If you have ever looked into a trip to the Napa Valley you’ve probable came across pictures of Castello di Amorosa. The gorgeous 13^th century castle sits in the hills just off of CA 29 south of Calistoga. Constructed using time period correct materials it is the brainchild of fourth generation winemaker, Dario Sattui. The son of Vittorio Sattui, the founder of St. Helena Wine Cellars, begin construction on his very own winery in 1994. The castle is a whopping 136,000 square feet with 107 rooms. The winery has gorgeous landscaping surrounding the moat like water feature at the front of the property. Once inside you are able to walk around nearly the entire property making it more than just a tasting experience it is also a cultural and architectural experience. While walking around the castle you will find incredible views overlooking the vineyard and the valley floor.

The tasting took place in the wine shop bar as we took part in the Standing Reserve Tasting. This tasting offered 6 wines that could be chosen from a list of wines. While at the bar for our tasting our host wasn’t the most attentive nor was he the most informative. A few times we had to flag him down to get our next poor and once he gave us our tastings he would leave and not really discuss the wine or anything about the winery. At one point we asked what his preferences were, and he had nothing to say, we were unsure if he wasn’t a fan, if he hadn’t tried them or he was just not talkative.

Even though we were in Napa Valley where Cabernet Sauvignon is king we did branch out to try some of the Italian varietals as well. This might have been a mistake on our part as they didn’t quite live up to Italian standards in our personal opinion. We did enjoy their Cabernet Sauvignon and felt it was the best of the bunch with a nice balance throughout and notes of black fruits, cassis, nutmeg and black cherry.