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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.6 pts. and median of 93 pts. in 119 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Weaver74 on 5/11/2024 & rated 94 points: My first spottswoode but definitely not my last. If this is what a “bad” vintage tastes like I’m more than happy to wait (and enjoy)my 09,18’s and 19’s I have in the cellar. Tons of cherry fruit and some earthy undertones made for a lovely bottle of wine. Decant of 2-3 hours and it was beautiful all night. (197 views) | | | Tasted by The Cellar at 924 on 4/5/2024 & rated 95 points: Decanted for two hours. Dark red in color. Cocoa, currants, and tobacco on the nose. Velvety on the palate, black cherries, blackberries, sweet tobacco. Smooth, well-defined tannins, great acidity, lovely balance. Long finish, dark fruited changing seamlessly to red fruits at the very end. Brilliant wine. (339 views) | | | Tasted by Philip67 on 9/29/2023 & rated 91 points: Moderate fruit extraction, presenting notes of blackberry with hints of raspberry. Only slight signs of tertiary leather notes. Oak not obvious. Tannins are fine and quite soft now. Acidity is high and gives a somewhat austere finish to the wine. Mid weight. Medium finish, straightforward. Drinking now, will last for many years. I hope this improves and puts on weight as it ages. Will try again in a decade. (1358 views) | | | Tasted by levinml on 11/22/2022 & rated 93 points: Surprisingly good given the off vintage. Nice balance, but a little muted in the fruit. But way overpriced for the overall quality. (2180 views) | | | Tasted by jnewman77 on 9/3/2022: This bottle was very nice; certainly not a great vintage of Spottswoode, but very good for a tough year; the nose shows plenty of dark ripe fruit with bluebuerry and cassis, a bit of bell pepper and green tobacco add complexity and just a hint of coffee and wood spice; the palate has very nice balance, and good depth for the vintage. Not going to be a long ager, but probably good for the next 5-10 years. (2304 views) | | | Tasted by Wwinowillie on 7/7/2022 & rated 86 points: A much maligned vintage but I am excited for this bottle a day before my birthday. Hour and a half decant before first glass
Tons of sediment and medium purple middle with ruby and a very faint hint of garnet on edges. Nose is kinda funky with wet soil and possibly a touch of manure in addition to a brandy/port, eucalyptus, and very ripe fruit, mushroom, and a savory quality I can’t quite put my finger on. There is even a little bit of curry maybe? Definitely some spices and herbs at play.
Mouthfeel is light and smooth, well integrated tannin, and a lot of the same notes from the nose. This is a bit funky in terms of taste, a little bit of the port from the nose.
As it opens the fruit becomes more pronounced but it is very ripe, contributing to some of the funk. The savory qualities are revealed by the finish, which isn’t really dry but dry enough.
At 2+ hours of decanting this is still not impressive, this is funky but not in a Bordeaux way but almost like a prunes and port way. All the other characteristics are fine, but the funky taste lingers into the finish and it’s just not very good or something I want to dwell on…
Getting into hour 3…everything is beginning to balance out a bit but the problematic characteristics are still there. However this is increasing considerably in terms of enjoyment and the funk aspect is becoming more integrated. The nose is also improving drastically, almost providing a hint of charcoal that also becomes noticeable on the palate.
Waiting for the steak to cook but this resembles prune juice way more than I would like. It also took way longer than I would expect for a wine with this kind of age to open up, and even then, it’s still not great. Still awkwardly sweet with steak, like port or overly ripe fruits with not enough background to make a difference. Now at 4+ hrs
To give context, I just opened a lagunitas IPA and in comparison it is absolutely amazing and refreshing, obviously not apples to apples but…this was super disappointing for the price (2691 views) | | | Tasted by andrewdl on 6/25/2022: One bottle had gone bad. One bottle was quite good. (2599 views) | | | Tasted by Charlie C on 6/10/2022 & rated 96 points: Dark red in color with little fading. Currants, cocoa, tobacco on the nose. Velvety on the palate, black cherries, blackberries, sweet tobacco. Smooth, well-defined tannins, great acidity, brilliant balance. Finishes long, dark fruited changing seamlessly to red fruits at the very end. Brilliant wine. Drink over the next 10 years. Poured and allowed to sit in glass for 30 minutes and drunk over the course of another hour. (2260 views) | | | Tasted by gouldcampbell77 on 4/19/2022 & rated 94 points: Super sweet concentrated fruit balanced with some keen acidity and chalky tannins. Full and ripe but not overdone in any way. Still not fully ready and will clearly improve over the years (decades?). So much packed in here. Excellent on the night with sausage, mash, peas and onion gravy. (1901 views) | | | Tasted by PaulnJen on 4/6/2022: Great wine but still too young to drink. I’ll hold the next bottle for a few more years in cellar. Decanted one hour. Could have used maybe three hours. Went well with lamb and mushrooms in Asian brown sauce. Tannins soft, black fruits and fruit bouquet coming through. Soft on pallet. Not a big jammy chewy cab, and fairly typical of Napa 11’s. A little oak, but not overbearing. More like an understated Boudreaux which likes food. (1645 views) | | | Tasted by Shugs_Claret on 4/4/2022 & rated 89 points: Mixed red fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate is medium bodied and lacks a bit of depth. Medium + acidity. Good but not great. (1477 views) | | | Tasted by ayoshida on 1/16/2022 & rated 88 points: Slightly less fruit and more spice, olive, & mineral than I prefer. Good bottle overall, nice finish and smooth tannins. Got better after approx. 1hr decant. (1820 views) | | | Tasted by Maphill01 on 1/4/2022: Beautiful dark fruit, ripe blackberry, cassis. Slightly grainy tannins, juicy acidity, nice balance. Dusty leather. Hard to get better than this for Napa cab. (1819 views) | | | Tasted by JS1056 on 12/25/2021 & rated 93 points: Opened about 1 hour prior to dinner. No decant.
I have been really enjoying the 2011 Napa Cabs even though the vintage has generally been maligned. They have been more subtle and nuanced than other vintages but they also seem to have matured early.
That is the case here.
Dark red fruit, spice, green olives and a hint of fennel were all present. The finish was long. The tannins seem completely resolved at this point. Not quite silky but very smooth.
However there just wasn’t the wow factor to take it to the next level. (1578 views) | | | Tasted by Kavine on 11/25/2021 & rated 93 points: Been looking for more Bordeaux style Napa wines - trying to break away from the typical bold Cabs that I am finding too heavy as I age. This was a great option, ticked the boxes. Fruit forward, medium bodied style, pomerol feel. A very light hint of minerals though a long balanced finish that was most preferred. (1708 views) | | | Tasted by gouldcampbell77 on 4/11/2021 & rated 94 points: A lovely dark concentrated purple. And what a nose. Dark smoky blue fruits and slightly leafy - like a Chinon in a warm year. The palate lives up to the colour and nose. Superb concentration of rich dark fruits. Surely there's some merlot in here although there's no mention of it on the label. I can see why some folk have guessed right bank Bordeaux. Coats the palate with chalky tannins and plenty of acidity still giving this great grip. Bridges the gap between Bordeaux and California superbly. Richer and sweeter than the Corison.
Is it ready? Depends how you like your cabs. For my tastes this is good to go but will quite obviously continue to develop for many years. Excellent. (2666 views) | | | Tasted by owr on 4/9/2021 & rated 94 points: Beautiful dark color, blackberry nose / spicy dark chocolate.
Mocha, blackberry, cassis, black cherry, nice spice. Tannins are less aggressive, slightly smoky, spicy finish really great bottle peaking yet still has time.
Nicely balanced 13.9% alcohol (588 views) | | | Tasted by passion4wine on 12/25/2020 & rated 92 points: Great showing from a pedigree Napa Cabernet, with notes of black cherry, anise, pepper, and green olive on the nose. On the palate dark blackberry, spice, with a hint of olive and a slight green bell pepper note on the finish. (2706 views) | | | Tasted by JMPVermont on 12/25/2020 & rated 95 points: I’ll confess up from that new world, fruit forward, hot, cabs. And this checks every box. Merry Xmas 2020. (2492 views) | | | Tasted by Sundbyberg on 12/11/2020 & rated 92 points: A very nice wine. A friend of mine guessed Pomerol and I guessed St Emilion.
A bit young and and on the sweet side. Wait 3-5 years.
My third vintage of this wine: 2011, 2012 and 2013. (2860 views) | | | Tasted by Mortgage92 on 12/10/2020 & rated 93 points: Uh...93, no 92, no 93...that about sums it up. A very nice cab (as they always seem to produce (good soil) and good talent. Wonderful aroma with flavors of black fruit (yes, blackberry) with cassis, add in some mellowing "forest" with a dash of allspice. Acidity and tannins were balanced producing a long finish with lasting legs on the glass. Good for at least another 5 years. (2421 views) | | | Tasted by civilmatt on 11/30/2020 & rated 94 points: In a really good place. Opened for 1.5 hours, no decant. Really nice and aromatic. (2177 views) | | | Tasted by JJYoyo on 11/15/2020 & rated 94 points: 2.5 hrs air. An exceptional wine in a so-so year. Beautiful sweet smells of maraschino cherry, violet, vanilla, allspice. Palate had abundant cassis and cherry, coffee, roast beef. Tannins not particularly strong, and acidity solid but not high. Good energy right now and though it has years ahead of it, I don’t think this wine will get better from here. In a very nice spot right now.
Score: 94. Relative to expectations: ++ (2091 views) | | | Tasted by robkuhling on 10/9/2020 & rated 90 points: Wet year, lack of ripeness shows in the pyrazines. Good grip. Should last a few more years. (2190 views) | | | Tasted by yasha on 7/8/2020 & rated 94 points: Great bottle of winw. drink now or hold for another 5 to 10 years. (2797 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, The 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons at Age Ten (May 2022) (5/1/2022)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery (5/12/2021)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Matthew Luczy
Decanter, California Cabernet 2011 - 10 years on (2/1/2021)
(Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (11/2/2019)
(Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (9/30/2019)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets (Dec 2018) (12/1/2018)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Napa Valley Trilogy: 2014, 2015 & 2016 (Dec 2016) (12/1/2016)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Spottswoode Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, Vertical Tasting of Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon (Jun 2016) (6/1/2016)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By William Kelley
Decanter, Spottswoode Vertical (11/1/2015)
(Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/20/2015)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Mike Bennie
The WINEFRONT (11/26/2014)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon) Subscribe to see review text. | By Michael Godel
WineAlign (11/17/2014)
(Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (11/14/2014)
(Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, New Releases from Napa Valley: 2012 and 2013 (Dec 2014) (10/1/2014)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Spottswoode St. Helena, Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (6/10/2014)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2014, IWC Issue #174
(Spottswoode Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Terroir Matters - Updated (Nov 2013)
(Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Spottswoode St. Helena) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2013, IWC Issue #168
(Spottswoode Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena Napa Valley) Subscribe to see review text. | Decanter
(Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, St Helena, California, USA, Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JebDunnuck.com and Decanter and JancisRobinson.com and The WINEFRONT and WineAlign. (manage subscription channels) |
| Spottswoode Producer websiteCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is probably the most famous red wine grape variety on Earth. It is rivaled in this regard only by its Bordeaux stablemate Merlot, and its opposite number in Burgundy, Pinot Noir. From its origins in Bordeaux, Cabernet has successfully spread to almost every winegrowing country in the world. It is now the key grape variety in many first-rate New World wine regions, most notably Napa Valley, Coonawarra and Maipo Valley. Wherever they come from, Cabernet Sauvignon wines always seem to demonstrate a handful of common character traits: deep color, good tannin structure, moderate acidity and aromas of blackcurrant, tomato leaf, dark spices and cedarwood.
Used as frequently in blends as in varietal wines, Cabernet Sauvignon has a large number of common blending partners. Apart from the obvious Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the most prevalent of these are Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere (the ingredients of a classic Bordeaux Blend), Shiraz (in Australia's favorite blend) and in Spain and South America, a Cabernet – Tempranillo blend is now commonplace. Even the bold Tannat-based wines of Madiran are now generally softened with Cabernet SauvignonEstateIn the United States, "Wines with “estate bottled” designations must: a) also designate an appellation of origin or an AVA, and both the vineyards and the winery must be located there; b) the grapes must come from vineyards owned or controlled by the winery; and c) the wine must have been produced, from crush to bottle, in a continuous process without leaving the winery’s premises."
- WINE LABEL FAQS: A QUICK SUMMARY OF LABEL DESIGNATION RULES" by David E. StollUSAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Napa Valley Napa Valley Wineries and Wine (Napa Valley Vintners)St. Helena Appellation Napa Valley
The single vineyards on weinlagen-info |
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