Cervaro della Salla 2022

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 How much is a wine worth?

The other day a customer has asked me for a special bottle for a birthday.

Knowing that the birthday girl is a huge fan of voluminous Chardonnays, I have decided to get a rather exclusive bottle of Cervaro della Sala as I was asked to get something more unique than what you can normally get.


Made by one of the most prestigious wine-making Italian families it is a 90% Chardonnay with 10% Grechetto, where the dominant Chardonnay is matured in oak barrels, granting it a Burgundian stylistic.

I thought this would be a perfect choice, but in the day of opening the bottle, the birthday girl has shown no big enthusiasm about it leaving a generous amount for me to drink later on with some friends.

It's good but not worth the price, she said. 

Even though this has arisen in me considerable uncertainties about my choice they were not as extreme as when trying the wine later on with a friend of mine who has a very sensitive and accurate palate. He said the bitterness on it did not please him too much.

Having tasted it blind, this left me even more insecure as there was no other elements conditioning his evaluation.  When the bottle was revealed, he commented that it was too expensive for what it was.

Again the same comment, making me wonder why  is it that Cervaro retails for around 70€ per bottle.

The reason can be offered in a very simplistic way: offer and demand. 

Being Antinori a truly iconic winery there is a worldwide demand for its wines, raising a speculation about the price of its bottles.

Having tried it now for the third time, I really appreciated its freshness and herbaceous notes, surprising me how a considerably warm region such as Umbria can deliver such finesse. It is quite a delicate balance between body and fruit which makes it a really balanced wine which, by any means, goes into big flavour explosions as some might expect from such a renown winery.

I found it really fascinating and would not mind tasting it again some time soon.

Still, the major question remains: is it worth the money?

When customers ask me about the general price of wines, I always offer them a comparison with Hamburg's real estate market. It is hard to get an apartment, it is often overpriced for what you get quality wise, but it is somehow a price that you have to pay to live in one of the most exciting cities in Germany where you can experience a wide palette of activities in a safe environment. 

  


17/20
Country: Italy
Region: Toscana
Grapes: Chardonnay; Grechetto
13%
Winemaker:  Renzo Cotarella

Website: https://www.antinori.it/en/vino/cervaro-della-sala-en/

 

Location: 47665 Sonsbeck-Hamb, Germany

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