A Taste of Castello di Amorosa

Castello di Amorosa is one of Napa Valley’s top “destination” wineries. What makes it unique is that it’s both an authentic 13th Century castle and a winery. The Castello (Castle in Italian) was the brainchild of Dario Sattui, a fourth generation winemaker.

Armed with his vault of medieval architectural renderings and another passionate dream, Sattui purchased a 171 acre vineyard property in Calistoga in 1993 and began construction of Castello di Amorosa Winery in 1994. Clearly, the success of V. Sattui Winery built the 121,000 square foot, 12th century style, authentic Tuscan castle winery. The Castello opened to the public in 2007(click here for complete history).

My wife and I last visited the property when we attended the annual Royal Hearts Gala – “An Elegant Evening of Opulence and Romance” this past Valentines Day. Put simply, the event exceeded our expectations. The Castello is one of the few “destination” wineries I recommend to visitor to the Napa. The tours are informative and fun, and the wines are worthy of your attention

I had a chance to sample three of their wines recently.

My tasting notes follow:

2012 Castello di Amorosa Gewürztraminer – USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley – Pale golden yellow color with billowing lychee, apricot, clove, and floral aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, dry, and viscouse with good acidity and ample pear, apricot, sweet citrus rind, honey and spice flavors. You don’t often see “hedonistic’ and Gewurztraminer in the same sentence, but that description fits this wine. Lingering satisfying finish. 14.5% alcohol (91 pts.) Retail – $25

2011 Castello di Amorosa Chardonnay – USA, California, Napa Valley
Bright yellow gold color with pleasing apple, lemon, honeysuckle and spice aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with a buttery texture that nicely balance with good acidity. It definitely exhibits an oak influence, but in moderation. It shows spiced asian pear, citrus, vanilla and almond butter flavors. Long finish. (89 pts.) Retail – $29

2009 Castello di Amorosa Cabernet Sauvignon La Castellana – USA, California, Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain – Ruby red color with inviting cassis, black cherry, cedarwood, and dried rose aromas. On the palate, it’s medium bodied and persistent with vibrant acidity, and dusty well integrated sweet tannins. It shows cassis, blackberry, and spice flavors underscored by an appealing minerality. Drinking well now, but should be even better with aging! Blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 15% Sangiovese. Aged 20 months in French Oak. 14.6% alcohol. (90 pts.) Retail – $88

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Wines provided as a samples for review. Many thanks to Castello di Amorosa and Julie Ann Kodmur

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Martin Redmond is a Financial Executive by day, and a certified wine geek with latent foodie tendencies the rest of the time. In addition to the wine lifestyle and food he enjoys family, fitness and traveling. He likes to get thoughts of wine off his mind by sharing experiences on his ENOFYLZ Wine blog, which features wine reviews, wine country travel, and wine and food pairings.

Follow me on Twitter @martindredmond for all things wine, and since I’m a wino, with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find food and wine pairings, and food related stuff! Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers!

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