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News
94 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
New winemaker Aron Weinkauf started in a vintage that has been excessively maligned, despite evidence of very strong efforts produced in the 2011 vintage, including the 2011 Spottswoode, which is a blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Nearly 3,300 cases were produced. As the complete younger vines began producing at full-throttle, the wine offers up loads of blueberry and blackcurrant fruit, is a trifle more compact than the 2010 or for that matter the 2012, 2013 or 2014. It shows admirable purity, plenty of floral blackcurrants that this property is known for and beautiful texture in a medium to full-bodied style. Rain at harvest seems to have had no impact on the quality of this wine. It probably won’t be as long-lived as some of the exceptional years, but it is certainly set for another 20 years of deliciousness. (RP) (8/2016)
96 points Vinous
What a pleasant surprise it is to revisit the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon. Floral notes, gravel, herbs, rose petal and sweet red cherries infuse a classically-built, mid-weight Cabernet Sauvignon endowed with real class and personality. The tannins need time to soften, but otherwise this is an exceptional, and I do mean, exceptional, wine. (AG) (12/2016)
95 points James Suckling
A solid Spottswoode with mint, currants, berries and flowers. Sweet tobacco and rose petals. Full body with silky tannins and a long, long finish. Tangy, energetic and lively. A wine with form, tension and beauty. This is classic California. 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Better in 2016. (JS) (5/2014)
91 points Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
Saturated ruby. Musky nose shows nutty oak and an herbal green-peppery quality, with its dark fruit aromas in the deep background today. Nicely ripe dark berry and red cherry fruit flavors are kept tight by the wine's green pepper element and firm acidity. A savory black olive note adds nuance. Not light or thin but this needs at least a few more years of patience to reveal itself. The firmly tannic finish shows very good thrust and length. (ST, in Vinous) 91+ (6/2016)
Wine Description
The Story
Spottswoode is a very well managed estate with 16.20 hectares of organic farmed vineyards (since 1985 – they are now moving towards biodynamic practices) at the foot of Spring Mountain just west of the small hamlet St Helena in Napa Valley. It’s mainly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon (15.20 hectares) with a few of the in total 23 small blocks planted with Cabernet Franc and also Petit Verdot, as well as one hectare of Sauvignon Blanc. Spottswoode makes one of the finest sauvignons of Napa Valley, it’s well worth looking for.
Besides the first seven vintages since the founding of Spottswoode in 1982, when Mark Aubert was the winemaker, this has always been an “only women vineyard and winery”. It’s own by Beth Novak-Milliken and her mother Mary Novak, and wines have been made by the talented winemakers Mia Klein (1990-1995) and Rosemary Cakebread (1996-2005) and since then by Jennifer Williams who came to Spottswoode as assistant winemaker already in 2002.
The winery is relatively small, but allows the winemaking team to ferment each block separate in the 17 small stainless steel tanks and three cement vats, as well as three cement eggs that are all used for the red wines.
“If Château Margaux were in Napa Valley, it would be Spottswoode.”
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
