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Castello di Amorosa 2008 La Castellana Red (Napa Valley)
Made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with a splash of Sangiovese, this super Tuscan-style blend is powerful in every respect. It shows massively concentrated blackberry and crème de cassis flavors, with notes of dark chocolate and spices. The oak is rich and toasty, the tannins thick but as soft as silk, and the…
— S.H.
Published 5/1/2013
Castello di Amorosa 2010 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer (Anderson Valley)
Fantastically rich and sweet, with vast, deep flavors of honey, apricots, tangerines, vanilla and spices. The residual sugar is 13.3%. We humans are hard-wired to love this level of sweetness, but a minor quibble is that the acidity isn’t high enough to provide ultimate balance.
— S.H.
Published 7/1/2012
Castello di Amorosa 2008 Bien Nacido Vineyard Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County)
This is a good, dry Chardonnay, marked by brisk acidity and a steely minerality. The fruit veers toward pineapples and apricots, while oak adds notes of buttered toast and caramel. Feels like it wants to be richer than it is, but it’s elegant.
— S.H.
Published 10/1/2010
Castello di Amorosa 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
Lots of oak and ripe fruit in this flashy Cabernet. Too much of both, in fact. Explodes in blackberries, cassis, buttered toast and caramel, wrapped into the ripest, sweetest tannins imaginable. But beyond the obvious palate flattery, there’s not a whole lot going on.
— S.H.
Published 12/31/2011
Castello di Amorosa 2009 Zingaro Zinfandel (Russian River Valley)
Tastes hot and peppery, in part because of high alcohol. But it’s super fruity, dry and tannic, the kind of Zin that’s just begging for a barbecued slab of steak or chicken, liberally slathered with sauce.
— S.H.
Published 12/31/2011
Castello di Amorosa 2010 Dolcino Gewürztraminer (Anderson Valley)
This polished Gewürztraminer straddles the line between off dry and sweet. Rich in peach, pear, orange and spice flavors, it’s a little too soft, but it should make for a pleasant apéritif and should pair well with Asian cuisine.
— S.H.
Published 7/1/2012
Castello di Amorosa 2010 Gewürztraminer (Mendocino County)
Rich in spice, peach, tangerine and honeysuckle flavors, this Gewürztraminer finishes a little sweet. This is a savory wine for drinking now—especially with Asian fare.
— S.H.
Published 7/1/2012
Castello di Amorosa 2007 Il Barone Red (Napa Valley)
Doesn’t say so on the label, but it’s Cabernet Sauvignon. However it’s utterly unlike most other Napa Cabs in the dryness and tartness. Almost like a Chianti, with bone-dry cherry, red currant and tobacco flavors, scoured with tannins, that finish with a cut of acidity.
— S.H.
Published 10/1/2010