“Everything starts in the vineyard, our aim is to produce the finest Cabernet Sauvignon possible, while reflecting the unique climate and growing conditions of the Coombsville AVA. Butala Vineyard was hand selected by myself and our winemaking team. To ensure quality, our production is extremely allocated.”
– Dario Sattui
Butala Vineyard, Coombsville AVA
Located in the legendary Coombsville AVA of the Napa Valley. This estate vineyard has a very rocky, red volcanic soil inhabited by the volcanic sedimentary rock and lava flows formed by the Vaca Range on the eastern side of the Napa Valley. Steep hillside slopes dominate the vineyard landscape in Coombsville. It was planted to several rootstocks and a clonal selection of Cabernet Sauvignon with one block of Merlot. These vines produced a small crop of highly concentrated fruit. Coombsville’s climate makes it ideal for Bordeaux varieties. The soft tannin structure, unique to Coombsville fruit, can be attributed to the hang-time, which is the longest of any appellation in Napa.
“Among our most sought after Castle wines is our Butala Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. An exceptional cool-climate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with excellent long-term aging potential. Highlighted by flavors of earthy chocolate, black currant & blackberry aromas.”
– Peter Velleno
Castello di Amorosa Winemaker
On Sacred Ground
Having received its AVA designation in 2011, Coombsville is set to be Napa Valley’s next great Cabernet Sauvignon appellation. Located just east of the city of Napa, the appellation varies from sea level all the way up to 1,900 feet on the Vaca Mountain Range. The cooling effects of the nearby San Pablo bay provide daily fog, which causes more constant temperatures. This allows us to have a long, slow ripening period as our vines bud early and our grapes are typically among the last to be harvested. Coombsville itself is a bowl-shaped depression, cradled by a crescent-shaped section of the Vacas Mountain Range.
“We observed optimum flavor and phenolic development which leads to extremely high quality fruit. Across the board, the flavors and acids were exceptional, and a delicious balance evolved as the harvest proceeded. Acids are firm and pH is slightly lower, so the wines should be well-structured with very good aging potential. This is an exciting vintage with a lot to like!
– Brooks Painter
Director of Winemaking
