Old World Meets New: The Magic of Castello di Amorosa
If you’ve ever been to a wine tasting, you might have picked up on the concept of “old world” versus “new world.” It’s one of the first things sommeliers, and wine enthusiasts like us, discern about a wine when trying it. The old world is just that—old and rich in history! We think of places like Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
The new world is comprised of places that, relatively speaking, are younger players on the scene. New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, and the United States come to mind. Our beloved home state of California is arguably one of the most renowned players in the new world, and it’s where we’re blessed to do most of our wine exploration.
Winemakers in the new world take as many approaches to vinication as there are varietals. Some borrow methods from the old world, looking for ways to best recreate classic expressions of noble grapes in new terroir. Others embrace the “new” through innovation and breaking the norm, seeking to bring change to an industry strongly rooted in tradition. Castello di Amorosa represents a truly unique marriage of old with new—and we got a front row seat to this one-of-a-kind winery.
Castello Di Amorosa – The History
When we arrived at Castello di Amorosa, Italian for “castle of love,” we were indeed transported to another place and time. Entranced with the romance of the sprawling vineyards, the dewy chill of the underground wine cellars, and the smooth oak of the French oak barrels, we wondered if we were still in California.
Vittorio Sattui and his wife Katerina immigrated from the Italian hillside town of Carsi to California in 1882. They made their home in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, still known today as the “little Italy” of the Bay Area. Vittorio and Katerina began procuring wine grapes from St. Helena in California’s Napa Valley, and founded St. Helena Wine Cellars in San Francisco in 1885. The family business was a great success until Prohibition took effect in 1920, when they were forced to shut their doors.
Dario Sattui, Vittorio’s great-grandson, grew up immersed in the story of his family’s once successful winery. As a child he played in his great-grandfather’s wine cellars and was always entranced by stories of the business that once thrived there. After college, Dario traveled around Europe and became enamored with the medieval architecture he found there. He came back to California in 1972 on a mission to bring his family’s winery back to life, and that he did.
The Castle
Napa Valley locals refer to Castello di Amorosa simply as “the castle.” The winery’s stunning focal point is an authentic 121,000 square foot 13th century medieval Tuscan castle, with four levels aboveground and four cellar levels below. Dario couldn’t get enough of the medieval architecture he’d spent countless hours exploring in Europe during his travels, so he decided to bring a piece of the history back to California.
Everything about the building is true to medieval architecture. The stones were imported from Europe, and the construction was done using old-school methods to ensure authenticity. The castle has a moat and drawbridge, as well as a prison and torture chamber (just for the history!) underground. It really is a breathtaking step way back in time, and unlike any other structure here in the United States.
The Wine
On our visit to Castello di Amorosa, we were given a private tour with Vice President of Marketing Jim Sullivan. We connected with Jim on many levels, sharing our love of wine, passion for riding bikes, and obsession with California and the outdoors. We swapped date night ideas, and laughed about the fact that Jim and Ashley were both wearing the same shoes! It turns out that “grape” minds do think alike…
Jim led us to the reserve tasting room for wine club members and walked us through Castello di Amorosa’s finest offerings. He selected some of his favorite wines, and let us try others that piqued our interest as well.
The Whites
We began with Jim’s favorite of Castello’s white wine offerings. The 2018 Bien Nacido Chardonnay is made with grapes grown on the Bien Nacido Vineyard of California’s Central Coast in the Santa Maria Valley. The area is famous for its iterations of classic Burgundian varietals (chardonnay and pinot noir), and is actually where the movie Sideways was filmed!
We loved the fruit-forward palate of Meyer lemon and baked apple, balanced by great acidity and just a hint of oak. In the wine world we often hear about big reds, but this is a big white. It packs a punch without overpowering, and is buttery and rich without too much of the vanilla and spice often found in California chardonnays. We’d love this with chicken or pork, or even as an accompaniment to buttery fish like halibut. We brought a bottle of it home with us, and can’t wait to pair this with our next dinner in.
Next up was the 2019 Gewürztraminer Dry. Gewürztraminer literally translates to “spicy grape of Tramin,” and this wine lives up to it. This white is dry but at the same time tropical, it has floral aromatics and just a touch of funk on the finish.
This gorgeous white was our favorite of the whites we tried at the castle, and actually our favorite gewürztraminer of all time! It’s begging to be the star of any holiday dinner, or as a beautiful pairing with Thai food. It’s a new must-have for us in our collection. We took a bottle of this home as well!
The Pinot Noirs
Next we moved to the pinot noirs. The 2018 Il Rubino Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown in the North Coast AVA (American Viticulture Area). Fruity and complex, this pinot comes with a bit more heft on the palate than one usually expects to find in a California pinot noir. We’d enjoy this pinot noir with a charcuterie board or grilled summer vegetables. It’s a lovely option for entertaining, with the characteristics pinot noir drinkers crave paired with the boldness someone who typically goes for a cabernet seeks in a red.
Second of the pinot noirs, the 2018 Cresta D’Oro Vineyard Pinot Noir, won Double Gold at the 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This pinot is truly up our alley. We found it to be light in body with beautiful red fruit balanced by elegant earthy notes of mushroom and forest floor. This refined and complex pinot would pair perfectly with a wild mushroom risotto or roasted chicken with root vegetables—a delicious wine to bring to any dinner table.
The Big Reds
Moving on to heartier wines, we tasted the limited-release 2017 Sinalunga Cabernet. This wine is a favorite of Dario Sattui himself—he considers it an embodiment of the castle he built and the business he brought back to life. It’s named after a region in Italy with Sattui’s favorite architecture, where a monastery he visited inspired him to build his structure here.
We found it to be fleshy and robust, with notes of black fruit and forest floor held up by bold tannins. It’s easy to see why this cabernet is rated in the top 1% of wines in the world by Vivino! People can’t get enough of this rare, complex red and it’s truly an experience with every sip. Grilled ribeye or wild boar would be gorgeously enhanced by this cabernet.
For the last three wines of our tasting, Jim paired chocolates from Napa Valley chocolatier Le Belge alongside each glass. The 2015 La Castellana, translating to “lady of the castle,” is a voluptuous super Tuscan blend. Super Tuscans came about when Tuscan winemakers sought recognition for blends outside of the traditional requirements for making reds in their region. The relatively new category in winemaking brings French grapes into the mix, where traditional Tuscan reds are typically 100% sangiovese.
The varietals in this blend are those of a classic Bordeaux—cabernet sauvignon and merlot—with 15% sangiovese. We found a superb balance of silkiness and power, with dark fruit alongside sweet raisins and warm spice. It holds great body, and went perfectly with the milk chocolate truffle we enjoyed it with. Surprise, surprise—we took a bottle of this home to save for a special occasion, keeping its strong potential for aging in mind.
Our next red was the 2016 Il Barone Cabernet Sauvignon. This cabernet has a 94 point rating, and is dark, broody and intense. Dark berries, sweet earth and powerhouse tannins make this a wine ready to enjoy now but even better to age over time. It’s bold and dashing, with a bit of swagger, and stood up really well with the dark chocolate truffle we tasted with it.
We’d love this wine with cured meats or a cheese board—we imagined a creamy gorgonzola or sharp, aged robiola to be a perfect accompaniment.
The Finale – La Fantasia
The 2019 La Fantasia Frizzante-Style Rosé was our final taste. This Italian-style soft sparkling wine was a delightful surprise. We don’t usually go for sweet wines, but we found this wine to be balanced and bright enough to change our minds. Jim served the rosé with a raspberry and dark chocolate truffle, and we were delighted with the pairing.
With bright red berries and ripe juicy plum on the palate and a crisp, refreshing finish, this wine is the perfect accompaniment to a scoop of vanilla gelato on a hot summer night. We love it for people who enjoy sweet wines but are looking for a bit more elegance and finesse. It’s a definite crowd-pleaser and might even change the minds of people who have sworn off sweet wines (hint: us)! That’s what we love about tasting wines—you never know what might surprise you. An open mind is all that’s required to have a new experience. This rosé is a welcome addition to our collection!
Castello di Amorosa – Grapes for Everyone
Castello di Amorosa has wonderful options for everyone. Their grape juices, made from the same grapes used to create their wine, are a sophisticated option for those looking for non-alcoholic sippers. We can’t wait to try the gewürztraminer grape juice, made with the same award-winning grapes as the white wine we so enjoyed.
We love this option to have on-hand for entertaining. Everyone should partake in the beauty of wine grapes! These sweet juices are perfect for a mocktail, mixed with seltzer and fresh fruit or herbs and a splash of lemon bitters. We imagine a baby shower or holiday dinner to be a great occasion to try these out. We have a set of them on order and can’t wait to play with them.
Visiting Castello di Amorosa
The castle’s wines are available for purchase onsite or for delivery through their online store. Their wine club offers complimentary tastings and discounts on guided tours for its members, as well as discounts on wine club shipments, access to the members only Il Passito Club Room, and invitations to wine club parties and special events at the castle.
An outing to Castello di Amorosa is an incredible escape from the day-to-day, and their wines are just as magical as their estate. We’ll be back, and Castello di Amorosa has earned a permanent shelf in our wine collection.
Book your own tasting at Castello di Amorosa and experience the magic!
Explore the wine club and become a “friend of the baron!”
Shop their online store to have Castello’s wine brought right to your door.
Reach out and learn more about Castello di Amorosa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Have you been to the castle?