I couldn’t believe my eyes. As I stepped off the wine trolley, my gaze rested upon Castello di Amorosa’s grand medieval castle. From the vineyard below, the grandeur of this stone castle stopped me right in my tracks. After taking in the view, we headed towards the castle for a little sight seeing.
Crossing the Threshold
Entering the castle, I climbed the hand-chiseled steps towards a solid wooden drawbridge. As I crossed the threshold, I admired the detail in even the smallest of features inside the walls of the castle. Winemaker Dario Sattui built Castello di Amorosa in 1994. This replica of a 13th century Tuscan castle celebrates Dario’s Italian heritage along with his passion for medieval architecture.
Our tour guide introduced himself as we continued into the courtyard. According to our guide, you’ll find every aspect of an authentic medieval castle at Castello di Amorosa: a moat, drawbridge, towers, defensive ramparts, courtyards, loggias, a chapel, stables, an armory, and even a torture chamber.
Entering the Great Hall
Next, we entered the Great Hall. Italian Artist Fabio Sanzogni hand-painted all of the walls inside this grand hall with dramatic frescoes. Each mural tells a story. These paintings took Sanzogni over 18 months to complete. In addition to these impressive murals, we noted the old, imported stone floors and large Italian oak doors. A long wood dining table sat as a centerpiece of the hall, which is used today to host parties and other events.
Sweeping Vineyard Views
After taking in the dramatic artistry of the Great Hall, we ascended to the tower for sweeping views of the vineyard. Embracing the concept of terrior, Castello di Amorosa grows a variety of grapes over 30+ acres of land. Grape varietals include merlot, sangiovese, primitivo and cabernet sauvignon.
After taking in the vineyard views, we entered the fermentation room. Wine makers at Castello di Amorosa carefully regulate tank temperatures during fermentation by using triple jacketed steel tanks.
A Cool Wine Cellar
From the fermentation room, we moved into the wine cellar. Oak barrels lined the cool cellar walls. Wine ages in these barrels for one to two years before bottling.
Wandering through the long hallways of the cellar, we caught a glimpse of Dario’s personal wine cellar. This gorgeous cellar contains thousands of bottles of wine of various vintages. Dario stores these bottles laying down to promote aging while preventing the corks from drying out.
As we wound our way through the cellar, we peeked through security bars to see inside a series of wine vaults. These cellars house some of the oldest bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon aging at Castello di Amorosa.
Into the Armory
Next, we entered the armory. Inside the armory, we found a large collection of medieval war-related artifacts lining the walls. This display included full suits of armor, maces, swords and other weaponry.
From the armory, we entered the torture chamber. This creepy dungeon included several prison cells, a torture rack, a spiked inquisitor’s chair and even an antique iron maiden!
Tasting the Wine
Now, it’s finally time to taste some wine. We entered the Grand Barrel Room for a barrel tasting of cabernet sauvignon. As my first barrel tasting, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a young wine. Much to my surprise, this fruit-forward cabernet with under-developed tanins tasted just like a pinot noir!
Once we bellied up to the bar in the tasting room, we each selected 5 wines from a selection of over 25 wines. Wine options for this tasting included a diverse choice of whites, roses, reds, reserves and sweets. I selected Vermentino, Giola, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and La Fantasia.
Of these wines, I thoroughly enjoyed my sample of Vermentino. This bright, acidic white wine with tropical aromas of guava and citrus would pair perfectly with shellfish or oysters. In retrospect, I should’ve bought a bottle of this tasty wine before leaving Castello di Amorosa!
