Fall is here. It’s an especially significant time in the wine world—the time of grapes reaching maturity and being harvested and starting their cycle of becoming wine. Leaves are changing color, there’s a coolness in the air, we start to crave heartier foods. It’s also the time when our wine palate evolves into seeking out the best fall wines.
What’s a fall wine? It’s probably red: one great example is our Il Barone. This reserve wine is typically a blend of approximately 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. The majority of the grapes were sourced from the Rutherford AVA, known for the complexity in its terroir. Our winemakers aged this vintage for 22 months in French oak barrels. The name is a nod to our Italian heritage and the nobility, if you will, of the wines we craft. In this case, Il Barone suggests refinement and elegance as well as power and nuanced strength, all great attributes for a big, bold and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon.
Fall in the Napa Valley is one of the most magical times of the year. Here at the Castello we welcome visitors who come intentionally to enjoy the aromas of fermenting grapes and glimpses of grapes being processed on the crush pad of the castle with state-of-the-art equipment and French Oak wine barrels sourced from the center of France.
The autumn is a time when all of us look forward to sitting down to lots of food and deeply flavored foods, like roasts and rich cheeses and long-simmered stews. We offer a number of ‘fall wines’ to pair with those choices.
Because of the crispness in the air during the fall in the Napa Valley, visitors often enjoy longer visits at the Castle, making sure they’ve climbed all the stairs, surveyed the countryside beyond our moat, maybe even peeked into the torture chamber or the chapel.
All of that exertion does open up your taste buds to a range of great fall wines which are primarily our small production single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons, such as Morisoli-Borges Cabernet Sauvignon as well as traditional Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Pinot Bianco, Vermentino and Pinot Grigio.
Fabulous fall! Come visit us during this great time of year or re-create our romantic setting at your home—light some candles, settle in by the fireplace or around an outdoor fire, open some wonderful autumn wines along with hearty food and enjoy!
