The 2014 Muffato della Sala (with 30,000 500-milliliter bottles produced) is a sweet blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Grechetto, Sémillon, Traminer and Riesling. This is a precious wine that is only made when the correct humid conditions are met. It was not produced in the dry 2012 vintage, nor was it made in the scorching hot 2017 vintage. In terms of this vintage, I'm told the Grechetto had no problem getting Botrytis cinerea. The Traminer and Riesling were not affected by so-called noble rot, but the grapes were concentrated for extra sugar and flavor. This vintage is certainly thinner compared to past editions. It offers more shallow flavor intensity with aromas that are fragrant and bright, albeit less intense overall. This wine needs a few more years (maybe five) to flesh out and gain in volume.

The release timeline for this sunny dessert wine is a bit off because this 2013 vintage is hitting the market after the weaker 2014 vintage edition was released. That was a cool and wet vintage, and although the Botrytis cinerea set in easily enough, the 2014 vintage is noticeably thinner and weaker in terms of intensity. The 2013 Muffato della Sala (packaged in a 500-milliliter bottle) takes that intensity way up, thanks to the normal, or classic, weather seen in this growing season. The bouquet delivers honey, acacia flower and touches of caramel. The wine's texture is rich and beautifully enhanced by dried apricot and quince.

The 2011 Muffato della Sala (500 milliliters) is a gorgeous dessert wine that puts on quite a show. The wine opens to a luscious and boisterous bouquet with tangerine skin, candied almond, honey, perfumed tea and dried jasmine. The wine's thickness spreads lavishly over the palate without ever feeling heavy or sticky.

The 2010 Muffato della Sala (500-milliliter) is a delicious wine and one I look forward to drinking at the next opportunity. The complexity is outstanding with dried fruit, button mushroom, honey-roasted almond and Darjeeling tea leaf. The bouquet throws so many beautiful aromas at you, it's hard to know where to focus your attention. This rich dessert wine offers amazing density and soft layering with sweet fruit backed by crisp acidity. In terms of Italian dessert wines, it's hard to match this outstanding performance. The blend is Sauvignon Blanc, Grechetto, Semillon, Traminer and Riesling.

Sweet, succulent peaches, ripe pears, jasmine and light, floral honey are some of the nuances that emerge from Antinori’s 2007 Muffato della Sala. When the estate’s Muffato is firing on all cylinders it is one of Italy’s most delicious fresh, early-drinking dessert wines. That is certainly the case in 2007. Muffato della Sala is 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Grechetto, Traminer and Riesling. In 2007 the fruit was picked towards the end of October and into November. The wine spent six months in French oak barrels before it was prepared for bottling. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2015.