Today we share one of the beautiful travel destinations in the Napa Valley. Castello di Amorosa is a must visit for anyone interested in Tuscan history. The history dates back many years with Dario Stattui, who is is the great grandson of pioneering vintner Vittorio Sattui, an Italian immigrant who founded St. Helena Wine Cellars in 1885. The Sattui family lived at the winery, even after Prohibition closed the business in 1920. Dario returned to the U.S. in 1972, with plans to re-open the family winery that had been dormant for more than 50 years. In 1975, he launched V. Sattui Winery in St. Helena. Then in 1993, and after decades of searching Dario finally found the ideal parcel — 171 acres near Calistoga where Colonel William Nash had planted one of California's first vineyards in 1846. Dario bought the property, which had acres of beautiful forest and hills, a stream and a lake, and a great Victorian home where he decided to settle. And the rest has been history.
The property is expansive and very scenic. The Castello was finally born using more than 8,000 tons of hand-chiseled local stone and nearly one million antique bricks imported from Europe to complete the construction. More than 200 containers of old materials and furnishings were shipped over from Europe to decorate the interior. The construction took 15 years and opened to the public on April 7, 2007.
Brooks Painter has served as director of winemaking since 2005 and Peter Valleno has been winemaker since 2014. The new wines have been consistently great over the past five plus years. I love the 2021 Castello di Amorosa ‘Il Rubino’ Pinot Noir (OB, 91) which is forward and juicy with good tension. Even better is the outstanding 2022 Castello di Amorosa ‘Morning Dew Ranch’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which shows some nice cellaring potential and has marvelous damp earth tones. Learn more about this beautiful winery at https://castellodiamorosa.com and here are my reviews of the outstanding new Castello di Amorosa wines.
2021 Castello di Amorosa ‘Il Rubino’ Pinot Noir- Forward and juicy, the 2021 ‘Il Rubino’ offers bright pomegranate seed and Bing cherry flavors alongside salty soils and orange peel notes. Medium bodied and delicious, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2030- 91
2021 Castello di Amorosa ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir- Wonderfully earthy, the 2021 Castello di Amorosa ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir delivers a smooth texture with layers of boysenberry and wild blackberry fruit flavors that mingle well with salty soils and shades of peat moss. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next eight years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2022 Castello di Amorosa ‘Morning Dew Ranch’ Pinot Noir- A stunning wine that is deep, concentrated and finesse-laden, the 2022 ‘Morning Dew Ranch’ comes from this cool site in the Anderson Valley. Rich coffee grounds and cola notes combine with damp soils and suggestions of wild blackberry on the palate. Full-bodied and beautifully textured, enjoy now and over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2022 Castello di Amorosa ‘Terra de Promissio’ Pinot Noir- The outstanding 2022 Castello di Amorosa ‘Terra de Promissio’ Pinot Noir-comes from this maritime influenced vineyard in the Sonoma Coast AVA. This is wonderfully salty Pinot Noir that offers cran-cola and black cherry flavors on the palate, bursting with underlying finesse and a smooth mouthfeel. Full-bodied, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2034- 93
2023 Castello di Amorosa ‘Terra de Promissio’ Pinot Noir- Really young and lithe, the 2023 Castello di Amorosa ‘Terra de Promissio’ Pinot Noir shows some serious potential from this slightly colder vintage. The freshness is outstanding as layers of teaberry and cran-orange mark the palate alongside smoky accents. Very savory and salty, from this novel part of the world, enjoy over the next ten years. Drink 2024-2034- 92
2023 Castello di Amorosa ‘Cresta D’Oro Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Cresta D’Oro Vineyard’ is set in the Green Valley as this PINot Noir utilizes clone 115, 777 and Pommard 4 clonal selections. The palate is dense and decadent with a racy minerality. Cola and pomegranate seed flavors combine with shades of Yakima cherry and copious minerals on the palate. A joy to consume even now, watch this evolve over the next twelve years. Drink 2024-2036- 94
2020 Castello di Amorosa Sangiovese- The 2020 Castello di Amorosa Sangiovese offers a smooth mouthfeel with tart red fruits that mingle well with shades of worn leather and cardamom on the palate. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2024-2029- 90
2021 Castello di Amorosa Sangiovese- A gorgeous wine from this warm vintage, the 2021 Sangiovese comes off bold and rich with refined tannins and a seamless sense of mouthfeel. Blood orange and pomegranate seed flavors combine with suggestions of dill and baking spices. Smooth and soft, enjoy now and over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2024-2032- 92
2020 Castello di Amorosa ‘Zingaro’ Zinfandel- The 2020 ‘Zingaro’ comes from old vine Zinfandel vineyards that neighbor the coast. This shows strawberry jam and red currants alongside salty soils on the palate. Drink 2024-2028- 89
2019 Castello di Amorosa ‘Quattro’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2019 ‘Quattro’ comes from four sites across the Napa Valley. This is delicious Cabernet Sauvignon that shows off black cherry and bay leaf on the palate alongside red bell pepper and espresso grounds. Medium bodied, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2034- 92
2015 Castello di Amorosa ‘Il Barone’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Powerful and dense, the 2015 Castello di Amorosa ‘Il Barone’ shows decadent cassis, anise and dark chocolate flavors alongside soft tannins and graphite undertones. Full-bodied and intense, this has at least another decade of life in the cellar. Drink 2021-2033- 92
2018 Castello di Amorosa ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon- A beautiful wine from a really good vintage, the 2018 Castello di Amorosa ‘Rutherford’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a fabulous effort from winemaker Brooks Painter. On the nose this takes on cassis and molten chocolate notes alongside espresso grounds and shades of potpourri. The palate is plush and rich, loaded with a core of black fruit flavors. Generous and delicious, enjoy now and over the next ten plus years. Drink 2024-2036- 93
2019 Castello di Amorosa ‘Diamond Mountain District’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2019 ‘Diamond Mountain District’ has a small portion Petite Verdot and Malbec blended in. Stored for two months in French oak barrels this delivers dusty soils alongside wet stone, black currants and violet rose petals on the nose. The palate is soft and elegant with a silky texture and great sense of weight and balance. A glorious effort, enjoy now and over the next fifteen years to come. Drink 2024-2039- 94