2021 was a great year for our wine, as we received 15 Gold Medals between the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition & The American Fine Wine Competition. We were also awarded with 3 Best of Class awards between the two competitions.
Please join us in congratulating our entire winemaking team, including head winemakers Brooks Painter & Peter Velleno for their hard work. Special thanks to our vineyard manager David Bejar who oversees Castello properties year round.
Awards from the 2021 SF Chronicle Wine Competition
The 2021 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition invited 50 judges representing winemaking, wine education, trade, hospitality, culinary, media, and other wine/food sectors to judge over 5,700 wines from over 1,000 North American wineries in early March, 2021. Over the past two decades, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition (SFCWC) has grown to become one of the world’s most respected and highly publicized wine competitions.
We had a number of wines win Gold and Double Gold Medals, along with two Best of Class medals for our 2017 Spumante, Rosé & our 2018 Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio. Check out the complete list of award winners:
2017 Spumante Rosé – Best of Class
2018 Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio – Best of Class
2016 Il Barone, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Double Gold Medal (4th vintage in a row)
2018 Pinot Noir, Cresta d’Oro Vineyard – Double Gold Medal (3rd vintage in a row)
2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – Double Gold Medal (2nd vintage in a row)
2018 Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley – Gold Medal (3rd vintage in a row)
2018 Pinot Noir, Il Rubino – Gold Medal (2nd vintage in a row)
2014 La Castellana, Super Tuscan Blend – Gold Medal
SF Chronicle Best of Class: 2017 Spumante Rosé
Winemaker Brooks Painter noted “Spumante del Castello is a classic Méthode Champenoise sparkling wine, is sure to elevate any occasion to something truly memorable. This elegant Brut Rosé boasts a light shade of coral pink, with refreshing flavors of raspberry, citrus, and melon. It will be sure to impress at your next celebration!”
SF Chronicle Best of Class: 2018 Pinot Noir, Terra de Promissio
Winemaker Brooks Painter noted “An elegant and refined single vineyard Pinot Noir from the famed Petaluma Gap region of Sonoma County, revealing an expressive bouquet of cherry and spiced Christmas berries with subtle hints of cola and black tea. A sleek Pinot Noir boasting both lush texture and vibrant acidity.”
Mary Davidek, who runs our highly acclaimed Royal Food & Wine Pairing Tour at the Castello notes that “Terra de Promissio is evocative of the best of Sonoma fruit with the finesse of Willamette Valley and the classic earthiness of Burgundy which we all aspire to.”
Awards from the 2021 American Fine Wine Competition
This year marked the 14th anniversary of the competition, which took place on Memorial Day weekend this year.
More than 550 wines from 125 wineries vied for top honors at this invitation only event. The Judging was conducted by a 28-member blue ribbon panel from across the wine industry, included educators, restaurateurs, retailers, journalists, and top sommeliers from across the country.
We received a number of Gold and Double Gold Medals in this competition as well, along with a Best of Class medal for our 2020 Vermentino. Check out the complete list of award winners:
2020 Vermentino – 95 Points, Best of Class
2016 Il Barone, Cabernet Sauvignon – 95 Points, Double Gold Medal (4th vintage in a row)
2018 Morisoli-Borges, Cabernet Sauvignon – 94 Points, Double Gold Medal
2018 Quattro, Cabernet Sauvignon – 94 Points, Gold Medal
2018 Zingaro, Sonoma County – 94 Points, Double Gold Medal (3rd vintage in a row)
2018 Pinot Noir, Cresta d’Oro Vineyard – 93 Points, Gold Medal (2nd vintage in a row)
2015 La Castellana, Super Tuscan Blend – 91 Points, Gold Medal
AFWC Best of Class: 2020 Vermentino
Jacqueline Coleman is a published wine + travel writer, wine judge, & consultant. She is the monthly “Vino” columnist for Biscayne Times newspaper, and a regular contributor to Winetraveler.com. Her new podcast, “Wine Uncorked,” is out on all major podcast sites and the Podmany app. An International Sommelier Guild (ISG), U.S. Sommelier Association, and FIU Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Wine Program. She said: “This Vermentino stood out among all the other white single varietals. Floral, sweet fruit and honeysuckle. It personified what a Vermentino should be.”
Patrick Sullivan, a wine journalist, consultant, and educator, is the Wine & Spirits editor for DINE Magazine in Florida. He said: “This Vermentino, a rarity in California, displays beautiful minerality and near perfect balance between its classic citric acidity and generous fruit!”
