato. The vineyards extend between 200 and 450 meters above sea level on clayey soils rich in marine fossils. "Noble rot" occurs when the climatic conditions favor a slowed attack of mold, or rather the humidity of the morning mists invites the mold to attack the grapes, but sunny days interrupt this process. Instead of rotting, the berries are transformed, the water evaporates and they are enriched with glycerin and characteristic flavor compounds. The most famous botrityzed wines in the world are those of Sauternes, Tokaj, Rhine and Moselle. Antinori, owner of Castello della Sala, has shown that even in Italy there are areas where wines of this type can be created. The charm of botrytized wines is their balanced sweetness, great roundness and at the same time freshness. They have original aromas of saffron, candied fruit, iodine. They are preferably paired with blue cheeses or foie gras.

The harvest is done in several steps between the end of October and the beginning of November to collect the grapes each time with the right level of attachment of Botrytis (the "noble rot"). The best bunches are selected and pressed. The free-run must ferments in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature for about 18 days, without running out of sugars. The sweet wine is then aged in French oak barriques for 6 months and for two more years it ages in steel vats before being bottled, in order to develop its perfume to the maximum.