Wine Dine and Play: Castello di Amorosa

La Castellana, A Super Tuscan In Cab Country

Calistoga, Napa Valley, California

Wine Style: New World

Average Price: $$$

Overall Rating: 94 points

Article Written in September 2013

Article Updated: April 2019

By Sean Overpeck (CFE)

**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for

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Castle Owner:

Dario Sattui

Raise the drawbridge; bring in the goats, cows, and some of the peasant workers, the enemy is attacking. Thank god, I am not a writer of medieval fantasy, because an opening line of a book like that would have me in the unemployment line instead of the bestsellers list. When you visit the wine country in California, the last thing that you think about seeing is a castle. Now if I was in France heading to Bordeaux or in Italy going to Chianti, then yes, I would stop by and visit a castle or two. While I was in Napa, I ran across an article in a local magazine that advertised a winery with a castle, so I made some time to visit, and discovered some great wine, Italian style in heart of Napa, Cabernet country, and a fun tour of a reconstructed medieval castle on a block of land called Castello di Amorosa. This review and ratings will cover three of Castello di Amorosa wines; The Don Thomas, and Il Barone Cabernet’s, and the La Castellana Super Tuscan Blend.

Twenty-five years ago, Dario Sattui purchased the property where Castello di Amorosa now stands. It sits on one hundred-seventy acre of forest and hills with a stream, a lake, and of course the castle that he built. At first, he did not intend to start another winery as he already owned V.Sattui. In early 1994, he replanted thirty acres of vineyard on the property with Sangiovese, Cabernet, and Merlot, and began drawing plans for the winery building. The initial intent was to build an 8,500 square-foot building without cellars. Gradually it morphed into 121,000 square feet with 107 rooms, four separate levels underground, and four levels above and went through all of his money.

Walking up to the castle at the Castello di Amorosa winery in Calistoga, California

Castello di Amorosa / The Castle

It was my last day in Napa, and like I said earlier, I spotted the advertisement for Castello di Amorosa in a magazine and stopped by the vineyard after visiting the “Old Faithful” Geyser, one of three in the world with that name, the most famous being at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. The property to Castello di Amorosa was beautiful, tucked away right off of Highway 29, passing through the entrance, then up a slight hill leading towards a forest. The road on both sides was covered with grape vines, some trimmed, and others being allowed to grow out and sag down to the ground. Next to the edge of the forest was the castle itself. Built in the 1990s, it was a recreation of an Italian Medieval castle with a mote, chapel, catacombs, courtyard, and guard towers. It started as a tourist trap since all I wanted to do was taste some wine, but since the tasting room was in the catacombs, you had to buy tickets for the castle to get there. So like it or not, I bought the ticket and since I paid for it, I walked the castle before doing the taste. Considering I had been to several castles in England, France, and Germany, this one did not really impress. But most Americans don’t leave their home country, so having a castle brought to them saves money from them traveling to Europe. In the end, it was a fun experience.

The catacomb wine cellar was massive, with a large square bar in the center where people gathered around for the wine tastings. Around the rest of the room were tables selling odds and ends from souvenirs of the castle to items from all of Napa and Sonoma in general. The room was extremely crowded, mainly filled with foreigners from China and other nations in the Far East. This was the first winery I went to while in Napa where I saw more tourists then I did wine enthusiasts. Once I got to the bar and had enough room to not squeeze in between people, I began the tasting. The bartender, an Italian man presented me with a tasting card and asked if I could score the wines being tasted. The Flight that I had paid for which came with the castle tour was the basic flight and consisted of the more common wines from the vineyards such as their Kings pinot noir, Zingaro, and Il Brigante. Next to use was a couple who were trying the signature flight which came with the tastings of their reserve wines, so I went ahead and did that tasting, hoping that those wines would be better than the ones I just had. Don’t get me wrong, they were okay, but nothing that screamed at me to say buy, or join the wine club. With the signature tasting, I had their Cabernet Don Thomas, La Castellana, and the best of the group, the IL Barone.

A tasting of the IL Barone wine at the Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga, California

Castello di Amorosa / IL Barone Cabernet

It was like night and day. Most of the tourist that came to the castle received the basic flight of wines that came with the entrance fee to the castle. They would taste the wines, buy a bottle or two, maybe join the basic wine club, and be on their way. After trying these reserves, I could see that these wines matched some of the better vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, and were on point with several Piemonte wines. I purchased a case of these finer wines and joined the club to receive these wines called the Friends of the Baron IL Ducale club. Now that I have seen the winery, I don’t feel a need to return, and since I am a member of their wine club, I can get their better selections shipped to me. Now if I’m back in Napa in the future, and they are having a little party on the property where wine club members are invited, then yes I’ll attend.

The regular flights of wines, which included the pinot noir and Zingaro, were very basic wines to my palette and didn’t strike me as anything to write home about. My comparison to these wines would be the same as drinking a Kendall Jackson product. But the reserve wines took me back to strong full-bodied Italian wines. The La Castellana reminded me of the super Tuscan Sassicaia, and the Il Barone reminded me of strong Sonoma Cab like Kamen. I will enjoy drinking these reserve wines for years to come.

Wine and Grape:	Nose (Bouquet):	Palate Experience:
La Castellana 2008 Super Tuscan	Winemaker Notes: A purple-tinged wine with concentrated black fruit aromas - blackberry, black raspberry, and black cherry, with a creamy, rich, toasty oak bouquet. 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 14% Sangiovese	Winemaker Notes: The flavors are dense, with plum, sweet cherries, black currants, earth, and spice in the mouth. Medium to full-bodied, the texture is velvety, with silky tannins that are very supple on the palate. The rich structure and flavor of the wine is complemented by a lively acidity for excellent food pairing, and worthy of cellaring for up to 8-10 years.
Il Barone 2007 Cabernet	Winemaker Notes: Boasts an opaque purple color as well as a beautifully sweet nose of blackberries, black currants, camphor, subtle toasty oak, and espresso roast. 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot	Winemaker Notes: Rich and full-bodied with sweet tannin, a hint of smoked meats, deep fruit, and an impeccable balance, purity, and texture. The palate is rich and well structured, with just enough acidity to keep the lingering finish fresh and clean.

Cases Produced:

Per Year:

Il Barone 2007	1294
La Castellana 2008	1634
Don Thomas Cab	481

Final notes, review basics, and observations:

*** NOTE TO THE READER ***

Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about.

To see more details of this rating list, read this article:

What Is A Restaurant Review, And Am I Any Different?

I refer to myself as an oenophile though, oenophilia is defined as “a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation.” In a general sense, oenophilia also refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by a layman — which I am, and not qualified as a professional. I just enjoy drinking it, so my rating is based on enjoyment and the overall experience, not the science of an expert, and thus subjective, not objective. See the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ on how I arrived at the rating percentage below:

Overall Star Rating For WINERY NAME:	89/100: An Above Average Experience
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate	94/100
Wines Produced	Red: Merit age, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera, Super Tuscan, Merlot White: Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Gewürztraminer, White Blend, Rose Dessert: Moscat, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Semillon Other: Assorted Grapeseed oils and vinegar, Muscat Grape Juice
Grape Blends	Red: Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese (Super Tuscan)
Barrel Types and Aging	French oak, for 20-21 months

Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach

United States:

American Viticultural Area

California:

1. Napa Valley AVA

Sub-Napa AVA’s:

Calistoga AVA

Other Calistoga AVA wines, wineries (Château’s), or food articles on Wine Dine and Play:

Chateau Montelena The famed Bottle Shock “Judgement of Paris” winner in Calistoga, California

Greystone Restaurant Italian CIA School restaurant in Calistoga, California (Now Gatehouse Restaurant)

Twomey Wine Tasting Napa and Sonoma wines owned by Silver Oak, Calistoga, Napa California

See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”

A Few New World Favorites:

New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and the Middle East, in particular from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, United States (California, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State + others), and Uruguay.

Archery Summit Winery Côte d’Or in the Willamette in Dayton, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Eagles Nest Exceptional Shiraz and eagle sanctuary in Constantia, South Africa

Emmolo Wine Tasting A merlot comparable to no other in Rutherford, California

Erath Vineyards Pioneers in Oregon Pinot in Dundee, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Hoopes Winery Tasting Cult cabernet winemaker with Liparita and Hoopes labels in Oakville, California

Meerlust Winery This Rubicon blend tasting and heritage since 1756, in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Napa Wine Company A wine tasting Bar representing cult Napa classics in Oakville, California

Pillitteri Winery Noted ice-wines in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Red Mare Wine Tasting Handcrafted and micro sourced appellations in Napa, California

Sula Vineyards An Indian Sauvignon blanc tasting from Nashik, Maharashtra, India

Switzer Family Wines A Cult Cabernet producer and famed football coach in Oakville, California

Volker Eisele Wine Tasting An elegant family estate in the Chiles Valley district of St Helena,

Yering Station Victoria’s first vineyard from 1838 in Yarra Glen, Yarra Valley, Australia

Some Old World Favorites:

Old World wine refers primarily to wine made in Europe but can also include other regions of the Mediterranean basin with long histories of winemaking such as North Africa and the Near East. These countries include Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, and Turkey.

Boas Quintas Wine One winemaker, various regions and wines, in Giesta Dão, Mortágua, Portugal

Bordeaux - A Sip and Taste Wine tours and restaurants in Bordeaux, France

Café Cocó A chocolate and Champagne bar by the Rothschild family at the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam

Cape Chamonix WineryA beautiful Troika blend and others, in Franschhoek, South Africa

Cave Dubai A French-style wine bar at the Conrad Hotel, Downtown Dubai, UAE

Château Mont-Redon A Châteauneuf-du-Pape producer in the Côtes du Rhône, France

Château Prieuré-Lichine Quatrieme cru tasting in Margaux AOC, Bordeaux, France

Château Toinet Fombrauge In Saint-Christophe-de-Bardes, Bordeaux, France

Domaine Hubart Brouchard Wines Sancerre wines in the Loire Valley, France

Domaine William Fevre A Grand Cru producer in the Burgundy-Chablis region, France

Jordan River Wines The Haddad Family Vineyards, and a 2000 year history of wine, Amman, Jordan

Pierre LaForest Les Montespierres Tasting in a cave, Cote d'Or, Vougeot, Burgundy, France

The Bourgogne Tasting A tasting of the Vougeot AOC, caves, and the Hospices de Beaune tour

See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”

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Bottle Prices

(excluding taxes)

$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)

$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)

$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)

$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)

$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)

**Currencies reflect the world’s major wine countries and connoisseur’s**

Cost of wine tasting (p/p):

Signature Flight:	$20.00
Premier flight:	$35.00
Vineyard Tasting	$60.00

Currency rates in the top wine producing & wine purchasing countries:	Price Chart :
La Castellana (750 ml)
United States Dollar (USD)	$$$
Australian Dollar (AUS)	$$$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	££
Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$
Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥
European Union (EUR)	€€
New Zealand Dollar (NZD)	$$$
South African Rand (ZAR)	RRRRR
Il Barone (750 ml)
United States Dollar (USD)	$$$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£££
European Union (EUR)	€€€
Don Thomas Cabernet (750 ml)
United States Dollar (USD)	$$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	££
European Union (EUR)	€€
Zingaro (750 ml)
United States Dollar (USD)	$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£
European Union (EUR)	€
Kings Pinot Noir (750 ml)
United States Dollar (USD)	$$
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	££
European Union (EUR)	€€

Wine Clubs At Castello di Amorosa

As an "Amici del Barone" - Friend of the Baron - Wine Club Member, we invite you to share our hand-crafted Italian style wines with your friends and family to toast a special occasion or just enjoy for sipping after a fine day of jousting! We have several wine clubs from which you may choose; each one a different offering to suit your taste.

Il Ducale

• Offers our Red Wines

• Ships 3 Bottles 4 times per year

• March, June, October, December