Drank at Thanksgiving dinner. Tasted like Spottswoode. Just a level above good but less expensive wines. Not at all past its drinking window, but probably not going to benefit from further aging. Let air out for 20 minutes or so before serving. At this age, tannins had completely receded. Nice bouquet, extremely smooth, long finish. My wife, who does not care for big bold wines, was quite happy with this bottle.
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dark red, dark berry nose, a surprising amount of rich dense black raspberry and black current fruit which was smooth and sweet. Too sweet for our taste and different than our previous bottle 4 years ago.A bit of a hot alcohol finish Seemed different than our large collection of other Spottswoode vintages. Purchased upon release from winery.
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Opened this for a Zoom tasting hosted by Gary's with Lindy and Beth Novak. PnP, drank over 2 hours with Valerie
Dark core garnet color, minor separation, on color would have guessed younger. Nose was black cherry, damp earth, faint graphite. Palate was riper than expected, sweet red fruits, black cherry, blueberry and boysenberry. "Sweetness" goes through the mid palate, medium weight, long finish.
Surprised to the upside. Not considered by the critics to be a stellar vintage for Spottswoode and other tasters seemed to have mixed experience, perhaps some bottle variation...My last bottle of this vintage (sadly) would like to have tried another for comparison. This improved and added length over the time we drank it. A 30 minute decant would have been good at this stage. It may have "peaked" a few years ago (however one defines that) but still drinks well. Based on this bottle it should still drink well for another 5-7 years...
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No formal notes, from memory. Dark purple red. No bricking or fading. Nose dark fruits; plumbs, casis, and blueberry. Tastes much the same. Lacked balance for me. Big with lots of fruit and round without enough supporting acid, structure, or energy. Well made.
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Very French nose and initial palate, it didn’t showed it’s age which make me believe it can still live another 5+ years. Decanted for 30 min and drank over 2 hours.
This is not at prime but it’s enjoyable and delicate wine.
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Pop and pour. Surprisingly good for the vintage with plenty of sweet red fruit still shining through. Secondary notes are also there with leathery red fruit, cherry chapstick, and cedar all around. Has a few more years to go but definitely at/past peak.
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I did not enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed other vintages. This felt similar to the '96 and is made in a style that is a bit too hot and extracted. It lacks the balance of the better vintages. Certainly not tired or near over the hill, but I don't know that this will be much better in another 5-6 years.
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After reading some notes on this wine and vintage, I wasn't sure whether or not to open this up on Valentine's day, Feb. 14th ?
Thankfully I did ... an Awesome bottle of wine !!!
On opening, the cork was full of dark fruits and berries ... a great sign !
Decanted about 1hr and drank over the next 3hrs+ .. it really started to shine after about 1hr into the decant.
A bit of sediment on the bottle edge as one would suspect.
At the start, maybe a bit astringent but that went away after about 30 mins.
After 2 hrs in, although the nose was still a bit muted, a good amount of fresh dark berries, herbs, spice and almost a 'forest' floor, maybe even some cedar notes come through.
Just a great bottle overall .. not sure of the other comments, but I sure wish I had more of this one.
An exceptional bottle in maybe not such a great year ? Definetely a treat to drink !!!
Paired with roasted rack of lamb & mashed potatoes.
This wine had not lost its deep, Crimson-purple color and had not even a hint of bricking or oxidation. Although the fruit was overtly chunky and rich, the tannins were perfectly integrated if not almost completely resolved. What kept it from being flabby and falling apart...and making it so enjoyable to me, was an underlying acidity that balanced this wine, nearly to perfection. Proof of what a great winery can do in a terrible vintage; 2000, one of the worst on record. As a bit of a disclaimer, I'm currently not enjoying Napa Cabs due to my aversion to anything more than mild tannin levels.
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Tasty blue and black fruit, spice and mineral flavors. A touch too ripe and round for a 90 pt score, but rich and well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable.
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Huge hit at a Christmas party. No signs of age - no mustiness or funk. Polished and seamless. Cassis, with hints of espresso, mocha, and a little forest floor. Fairly rich, with a terrific finish. Not flashy and not quite a religious experience, but it hit all the right notes. Holding up just fine.
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I absolutely loved this wine. My favorite of the night (drank with 2004 Quintessa, 2002 Beringer Private Reserve, 1975 Chateau Giscours). Lots of great fruit still on the palate with ripe blueberry and black currant. Also leather, coffee, cedar and licorice with some slight minerality and an excellent finish. Drinking Great right now!!!
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Disappointed and surprised at what it was when tasted blind. some funk on the nose which was interesting but the palate disappointed. flat, vegetal. Some interesting spice on the nose which later on became cinnamon to me and the wine improved over time. But overall limited tannins left it unbalanced to me and the finish was short. Drank it beside a 2000 Figeac (also blind) which I thought showed worse because at least the cinnamon was an interesting development in this wine. Similar vegetal and limited structure.
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13.5% abv. Ruby. A nice nose of blackberry and cigar box. Medium bodied, with a slight greeness to it that reminded me of cab franc. Acidity stood out. This was surprisingly long and drinking nicely right now. Great value.
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Nice mature cab. Very mature notes of forest floor, blackberry jam, truffle/mushroom, cigar box and leather. We definitely enjoyed it with the hanger steak. At/past peak but will likely hold up for a few more years without noticeable decline.
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Deep purple in color. 13.5% ABV. Cherry, pencil and leather on the nose. Rich, full bodied and savory. Black currants, cassis and tobacco on the palate. There is also a hint of bell pepper that I tend to associate with the tough 2000 vintage. The finish is beautiful. Great wine from an off vintage. I have one more bottle that I will open in 2015.
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Mid-ruby; classic Napa Cabernet nose (mint, berries, bell peppers, cassis); mid-body, decent tannins, rounding out nicely. Fruity finish. A little hot. w/filet and bordelaise sauce
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We didn't wait quite long enough for the wine to open up but we still enjoyed the earthy almost fungus undertone while still allowing the fruit and dark berries to control the wine. Very nice.
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This wine was the class of the evening. Smooth as silk but still with a medium firm tannic backbone. Long sensuous finish with a nose reminiscent of Bordeaux...
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Well, I was was let down a Bit by this wine, it had a light fruit nose and was light on the palate but lacked significant depth. Was a decnt wine but not great
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Wow, this was nice! Very nice bouquet. Sweet dark fruits, methanol, Napa earth and a hint of mint. Cascade of the same flavors. Sweet, velvet and long. Really drinking well. I do not drink a lot of CA Cabs, but really enjoyed this. No reason to hold off, but no rush either. Really good and not a bit overdone.
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Conflicted because I feel the bottle was a bit corked. But in reading recent tasting notes on this one from Spottswoode, they talk about "trademark earthy and barnyard aromas" so maybe it's just the wine. In any case it is a lighter, more restrained wine than other Spottswoodes I have drank. Somewhat came together over two days. Good with food as it is subtle, balanced and yet freshen by its acid. Nothing stands out but other than the musty nose, it is pleasant. Obtained a couple more to see what they hold for me.
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This was a very nice wine; not an over the top style and a little light for a Spottswoode Cab; nevertheless a wine which was a beautiful compliment to food. Most of the dark fruit is gone now and it is more a forest floor and spice style now.
Nice wine for an ok year; enjoyed.
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very good; at josies with arnie and lisa; tasted brown and spent when it was opened. got progressively better. held its own against a 2000 arajauo....and ended up better through the evening. a very good wine. glad i have a few more.
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Pitch perfect, pure Napa Cabernet, drinking close to it's peak, but will easily remain here for a few more years, and age for another decade. The nose is just the most amazing Napa cab nose, light berry, sandalwood. Taste is long, velvety, balanced. A real treat.
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Kemp's 65th including some 1945 wines.: My WOTN. Wow! I was just saying that the 2000 Cabs (the better ones) have really developed into interesting wines. They never had a ton of fruit and drink more like aged Bordeaux. This was great. Cassis and tobacco featured on a complex nose. Layered fruit and crunchy forest floor on the palate. Excellent balance. Strong finish. Loved it.
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The nose on this wine is very profound with lots of spice, wood, and cigar tobacco notes. Medium body with lots of depth on the fruit and edgy tannins on the back end. A really nice surprise as I was expecting this to be on the weaker side compared to other vintages of Spottswoode that I've had. This is probably peaking right now and should remain at this stage for another few years before it starts to decline.
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Fragrant nose. This is really ready to go. A bit of cherry, green pepper, spice, wood, and very pronounced notes of olive. A Bordeaux-like earthy and olive-flavored cabernet packing California punch. A long 20 second finish. Not my preferred style, but still fun. This is hitting its stride, I don't think it will improve. 92-93.
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Muted but rich Napa Cab nose of red currants with a hint of coffee and spice. Fairly full in the mouth with good fruit, but lacks the sweetness and richness of a top vintage. Fine tonight with lamb chops, but drink sooner rather than later. This won't get any better with more age.
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An excellent effort for a 2000 California Cab. Blood red in color. Aromas of black fruits, cedar, coffee and spices. Rich, nicely structured fruit in the mouth with excellent balance and length. Ample but well-integrated ,ripe tannins. Lacks the complexity and depth for a higher score but is delicious to drink now and over the next 3-5 years.
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Delicious wine. Very lush, generous, jammy nose, on the palate gorgeous as well with a fine acidity/freshness. Typical Californian style, beautifully made indeed!
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Drank from Magnum, and decanted 2 hours prior to dinner. Wonderful nose and aromas. Plush mouth-feel, lots of dark berry fruit and spice flavors, and balanced tannins. Not a huge wine, but overall, an outstanding cabernet.
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Surprisingly good 2000 Cab. Great nose of mocha, dusty berries, cedar, cherry. Palate was medium-bodied, with cherry, cassis. Basically a lighter-weight version of the wines this producer makes in good years. If scored within the context of the vintage, bump it up a point or two.
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Rich and Dana opened a magnum of this with dinner after the blind tasting. Deep inky garnet color. Aromas of dark fruit, plum, mocha and toasted spices. Flavors of dark fruit, with sweet but firm tannins and a light herbal edge. Very nice. 92-93 pts.
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Opened a Magnum and gave it an hour to decant. What a fabulous wine. Not a fruit bomb. Beautifully balanced. Could have been a French Margaux. Great compliment to food, which seems many times to be lacking in the BIG BOY Napa Cabs.
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Good red-purple color, and nice nose of bell pepper, black cherry, and a hint of haystack/cardboard (brett, maybe?). Medium to full-bodied, with good freshness, depth, and length. Tannins are rather light, but this is pretty darn impressive given the difficulty of the vintage. Just starting to show more mature flavors, it should hold for another 6-8 years, unless that cardboard aroma becomes more prominent.
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somewhat lighter and less fragrent than I have come to expect, but lovely non the less. balckcurrents, blueberry, a hint of herbs all with a integrated, smooth tannin backbone. clealy fine to drink now.
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Really nice wine, especially for the vintage. Took about an hour to open up. Not a ton on the nose, but the deep red fruit was quite tasty. Will probably hold at this level for a while, but I can't believe it will improve. I will drink my last one this year.
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Extremely dark purple color. Blindly served to one of my friends he guessed it a 02/03 vintage wine. Overall it has a nice nose with tons of dark fruit and cassis though I cant help feeling that there is a slight hint of it being a little unripe. The taste has good concentration, its well balanced and soft. I miss a little more depth. But overall a nice wine.
I have had Spottswoode in the 2000 vintage a couple of times now but I will have to look for and try some of the other vintages. Its my feeling there some nice surprises there./Steen
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Dense purple-red. Big, rich nose of berries, cassis, and earth. Pure and nicely delineated beam of fruit that expands on the palate, full and sweet notes of berries, cassis, earth, and a trace of mapled pipe smoke. Nicely balanced, but a little short with drying tannins on the finish. This wine is singing right now, although it'll go for a few more years. Excellent effort in a tough vintage. Worth $80? Maybe not. But still, a very fine Napa cab indeed.
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Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Opaque purple robe with purple rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of kirsch, currants and coffee, with a slight bell pepper note. Full-bodied on the palate, with big sweet tannins and similar flavors. Medium finish. Very nice, but the "green thread" precludes this wine from meriting a higher score.
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10/8/2023 - CoastCabCritic wrote:
Drink now. Showing well with age and dark licorice evolved to red fruit and some leather.
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3/28/2023 - Abanker Likes this wine:
Probably past it's prime, but still very good!
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2/19/2023 - duanerb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yep wine is still good. Dead no, watch the service temp being too warm.
Opened 2 hours prior to dinner. At about 2.5hrs it woke up
Dark core with moderate evolution.
Nose: Brown Leather abounds, blackberry, tart cherry, pomegranate, Neapolitan ice cream, green olive
Palate: MB, M-A, Sm T, M Alc. Matches the nose with silky mouthfeel. Finish is persistent and luxurious.
I like this wine, interesting correct bridge between Bordeaux and Napa.
Have fun with a bottle now, but open 3 hours prior (no decanting).
I will leave the remaining bottles to rest to set for some more years and see what happens
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3/13/2021 - ccplaza wrote: 91 Points
Drink up. Tannins are fully resolved and lacked a bit of backbone.
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11/27/2020 - jzebrack wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Thanksgiving dinner.
Tasted like Spottswoode. Just a level above good but less expensive wines. Not at all past its drinking window, but probably not going to benefit from further aging. Let air out for 20 minutes or so before serving. At this age, tannins had completely receded. Nice bouquet, extremely smooth, long finish. My wife, who does not care for big bold wines, was quite happy with this bottle.
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11/10/2020 - Schwarzer Hund wrote:
dark red, dark berry nose, a surprising amount of rich dense black raspberry and black current fruit which was smooth and sweet. Too sweet for our taste and different than our previous bottle 4 years ago.A bit of a hot alcohol finish Seemed different than our large collection of other Spottswoode vintages. Purchased upon release from winery.
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11/10/2020 - Dangelmaier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great deep concentration on fruit, good balance Med body and washing mouthfeel.
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10/25/2020 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
More complex and richer than the 5/21/09 bottle and much fresher than the 6/28/19 bottle.
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5/27/2020 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Opened this for a Zoom tasting hosted by Gary's with Lindy and Beth Novak. PnP, drank over 2 hours with Valerie
Dark core garnet color, minor separation, on color would have guessed younger. Nose was black cherry, damp earth, faint graphite. Palate was riper than expected, sweet red fruits, black cherry, blueberry and boysenberry. "Sweetness" goes through the mid palate, medium weight, long finish.
Surprised to the upside. Not considered by the critics to be a stellar vintage for Spottswoode and other tasters seemed to have mixed experience, perhaps some bottle variation...My last bottle of this vintage (sadly) would like to have tried another for comparison. This improved and added length over the time we drank it. A 30 minute decant would have been good at this stage. It may have "peaked" a few years ago (however one defines that) but still drinks well. Based on this bottle it should still drink well for another 5-7 years...
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4/10/2020 - ovenmitt wrote: 90 Points
No formal notes, from memory. Dark purple red. No bricking or fading. Nose dark fruits; plumbs, casis, and blueberry. Tastes much the same. Lacked balance for me. Big with lots of fruit and round without enough supporting acid, structure, or energy. Well made.
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8/11/2019 - Bwalter17 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well integrated and still vibrant.
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6/28/2019 - hsacks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar in profile to the 5/21/09 bottle except for a slight degree of oxidation in the mid-palate.
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6/3/2018 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very French nose and initial palate, it didn’t showed it’s age which make me believe it can still live another 5+ years. Decanted for 30 min and drank over 2 hours.
This is not at prime but it’s enjoyable and delicate wine.
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4/8/2018 - MAXIMUM SATISFACTION wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Surprisingly good for the vintage with plenty of sweet red fruit still shining through. Secondary notes are also there with leathery red fruit, cherry chapstick, and cedar all around. Has a few more years to go but definitely at/past peak.
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4/1/2018 - jnewman77 wrote:
I did not enjoy this as much as I have enjoyed other vintages. This felt similar to the '96 and is made in a style that is a bit too hot and extracted. It lacks the balance of the better vintages. Certainly not tired or near over the hill, but I don't know that this will be much better in another 5-6 years.
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2/14/2018 - stockshooter Likes this wine: 94 Points
After reading some notes on this wine and vintage, I wasn't sure whether or not to open this up on Valentine's day, Feb. 14th ?
Thankfully I did ... an Awesome bottle of wine !!!
On opening, the cork was full of dark fruits and berries ... a great sign !
Decanted about 1hr and drank over the next 3hrs+ .. it really started to shine after about 1hr into the decant.
A bit of sediment on the bottle edge as one would suspect.
At the start, maybe a bit astringent but that went away after about 30 mins.
After 2 hrs in, although the nose was still a bit muted, a good amount of fresh dark berries, herbs, spice and almost a 'forest' floor, maybe even some cedar notes come through.
Just a great bottle overall .. not sure of the other comments, but I sure wish I had more of this one.
An exceptional bottle in maybe not such a great year ? Definetely a treat to drink !!!
Paired with roasted rack of lamb & mashed potatoes.
An easy 94+ !!!
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2/26/2017 - Pmcarthy57 Does not like this wine: 75 Points
Should have opened this a lot sooner.
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9/18/2016 - robkuhling wrote: 89 Points
Was better a few years back. Nothing special -- showing its age.
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8/28/2016 - Schwarzer Hund Likes this wine:
Dark ruby red color, strong cassis nose, tobacco, earthy, dense dark berry fruit, good balance, long finish.
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12/31/2015 - FlyinI wrote: 91 Points
Good structure, earthy nose and palate, graphite and cigar box. Very smooth; very nice. Likely has a year left at most.
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10/30/2015 - golfwine wrote: 92 Points
This wine had not lost its deep, Crimson-purple color and had not even a hint of bricking or oxidation. Although the fruit was overtly chunky and rich, the tannins were perfectly integrated if not almost completely resolved. What kept it from being flabby and falling apart...and making it so enjoyable to me, was an underlying acidity that balanced this wine, nearly to perfection. Proof of what a great winery can do in a terrible vintage; 2000, one of the worst on record. As a bit of a disclaimer, I'm currently not enjoying Napa Cabs due to my aversion to anything more than mild tannin levels.
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10/28/2015 - no leashes wrote: 89 Points
Tasty blue and black fruit, spice and mineral flavors. A touch too ripe and round for a 90 pt score, but rich and well balanced and thoroughly enjoyable.
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9/13/2015 - buckeye76 wrote: 90 Points
BLACK CHERRIES AND RASPBERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR AND A MEDIUM LENGTH FINISH.
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3/7/2015 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mid-dark, amber edges; smokey, herbaceous Napa Cabernet nose; soft-mid body; easing tannins; a little over the hill. w/veal
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12/31/2014 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mid-dark ruby, amber edges; berries, mint, light oak, varietal nose; mid-body; balanced; mid-tannins; distinct Napa Cab flavor; refined finish. life left.
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12/13/2014 - Night Train Likes this wine: 94 Points
Huge hit at a Christmas party. No signs of age - no mustiness or funk. Polished and seamless. Cassis, with hints of espresso, mocha, and a little forest floor. Fairly rich, with a terrific finish. Not flashy and not quite a religious experience, but it hit all the right notes. Holding up just fine.
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11/7/2014 - Fusions33 Likes this wine: 96 Points
I absolutely loved this wine. My favorite of the night (drank with 2004 Quintessa, 2002 Beringer Private Reserve, 1975 Chateau Giscours).
Lots of great fruit still on the palate with ripe blueberry and black currant.
Also leather, coffee, cedar and licorice with some slight minerality and an excellent finish.
Drinking Great right now!!!
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7/9/2014 - Wfjohn wrote: 89 Points
Disappointed and surprised at what it was when tasted blind. some funk on the nose which was interesting but the palate disappointed. flat, vegetal. Some interesting spice on the nose which later on became cinnamon to me and the wine improved over time. But overall limited tannins left it unbalanced to me and the finish was short. Drank it beside a 2000 Figeac (also blind) which I thought showed worse because at least the cinnamon was an interesting development in this wine. Similar vegetal and limited structure.
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7/2/2014 - DrakkarNoir wrote:
13.5% abv. Ruby. A nice nose of blackberry and cigar box. Medium bodied, with a slight greeness to it that reminded me of cab franc. Acidity stood out. This was surprisingly long and drinking nicely right now. Great value.
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5/14/2014 - Spl232 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice mature cab. Very mature notes of forest floor, blackberry jam, truffle/mushroom, cigar box and leather. We definitely enjoyed it with the hanger steak. At/past peak but will likely hold up for a few more years without noticeable decline.
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4/13/2014 - pkatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprisingly light, fruity and youthful. No tannins evident.
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12/29/2013 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple in color. 13.5% ABV. Cherry, pencil and leather on the nose. Rich, full bodied and savory. Black currants, cassis and tobacco on the palate. There is also a hint of bell pepper that I tend to associate with the tough 2000 vintage. The finish is beautiful. Great wine from an off vintage. I have one more bottle that I will open in 2015.
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7/4/2013 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mid-ruby; classic Napa Cabernet nose (mint, berries, bell peppers, cassis); mid-body, decent tannins, rounding out nicely. Fruity finish. A little hot. w/filet and bordelaise sauce
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4/26/2013 - clarktoews wrote: 90 Points
better than the last bottle
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1/11/2013 - Candace0228 wrote: 90 Points
We didn't wait quite long enough for the wine to open up but we still enjoyed the earthy almost fungus undertone while still allowing the fruit and dark berries to control the wine. Very nice.
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12/1/2012 - heartdoc1 wrote: 93 Points
This wine was the class of the evening. Smooth as silk but still with a medium firm tannic backbone. Long sensuous finish with a nose reminiscent of Bordeaux...
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6/26/2012 - clarktoews wrote: 88 Points
Well, I was was let down a Bit by this wine, it had a light fruit nose and was light on the palate but lacked significant depth. Was a decnt wine but not great
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5/25/2012 - BobJohnson1 wrote:
Wow, this was nice! Very nice bouquet. Sweet dark fruits, methanol, Napa earth and a hint of mint. Cascade of the same flavors. Sweet, velvet and long. Really drinking well. I do not drink a lot of CA Cabs, but really enjoyed this. No reason to hold off, but no rush either. Really good and not a bit overdone.
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3/26/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 90 Points
Conflicted because I feel the bottle was a bit corked. But in reading recent tasting notes on this one from Spottswoode, they talk about "trademark earthy and barnyard aromas" so maybe it's just the wine. In any case it is a lighter, more restrained wine than other Spottswoodes I have drank. Somewhat came together over two days. Good with food as it is subtle, balanced and yet freshen by its acid. Nothing stands out but other than the musty nose, it is pleasant. Obtained a couple more to see what they hold for me.
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12/22/2011 - mactheknife wrote: 88 Points
This was a very nice wine; not an over the top style and a little light for a Spottswoode Cab; nevertheless a wine which was a beautiful compliment to food. Most of the dark fruit is gone now and it is more a forest floor and spice style now.
Nice wine for an ok year; enjoyed.
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10/9/2011 - Brownvino wrote: 93 Points
opened for an hour, did not decant. Very fragrant nose and long finish.
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8/25/2011 - BradE wrote:
A weird wine. I disliked it, others thought it okay.
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7/3/2011 - Wonder wrote: 94 Points
very good; at josies with arnie and lisa; tasted brown and spent when it was opened. got progressively better. held its own against a 2000 arajauo....and ended up better through the evening. a very good wine. glad i have a few more.
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6/4/2011 - JasonG wrote: 97 Points
Pitch perfect, pure Napa Cabernet, drinking close to it's peak, but will easily remain here for a few more years, and age for another decade. The nose is just the most amazing Napa cab nose, light berry, sandalwood. Taste is long, velvety, balanced. A real treat.
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3/27/2011 - Drtoni wrote: 100 Points
Oh my, very smooth, elegant, beautiful wine.
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3/10/2011 - IA Hawk wrote:
Great cab. To date one of the top 3
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1/1/2011 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mid-dark, brick edges; light herbaceous Cabernet nose, opens with time; wood, cassis, mint; mid-body, balanced, refined. Matched with pan-fried beef, light mushroom sauce with peppercorns.
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12/13/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 95 Points
Kemp's 65th including some 1945 wines.: My WOTN. Wow! I was just saying that the 2000 Cabs (the better ones) have really developed into interesting wines. They never had a ton of fruit and drink more like aged Bordeaux. This was great. Cassis and tobacco featured on a complex nose. Layered fruit and crunchy forest floor on the palate. Excellent balance. Strong finish. Loved it.
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5/26/2010 - lestergibo wrote: 92 Points
Excellent wine; drinking well right now. May hold, but why wait.
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2/18/2010 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
The nose on this wine is very profound with lots of spice, wood, and cigar tobacco notes. Medium body with lots of depth on the fruit and edgy tannins on the back end. A really nice surprise as I was expecting this to be on the weaker side compared to other vintages of Spottswoode that I've had. This is probably peaking right now and should remain at this stage for another few years before it starts to decline.
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12/30/2009 - Matt T wrote: 92 Points
Fragrant nose. This is really ready to go. A bit of cherry, green pepper, spice, wood, and very pronounced notes of olive. A Bordeaux-like earthy and olive-flavored cabernet packing California punch. A long 20 second finish. Not my preferred style, but still fun. This is hitting its stride, I don't think it will improve. 92-93.
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8/28/2009 - kenv wrote: 89 Points
Muted but rich Napa Cab nose of red currants with a hint of coffee and spice. Fairly full in the mouth with good fruit, but lacks the sweetness and richness of a top vintage. Fine tonight with lamb chops, but drink sooner rather than later. This won't get any better with more age.
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8/7/2009 - TRS-Wine wrote: 95 Points
exlnt
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5/21/2009 - hsacks wrote: 92 Points
An excellent effort for a 2000 California Cab. Blood red in color. Aromas of black fruits, cedar, coffee and spices. Rich, nicely structured fruit in the mouth with excellent balance and length. Ample but well-integrated ,ripe tannins. Lacks the complexity and depth for a higher score but is delicious to drink now and over the next 3-5 years.
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10/20/2008 - swyang wrote: 94 Points
Delicious wine. Very lush, generous, jammy nose, on the palate gorgeous as well with a fine acidity/freshness.
Typical Californian style, beautifully made indeed!
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10/13/2008 - zimmy07 wrote: 91 Points
probably the best red of the night. Spice, dark fruits, and some nice oak. Held together nicely with a plush mouth feel and good balance
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10/11/2008 - kgh wrote: 94 Points
Drank from Magnum, and decanted 2 hours prior to dinner. Wonderful nose and aromas. Plush mouth-feel, lots of dark berry fruit and spice flavors, and balanced tannins. Not a huge wine, but overall, an outstanding cabernet.
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4/1/2008 - facchair wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last one. Great nose, balanced good tannins. Should last a while longer.
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3/31/2008 - MarkC wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly good 2000 Cab. Great nose of mocha, dusty berries, cedar, cherry. Palate was medium-bodied, with cherry, cassis. Basically a lighter-weight version of the wines this producer makes in good years. If scored within the context of the vintage, bump it up a point or two.
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1/31/2008 - gregg g wrote: flawed
EWG does California Cabernets ('74, '90, '91, '97, '99, '00, '05): Something was off in this bottle. Either bacterial or secondary fermentation. The wine seemed okay when opened. Unfortunately by the time I tried it it had turned. Too bad.
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1/30/2008 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Nic & Stefs: Oaky, vanilla ice cream; way overdone, quite gooey and awkward.
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12/26/2007 - jdbcolumbus wrote: 92 Points
Mature cab. Still good fruit on the nose. Lovely balance with good body. Nice finish.
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12/16/2007 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Rich and Dana opened a magnum of this with dinner after the blind tasting. Deep inky garnet color. Aromas of dark fruit, plum, mocha and toasted spices. Flavors of dark fruit, with sweet but firm tannins and a light herbal edge. Very nice. 92-93 pts.
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12/14/2007 - yotaiwan wrote: 92 Points
more subtle oak now. with grood concentration and finer tannins than before.
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11/11/2007 - mactheknife wrote: 94 Points
Opened a Magnum and gave it an hour to decant. What a fabulous wine. Not a fruit bomb. Beautifully balanced. Could have been a French Margaux. Great compliment to food, which seems many times to be lacking in the BIG BOY Napa Cabs.
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7/14/2007 - facchair wrote: 90 Points
Great nose, reasonably well balanced with fairly short finish. Solid but not spectacular probably due to the vintage.
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7/7/2007 - vinzin wrote: 97 Points
Soft, not a fruit bomb. Perfect time to drink - opened bottle 1 hr. before drinking but didnt decant.
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5/4/2007 - yotaiwan wrote: 91 Points
takes a while to open up, but it has a good grassy yet oaky depth, and decent consentration, with nice finish and a soft tannin.
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2/6/2007 - nectar14 wrote: 92 Points
Good red-purple color, and nice nose of bell pepper, black cherry, and a hint of haystack/cardboard (brett, maybe?). Medium to full-bodied, with good freshness, depth, and length. Tannins are rather light, but this is pretty darn impressive given the difficulty of the vintage. Just starting to show more mature flavors, it should hold for another 6-8 years, unless that cardboard aroma becomes more prominent.
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12/17/2006 - huntly wrote: 91 Points
somewhat lighter and less fragrent than I have come to expect, but lovely non the less. balckcurrents, blueberry, a hint of herbs all with a integrated, smooth tannin backbone. clealy fine to drink now.
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2/18/2006 - TomTom wrote: 92 Points
Really nice wine, especially for the vintage. Took about an hour to open up. Not a ton on the nose, but the deep red fruit was quite tasty. Will probably hold at this level for a while, but I can't believe it will improve. I will drink my last one this year.
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2/17/2006 - bevort wrote: 90 Points
Extremely dark purple color. Blindly served to one of my friends he guessed it a 02/03 vintage wine. Overall it has a nice nose with tons of dark fruit and cassis though I cant help feeling that there is a slight hint of it being a little unripe. The taste has good concentration, its well balanced and soft. I miss a little more depth. But overall a nice wine.
I have had Spottswoode in the 2000 vintage a couple of times now but I will have to look for and try some of the other vintages. Its my feeling there some nice surprises there./Steen
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10/16/2005 - Slipknot wrote: 88 Points
Good effort with a very balanced wine that doesn't bull you over but sneaks up on you. Nice complexity and a solid finish
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10/7/2005 - Chomsky wrote: 90 Points
Dense purple-red. Big, rich nose of berries, cassis, and earth. Pure and nicely delineated beam of fruit that expands on the palate, full and sweet notes of berries, cassis, earth, and a trace of mapled pipe smoke. Nicely balanced, but a little short with drying tannins on the finish. This wine is singing right now, although it'll go for a few more years. Excellent effort in a tough vintage. Worth $80? Maybe not. But still, a very fine Napa cab indeed.
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10/3/2003 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Red Carpet: Lite sweet leather nose, lite cassis, plum, little earth, silky med. bod, well-bal., minerals, slite sour fin. w/frt, med. t’s.
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10/3/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 88 Points
Tasted unblinded at the Vintage Wines, Ltd. wine bar. Bright disc. Opaque purple robe with purple rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of kirsch, currants and coffee, with a slight bell pepper note. Full-bodied on the palate, with big sweet tannins and similar flavors. Medium finish. Very nice, but the "green thread" precludes this wine from meriting a higher score.
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