Antinori's Muffato della Sala

[Michael Laiskonis]

In advance of tasting this and a few vin santos in research for an upcoming Tuscan-themed wine dinner, I'm curious if anyone had any tasting notes or info to share. I know the following...

I'll be sampling the '98, though it appears the '99, if not more recent vintages, has been released. The grapes are grown entirely at the Castello della Sala property and are subjected to botrytis (I believe muffato refers to mold or rot?). The current blend is predominantly Sauvignon Blanc with Grechetto, Gewurtztraminer, and Riesling. Harvesting extends into the beginning of November. It sees six months in French oak. The first vintage released was the '87 as one of Antinori's 'experimental' wines, and the first two vintages used the same blend found in their Orvieto Classico Abboccato. Not ridiculously expensive, the 500ml wholesales in the mid $30s...

So, is there a tradition for botrytised wines from Umbria prior to this 'experiment'? Is this wine released with every vintage? Any other info or tasting notes out there? Any other interesting/quirky Tuscan sweet wines that I may not be aware of?

I'll post my impressions when I taste it this week.

[Craig Camp]

Muffa=mold in Italian. As with all Antinori wines Muffato is very well made. Here is the offical Antinori data:

Umbria - Indicazione Geografica Tipica

Vintage: 2001

Grapes: 60% Sauvignon Blanc; 40% Grechetto, Traminer (which is actually the French Gewurztraminer) and Riesling

Taste: Medium-gold color with peachy-honey aromas. A rich dessert wine that is fresh and well-balanced, with great elegance and complexity.

Muffato della Sala's grapes are grown entirely at Castello della Sala - 200 to 400 metres (656 to 1,312 feet) above sea-level - on calcareous Pliocene sedimentary soils rich in marine fossils with some clay. Early morning mists encourage the development of botrytis cinerea, the noble rot, which reduces the water content of the grapes, thereby provoking a higher concentration of sugar and aromas. The grapes from these plots are well botrytised and are generally harvested later than the normal vintage: in 2000 the Traminer and Riesling were harvested a couple of days before the Sauvignon Blanc and last to be harvested was the Grechetto at the beginning of November.

After a soft pressing, the must fermented for 20 days at a temperature not exceeding 61°F. This produced a sweet wine which was introduced in Allier and Troncais French oak barrels where it was aged for 6 months.

Alcohol: 11,50% vol.

History: Muffato della Sala is produced from botrytised grapes grown on vineyard plots whose microclimates favor noble rot; 1987 was the first vintage released. It is one of the 'experimental' wines Antinori's developed in the 1980s, and was originally produced from 50% Sauvignon Blanc with Grechetto (30%) and Drupeggio (20%), the blend that Antinori used then in its Orvieto Classico Abboccato. The grape mix was adjusted until 1989, when the current blend was decided upon. Muffato della Sala is produced in extremely limited quantities.

[Adam Balic]

I have had this a number of times and it has held up well. I was under the impression that it also had Semillion, or is this completely incorrect?

edit; I am wrong, I am thinking of another wine. However in a blind tasting I held, the della Sala ('92?) did very well against Ch. Coutet and Ch. Climens (both 1990).

Edited February 3, 2004 by Adam Balic (log)

[docsconz]

While I have never tasted this wine, in answer to your question about other Tuscan sweet wines, undoubtedly the best I have ever had from Tuscany and one of the very best i have ever had from anywhere is Avignonesi's Vin Santo. Yum.

[Brad Ballinger]

While I have never tasted this wine, in answer to your question about other Tuscan sweet wines, undoubtedly the best I have ever had from Tuscany and one of the very best i have ever had from anywhere is Avignonesi's Vin Santo. Yum.

Yep. Avignonesi Vin Santo. No brainer as the best Tuscan sticky.