March 11, 2023 - 2023 Napa in the City: Tasting & Lunch (The Pool/Grill): Not a year that I particularly love from California but a good showing that good producers make good wines in all of the years including this one. It had been open overnight and so I think was a bit more tired than it might have been otherwise. A touch thinner and acid a bit more prevalent. Still, nice structure and drinking alright.
September 28, 2022 - Pretty nose with notes of dark fruit, cassis, leather, dark cherry, forest flavors, a bit of vanilla, and mint. Well balanced on the palate with good acidity, more dark fruit notes, dark plum, cherries, and menthol. Long finish. Really lovely wine that’s in a great spot right now but will last for decades.
March 11, 2022 - 2-3 hours of decanting and warming was essential for this wine to achieve its potential. At first taste after 30 minutes, it was thin, somewhat vegetal, and imbalanced. It needed to warm and breathe. Lovely after two hours. Tannins fully resolved. Fruit remains, but it's no longer bright or prominent. Firmly in its secondary phase but not yet overwhelmed by it. I don't believe the structure here would enable further improving as it would with a Dunn Howell, but others who follow Spottswoode would know better than me. I think we did my one bottle justice by opening, filtering, decanting, and warming it at age 25.
January 15, 2022 - Last bottle. Sad. It was yummy
January 1, 2022 - magnum, double-decanted to travel. deeply-colored & youthful in the glass; black-fruited & loamy, pencil lead; med-full weight; currants & blackberries, tho restrained, dominate the fruit profile, black soil, subtle weedy notes & mature tannins complete the finish.
last one, purchased on release & showing better than might have anticipated; even in this warm vintage, house style prevails.
chateaubriand, chanterelle-red wine sauce; herb-crushed potatoes; roasted market carrots
July 25, 2021 - very mellow, nice old cab.
June 12, 2021 - Hmm…wine seemed a little heavy…like dark overripe fruit…not raisiny, but somewhat heavy…perfectly fine with a big steak but stand-alone somewhat awkward…
March 7, 2021 - this bottle was corked---disappointed
December 31, 2020 - Beautiful wine maybe a little past it's prime.
April 5, 2020 - This bottle was a gift from RT. Cork was dry but dense and broke mid pull.
Thick, prune, and hint of vinegar, but with the underlying CS. This was well past its prime. Took two sips then tossed it.