Nose: Perfumed blackberry and tobacco right away. Layers of cracked pepper, sage and florals. Palate: Starts with a nice dark fruit, reserve of power, silky tannin and florals. Sweet red and black fruit, some cedar and herb notes. Finish: Moderate finish, just lacking the length in the 95 and 96 now.
The 91 has always been a great wine, and this bottle lived up to expectations. Great freshness, and shows the transition from the 80's to bolder flavors in the 90s.
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Outstanding , totally integrated and silky smooth , balanced to a fine point! Drink now if you got it! Cherry with a hint of vanilla , fine taste of smoke on the finish. Really enjoyable now! Didn’t decant. 94+
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Nose: Outstanding perfume of blackberry, cassis, lilac, sage, gravel and creosote. Layered nose with just a touch of brett that adds an elegant rusticity. Palate: Elegant, detailed and nuanced. Black fruit, layers of flowers, cedar, spice and sweet oak. Density on the palate that has depth and nuance.
Beautiful mature wine and showing with the best of the vintage. 94+
Virtual Tasting: Open Something You've Been Saving (Home): Dark red color with 1+ cm transitional margin. PNP, though poured into jars and transported over two hours. Drank a glass plus over 3 hours. I was clearly the outlier on this wine, but for me it was right in my wheelhouse and it just kept getting better over the three plus hours we drank it. I will take any heat because it was my wine, but I'm always going to tell you what I think and feel about the wine in as unbiased a way as possible and do my best not to be influenced by others opinions. That said, I thought this was good to start, very solid for 29 years old and probably around 92pts. Then, as often is the case, a funny thing happened to this honey - it got better and then better yet. This just kept blossoming in the glass to where I was pretty floored by where it got and over such a long time. By the time I finished it, it had jumped to my #2 WOTN and gained 3 points in glass. And frankly, that probably doesn't matter much to anyone else but me. But I was giddy by the time I finished it. Case in point, my wife gave me something of a meh when she first had it. A couple hours later I said try this and I got a wow, that's the same thing you gave me before, that's WAY better, Wow. The moral of this long winded story is don't always judge a book by it's cover, and these older wines can often surprise you with how they evolve over time. Sometimes they just need a chance. The nose becomes spectacular, starting out savory with dried red fruits, cinnamon and dried wood. It evolves dramatically to show a splendid perfume of fine leather, dried flowers, bright red fruits, graphite and dried forest floor and dried spices. The palate is medium bodied and takes on much more depth and intensity, the fruit goes from dried cherry to bright red berries and cherry notes, lifted graphite, mushroom, leather, and dried forest floor on a sleek, satiny, long finish. This turned out fantastic. My #2 WOTN.
The following wines were featured in this showdown, and all performed admirably:
2008 La Grand Dame (Starter) 2016 SQN Deux Grenouilles (Starter) 1991 Spottswood Cabernet 2000 Pichon Lalande 1995 Ch. Margaux 2001 Shafer Hillside 2009 Smith Madrone Cook Flats Res.
Wine Prep: Margaux decanted at 3 pm, Smith Madrone opened and splashed at 3 pm. All other wines PnP at 4:pm into jars for transport, and transferred to wine glasses for consumption beginning at 6:30 pm.
Voting: 2000 Pichon Lalande was unanimous WOTN, 1995 Margaux was #2, and 2001 Shafer was #3. My voting was in line with the group.
1991 Spottswoode: This wine was drinking quite well. The nose was dominated by earthy flavors (dirt, mushroom, leather) with hints of dark fruit and a slight hint of chocolate. For those who place a premium on tertiary flavors, this wine would be a rock star. Myself, I like a nice balance of fruit and tertiary flavors, and place more value on the fruit. While this wine still had some fruit, for me, it was clear the fruit had faded (and will likely continue to fade). Having said that, there was enough fruit for me to enjoy and appreciate the wine, hence my score of 90-91.
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A very enjoyable Cali cab with nearly 30 years of age on it. Unlike some of the critics reviews, this bottle was still very much alive and kicking. Some very nice hints of secondary development but he fruit is still vibrant and in the forefront. Mellow blackberry and blueberry with some smoke and tobacco. It lacks a little bit of depth and length, though.
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With all respect to the 2010 review of 1991 Napa cabs by JG my experience with this bottle has been totally different 9 yrs later. Cork pulled for 1 hr then poured. Color ruby edge to the rim no bricking; nose a little funky, red berries, brambles; a little simple, dried red fruits, med finish, later was very much like a 30yr Graves, complex tertiary herbaceous/ mineral notes; at 2+ hrs the wine woke up, dark chocolate on the nose, young red plum flavors and a smooth long finish, complex; very smooth long plummy finish. Tasted 15 yrs younger than it is, (based on my 40+ yrs of drinking Napa Cabs)
This is either a slightly badly kept bottle or the wine is at its last legs. Definitely we feel with Spottswoode if the conditions of cellaring are not pristine it does not age as well as its peers. The wine felt like it lived an exuberant youth, ripe and rich and full and now with the fruit sort of turning its loosing its charm and elegance. Still on the healthy side and quite an enjoyable wine but nowhere near to the level this wine commanded we believe 5 years ago. 91 from us
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PnP. Very old school Napa, in the best way. I would guess low 13s, but not noted on the bottle. (One would think not possible, but we looked repeatedly.)
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Decanted for 1/2 hr then back in the bottle, med. garnet with lighter edge, soft cherry, soft tannins, med. finish; very good but I suspect past prime (at least this bottle)
Showed a little worse that evening, not bad or flawed, just older than stated age (deducted a point)
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Drinking spectacularly right now. Lovely flavors of black and red fruit, flowers, licorice. Terrific floral nose. Medium bodied, fully mature and lovely complexity and layering. Drinking really well now.
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Tasted blind side by side with the Gaja Darmagi 97 and we really think they were mixed by accident by the restaurant. So we post both notes here( much like the Darmagi) . We discussed this a lot with the tasting group but as the wine bottles were empty we could not verify.
Wine 1 and wine of the evening. We guessed Napa early 90s from a classic wine maker ( was very similar to the correctly guessed Dominus 90). Well evolved wine with an earthy feel, cedar, light tobacco , well evolved but carried still a good density of fruitwith lots of depth and complexity. An amazing wine and an easy 97. Revealed to be the Gaja Darmagi 97 and if indeed it was then hats off to Mr Gaja as we never really like his overdone style. If this was indeed a mistake and this was the Spottswoode then as expected. 97
Wine 2 . Guessed modern winemaker with a lot of emphasis on ripeness. Guess modernist Napa or bolgheri late 90s. Rich and full, quite intense of the ripeness, still a good residue of oak but well assimilated in many ways. Good wine but not a great one and with a feel that it's either badly kept or well over the hill. 91-92 Was revealed to be the Spottswoode 1991 but we still have our doubts.
These reviews mystify me. I had this at a Spottswoode-sponsored dinner in 2014 and found it had wonderful depth despite its age. Unfortunately, I had my last two bottles in Dec 2016 and Feb 2017 and both were shot.
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Perfect cork and fill. Surprisingly still youthful in color with slight bricking and rust. Medium body. Beautiful nose, though simple. Dried red cherry with new leather and a hint of minerals. A few tannins show up on the finish. Great balance. Doubt it will improve, but this bottle would have held at least another 5 yrs.
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This bottle was more powerful than the last. Herbal, tea leaves, cough syrup, menthol, white pepper, cherry, mushrooms, green & red peppers, roasted chilies, smokey. So many flavors come through. Very interesting wine. Every sip evolves into something else.
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a little thin and mild on opening. Opened up after an hour. Berries, tobacco, leather, hint of road tar. Matched well with a sugar cookie and chocolate cream center,
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Very very light. similar to a 20-30 year Burgundy. Very Light in color and body. Still a little left but not much. Short, light, thin finish. Its pleasant to drink to none the less.
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Wines of Good Hope: Summer 2016; 7/9/2016-8/31/2016 (River's Inlet, British Columbia): [Magnum] Better after four hours in the decanter but still not what you would hope for. Completely dry berry fruit and dusty leathery soil. Touch of volatile acid here too. Okay but not great. Souring now and surprisingly tertiary. Bit of a let down, especially out of the big bottle.
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At Flemings for Brunch, paired with the Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon and it turned out to be a great combination, rich, ripe, red cherry, red currant and dusty earth, more of the same on the palate, elegant on the palate, medium body, long, lingering finish.
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Fully mature, nice floral nose and sweet fruit. Has become a little rounded overtime but still nice medium bodied structure and decent delineation. Drink up in next few years.
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Pouring from magnum as part of the run to celebrating our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The color on the initial pour is a deep cranberry. It continues to darken from there over the course of the next three hours. The core eventually shades a beef blood red. The nose is intense with plum, black cherry, blackberry and other black fruits. The story here is really about the cedar and graphite. Both dominate the wine from attack to finish. Somewhere in the middle licorice and mint race in and ride hard to the finish. The tannins remain big, and while not angular, they aren’t yet round and certainly are not resolved. The fruit will hold on this for several more years and the trajectory on this wine continues to arc up. A delicious wine that continues to show ample promise. A fair amount of sediment on the shoulder and also in the bottom of the bottle. 13% alc. With duck (Spousal Unit) and beef ribeye topped with garlic and cherry tomatoes (me). With former poster Michael Ross and his lovely spouse at Chez Foushee. Recommended , but leaning hard toward Highly Recommended.
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Ruby color with very little bricking. Bing and black cherries, some raspberry, and assorted hints of sweet Oak, tobacco, hard leather and dried herbs. The wine took about an hour to fully come around. Very little sediment. This would have scored much higher but for the slightly thin mid palate and a finish that was only about 10 to 15 seconds. A lovely bottle that would have been just as wonderful 3 to 5 years from now.
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Deep, dark reddish-garnet in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive and fragrant nose of mature & complex ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with cedar & loam overtones with lovely secondary nuances of earthy, dusty, leather, aged tobacco, dried herbs, mint, cocoa, spices, some tar notes, minerals, smoky and a touch of toasted oak. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, developed & mature, Complex & seamless, ripe fruits of dark cherries, blackberries and sweet dark plums with earthy, spices, herbs, cocoa, eucalyptus/mint, minerals and toasty oak. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present but has the fruit, structure, balance & depth to hold for a few more years. I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging. A great example of an aged classic Napa Cabernet.
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Classic, elegant aged Cabernet. The nose is filled with leather, earth, dried fruits, a hint of cassis, some dried tobacco. Also a port like hint with air. The palate is elegant and silken, yet still carries a good concentration of the flavor and everything finishes harmoniously. A lovely mature Cabernet that shows what Napa wines can be like when made with balance.
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Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley Day 2 (Napa Valley): The bottle I opened was showing a bit tired. The nose had some graphite, earth, light red fruit but wasn't that expressive. Palate was seamless and soft, but didnt' have much fruit. boo. Fill level was excellent and the cork looked great. Shrug
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This was similar to the prior bottle, but better. Dark red color with mature nose of leather, mineral, dried currant, dried black raspberry, damp earth, and hints of tobacco. The palate is very good. Balanced, flavorful, still with plenty of stuffing, and a harmonious finish. Very good aged cabernet. I don't see this getting any better, but should still last for another couple years with proper storage.
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This is delicious aged Cabernet. Garnet with bricking at the rim with an intriguing nose of dried currant, leather, earth/dust, and an almost port like raisiny/dried plum note. The palate is rich with dried fruits, earth, and mineral notes. The tannins are velvety and hardly noticeable until the finish. The finish is a touch drying, but overall quite harmonious. This is excellent, but definitely is fully mature and should probably be drank in the next couple of years.
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Wine of the night unanimously. Rich complex, layered. Nose of leather, chocolate black fruit and cedar. Wonderful mouthfeel. Still lots of life left but tannins integrated and smooth. Still lively and bright tasting though.
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This wine is on the decline, at least the wine in my cellar, as the fruit, acidity and tannins seem out of balance. Tasted at 1 hour, 3 hours and next day.
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From magnum. Absolutely stunning. Dark red color. Bare bricking at the rim of the glass. Gorgeous nose of pencil lead, black currant, tobacco, and earth. In the mouth, supple and refined, with amazing purity and focus. This is an intense wine that doesn't tire your palate with its weight and intensity. It's just persistent. Fruit-forward but arguably dominated by the layers of complexity it shows. Long, lingering finish is marvelous. A
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Rebecca's 21st birthday... and this is why you buy a cabernet to age. Dark red color, with a nose that is both spicy and floral and undertones of soft chocolate. The tannins are still drying but well integrated and pass across your tongue like a velvet towel. This wine really shows more on the flavor than the nose. The oak is well integrated and this wine shows superb balance and good structure. Hints of black pepper lightly overlay the cherry and blackberry flavors with a hint of chocolate flavor.
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Lovely deep dark garnet color. Nice viscosity evident in long legs. Bouquet somewhat restrained with a little oak evident along with leather, dark berry and plum aromas. Flavor is stronger and more well defined than the nose. The berry and vanilla come through load and clear with a finish that has leather cedar and a hint of chocolate. Great wine!
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This was a marvelous mature wine. Good right out of the bottle but really opened up after about an hour. It was fragrant with rasberry, cranberry and leather. The palate was very delicate and integrated with leather, cherry, casis and hints of cranberry and milk chocolate. Drink up.
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quintessential mature red wine nose. cherries, plus smoke plus minerals. mouth - cherry, slight vegetal component. very nicely balanced, and not over the top. very appropriate for varietal and age. a mellow red.
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Spottswoode Vertical (Urbana, Washington, DC): Showed an elegant nose of coffee, hints of veggies, candied cherries and bramble. Some thought this was slightly cooked, but it was an enjoyable wine that still had nice structure.
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Dull relative to its youthful days. Thin purple color and watery looking, though not browned at rim. Thin tasting, too. Basically well past its prime and not nearly as enjoyable as a number of other wines from this vintage, my favorite of the decade.
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We gave this a quick decant to get rid of the sediment and then consumed over the next couple of hours with Christmas dinner. I am continually amazed by how good the Spottswoode wines are with near 20 years of age on them, provided that they've been properly stored during that time. Still vibrant and fresh with fantastic fruit and concentration supported by nicely integrated tannins. Wonderful stuff and a really nice treat.
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Very forward nose, smooth, soft, elegant black cherry fruit with currant, plum, and cedar flavors, tannins well softened, nice finish, very ready to drink
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Disappointing compared to the prior bottle, showing less energy overall. Finish still has grip but the midpalate wasn't as full as before. Perhaps a variable bottle.
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Not much left in this bottle the tannin is almost non existent. Still had some good fruit and a little structure with its age but it did not wow me. Drink up soon or wait another 6 to 8 yrs to see if it will layer out.
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Drank from magnum without decanting. Really delicious cabernet that was still incredibly young tasting despite its maturity (maybe partially attributed to format). Still a little tannic, although those are resolving. Dark ruby color with berry and cedar notes. Restrained but ripe fruit. Drank immediately following a '90 Bon Pasteur and I liked this much better. This is a great wine now that will continue to improve.
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Opened at 2pm and began drinking at 9pm, not decanted. Beautifully balanced demonstrating both fruit and earth. Compared to 1991 Conn Creek Anthology which was fruitier and 1992 Mouton-Rothschild which tended to be earthier. In comparison to these two, the Spottswoode was my preferred wine. However there was also a 1987 Vega Sicilia Unico and that stole the show for me.
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Brian brought this to dinner. Showed very young, with a slight earthy quality in addition to dark fruit notes. Full bodied, with plenty of life left. Flavors of black currant, blackberry, spice and herbs. 92-94 pts
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Most mineral-driven and terroir-reflective Napa Cabernet I've ever tasted. The red licorice/red currant fruit is so bright and full of energy, overlaid on the mineral/rocky/soily base. Chocolate covered black cherries work into the mix the more air it sees - and the eucalyptus and soft cedar wood tones almost prevent you from taking a sip. Plenty of life left and at least 5 years or so away from peak or maturity - I would decant this right before enjoying and follow it over the evening.
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Massively complex yet elegant at the same time. The second the cork was pulled at the Martini House it excelled. 1991 continues to be my favorite Cabernet vintage and this wine optimizes that feeling.
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Tasted from Magnum at the Napa Reserve. Classic Spottswoode features elegant tannins, nice balance. Really improved with air, a great example of what a California Cab can show with age.
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EWG does California Cabernets ('74, '90, '91, '97, '99, '00, '05): Not showing much color advancement. Destinctive aromatics. Some unresolved tannins remain but the fruit fills the midpalate. A good wine on its own, yet not as good as the company in the same flight tonight.
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Nic & Stefs: Brite red, purple; swt blkberry core, swt soft leather, nice silky mth feel, long ass fin; a bit hot; sily & slkick, very fine t’s, blk currant hint eucalyptus. “elegant and lighter than others”.
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explosive red fruit on the palate, this still had many years to go. Tannins were fully integrated and perfectly balanced. Lacked a bit on the mid palate, but the finish was smooth, rich and well balanced.
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Served with prime rib. Not quite as good as the last bottle I had, but still a very enjoyable wine. The nose was somewhat restrained, which held back my overall evaluation. On the palate, it tasted remarkably like an '84 Ducru I had a while back. Tannins were still threatening, but after an hour decant they relented somewhat. Nice base of fruit and cigar box with a medium length finish. A lot going on in the background.
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Eve of the Eve Vinci Dinner (Chicago, IL): Out of magnum. Pleasant nose of currants, smoke, minerals and spice. Very smooth on the palate with friendly, soft tannins. Medium concentrated fruits are pure, intense and bright. An elegant cali cab.
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Dark, mature California Cabernet nose with lots of black fruit and cassis-type notes - really pretty. Palate doesn't quite live up to the nose. Very short with a stern acidic kick on the finish. Sort of in a funky place now, and hard to say if the flavors can keep up.
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Drank this at our monthly off line - Bordeaux vs Cali Cab "taste-off." This one came in tied for 2nd place as WOTN behind an 83 Haut Brion. Thick textured but not chewy, with dense blackberry fruits. Fat mid-palate with loads of glycerin. Tannins are smooth and very, very firm. Most were surprised it was a Cali.
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my bottle (out of 750) was more advanced than the previous tasting note....but still excellent. Initially notes of leather and earth dominate, but after a bit sweet black fruit comes to the mix. The nose is a powerhouse, and the texture perfect.
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From magnum. Dark, dense plum in color with light bricking on the edge. Lavender initially explodes from the glass and then scent of brooding black fruits emerge with some secondary aromas of saddle leather just starting to develop. Lush blackberries and plums coat the palate with a long smooth finish. The sweet tannins are fully integrated but there to provide enough support for the wine to hold for a few more years, maybe more under ideal cellar conditions. Very similar to the ’85 at the same age. Delicious wine.
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3/24/2024 - aquacongas wrote: 91 Points
blind
At his peak maybe a bit declining. 91
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11/15/2023 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Perfumed blackberry and tobacco right away. Layers of cracked pepper, sage and florals. Palate: Starts with a nice dark fruit, reserve of power, silky tannin and florals. Sweet red and black fruit, some cedar and herb notes. Finish: Moderate finish, just lacking the length in the 95 and 96 now.
The 91 has always been a great wine, and this bottle lived up to expectations. Great freshness, and shows the transition from the 80's to bolder flavors in the 90s.
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8/7/2022 - DWStyle Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding , totally integrated and silky smooth , balanced to a fine point! Drink now if you got it!
Cherry with a hint of vanilla , fine taste of smoke on the finish. Really enjoyable now! Didn’t decant. 94+
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7/11/2022 - Handy1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
At party was late into the night and wanted to try. Cassis, some dark fruit. Holding up very well. Only got small taste disappeared fast.
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7/31/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Nose: Outstanding perfume of blackberry, cassis, lilac, sage, gravel and creosote. Layered nose with just a touch of brett that adds an elegant rusticity. Palate: Elegant, detailed and nuanced. Black fruit, layers of flowers, cedar, spice and sweet oak. Density on the palate that has depth and nuance.
Beautiful mature wine and showing with the best of the vintage. 94+
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9/24/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Virtual Tasting: Open Something You've Been Saving (Home): Dark red color with 1+ cm transitional margin. PNP, though poured into jars and transported over two hours. Drank a glass plus over 3 hours. I was clearly the outlier on this wine, but for me it was right in my wheelhouse and it just kept getting better over the three plus hours we drank it. I will take any heat because it was my wine, but I'm always going to tell you what I think and feel about the wine in as unbiased a way as possible and do my best not to be influenced by others opinions. That said, I thought this was good to start, very solid for 29 years old and probably around 92pts. Then, as often is the case, a funny thing happened to this honey - it got better and then better yet. This just kept blossoming in the glass to where I was pretty floored by where it got and over such a long time. By the time I finished it, it had jumped to my #2 WOTN and gained 3 points in glass. And frankly, that probably doesn't matter much to anyone else but me. But I was giddy by the time I finished it. Case in point, my wife gave me something of a meh when she first had it. A couple hours later I said try this and I got a wow, that's the same thing you gave me before, that's WAY better, Wow. The moral of this long winded story is don't always judge a book by it's cover, and these older wines can often surprise you with how they evolve over time. Sometimes they just need a chance. The nose becomes spectacular, starting out savory with dried red fruits, cinnamon and dried wood. It evolves dramatically to show a splendid perfume of fine leather, dried flowers, bright red fruits, graphite and dried forest floor and dried spices. The palate is medium bodied and takes on much more depth and intensity, the fruit goes from dried cherry to bright red berries and cherry notes, lifted graphite, mushroom, leather, and dried forest floor on a sleek, satiny, long finish. This turned out fantastic. My #2 WOTN.
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9/24/2020 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
This is the occasion to open up that red or white you were waiting for an occasion to open (Zoom): Leather dominates, with earth and mushroom. The nose on the wine is fabulous. The palate is light, but probably what you'd expect from this wine. It ends on a peppery finish that is bigger than the rest of the palate.
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9/24/2020 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Zoom Tasting: Bring It On!: Bring It On! Zoom Tasting.
The following wines were featured in this showdown, and all performed admirably:
2008 La Grand Dame (Starter)
2016 SQN Deux Grenouilles (Starter)
1991 Spottswood Cabernet
2000 Pichon Lalande
1995 Ch. Margaux
2001 Shafer Hillside
2009 Smith Madrone Cook Flats Res.
Wine Prep: Margaux decanted at 3 pm, Smith Madrone opened and splashed at 3 pm. All other wines PnP at 4:pm into jars for transport, and transferred to wine glasses for consumption beginning at 6:30 pm.
Voting: 2000 Pichon Lalande was unanimous WOTN, 1995 Margaux was #2, and 2001 Shafer was #3. My voting was in line with the group.
1991 Spottswoode: This wine was drinking quite well. The nose was dominated by earthy flavors (dirt, mushroom, leather) with hints of dark fruit and a slight hint of chocolate. For those who place a premium on tertiary flavors, this wine would be a rock star. Myself, I like a nice balance of fruit and tertiary flavors, and place more value on the fruit. While this wine still had some fruit, for me, it was clear the fruit had faded (and will likely continue to fade). Having said that, there was enough fruit for me to enjoy and appreciate the wine, hence my score of 90-91.
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4/30/2020 - nywine68 wrote: 92 Points
A very enjoyable Cali cab with nearly 30 years of age on it. Unlike some of the critics reviews, this bottle was still very much alive and kicking. Some very nice hints of secondary development but he fruit is still vibrant and in the forefront. Mellow blackberry and blueberry with some smoke and tobacco. It lacks a little bit of depth and length, though.
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12/24/2019 - vinojones wrote: 94 Points
With all respect to the 2010 review of 1991 Napa cabs by JG my experience with this bottle has been totally different 9 yrs later.
Cork pulled for 1 hr then poured. Color ruby edge to the rim no bricking; nose a little funky, red berries, brambles; a little simple, dried red fruits, med finish, later was very much like a 30yr Graves, complex tertiary herbaceous/ mineral notes; at 2+ hrs the wine woke up, dark chocolate on the nose, young red plum flavors and a smooth long finish, complex; very smooth long plummy finish. Tasted 15 yrs younger than it is, (based on my 40+ yrs of drinking Napa Cabs)
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7/30/2019 - Som-Geo Likes this wine: 97 Points
Loved this from first earthy, smoky aroma to the gorgeous color to the beautiful balance and elegance of this wine. More please!!!!
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4/5/2019 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
This is either a slightly badly kept bottle or the wine is at its last legs. Definitely we feel with Spottswoode if the conditions of cellaring are not pristine it does not age as well as its peers.
The wine felt like it lived an exuberant youth, ripe and rich and full and now with the fruit sort of turning its loosing its charm and elegance. Still on the healthy side and quite an enjoyable wine but nowhere near to the level this wine commanded we believe 5 years ago. 91 from us
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6/25/2018 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Very old school Napa, in the best way. I would guess low 13s, but not noted on the bottle. (One would think not possible, but we looked repeatedly.)
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7/22/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 1/2 hr then back in the bottle, med. garnet with lighter edge, soft cherry, soft tannins, med. finish; very good but I suspect past prime (at least this bottle)
Showed a little worse that evening, not bad or flawed, just older than stated age (deducted a point)
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6/10/2017 - mclanew Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking spectacularly right now. Lovely flavors of black and red fruit, flowers, licorice. Terrific floral nose. Medium bodied, fully mature and lovely complexity and layering. Drinking really well now.
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4/6/2017 - Papies wrote:
Tasted blind side by side with the Gaja Darmagi 97 and we really think they were mixed by accident by the restaurant. So we post both notes here( much like the Darmagi) . We discussed this a lot with the tasting group but as the wine bottles were empty we could not verify.
Wine 1 and wine of the evening. We guessed Napa early 90s from a classic wine maker ( was very similar to the correctly guessed Dominus 90). Well evolved wine with an earthy feel, cedar, light tobacco , well evolved but carried still a good density of fruitwith lots of depth and complexity. An amazing wine and an easy 97. Revealed to be the Gaja Darmagi 97 and if indeed it was then hats off to Mr Gaja as we never really like his overdone style. If this was indeed a mistake and this was the Spottswoode then as expected. 97
Wine 2 . Guessed modern winemaker with a lot of emphasis on ripeness. Guess modernist Napa or bolgheri late 90s.
Rich and full, quite intense of the ripeness, still a good residue of oak but well assimilated in many ways. Good wine but not a great one and with a feel that it's either badly kept or well over the hill. 91-92
Was revealed to be the Spottswoode 1991 but we still have our doubts.
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2/23/2017 - Haystack wrote: 96 Points
These reviews mystify me. I had this at a Spottswoode-sponsored dinner in 2014 and found it had wonderful depth despite its age. Unfortunately, I had my last two bottles in Dec 2016 and Feb 2017 and both were shot.
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2/14/2017 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 Points
Perfect cork and fill. Surprisingly still youthful in color with slight bricking and rust. Medium body. Beautiful nose, though simple. Dried red cherry with new leather and a hint of minerals. A few tannins show up on the finish. Great balance. Doubt it will improve, but this bottle would have held at least another 5 yrs.
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1/1/2017 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was more powerful than the last. Herbal, tea leaves, cough syrup, menthol, white pepper, cherry, mushrooms, green & red peppers, roasted chilies, smokey. So many flavors come through. Very interesting wine. Every sip evolves into something else.
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12/24/2016 - Chucksw wrote: 88 Points
a little thin and mild on opening. Opened up after an hour. Berries, tobacco, leather, hint of road tar. Matched well with a sugar cookie and chocolate cream center,
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11/28/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very very light. similar to a 20-30 year Burgundy. Very Light in color and body. Still a little left but not much. Short, light, thin finish. Its pleasant to drink to none the less.
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7/31/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 89 Points
Wines of Good Hope: Summer 2016; 7/9/2016-8/31/2016 (River's Inlet, British Columbia): [Magnum] Better after four hours in the decanter but still not what you would hope for. Completely dry berry fruit and dusty leathery soil. Touch of volatile acid here too. Okay but not great. Souring now and surprisingly tertiary. Bit of a let down, especially out of the big bottle.
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6/19/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
At Flemings for Brunch, paired with the Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon and it turned out to be a great combination, rich, ripe, red cherry, red currant and dusty earth, more of the same on the palate, elegant on the palate, medium body, long, lingering finish.
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5/14/2016 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature, nice floral nose and sweet fruit. Has become a little rounded overtime but still nice medium bodied structure and decent delineation. Drink up in next few years.
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3/23/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 90 Points
1990's California Cabernet - Blind: Quite maderized, orange zest, dark chai teas, spiced teas, overripe tomato. Sparse notes.
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3/5/2016 - timewithwine wrote:
Pouring from magnum as part of the run to celebrating our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. The color on the initial pour is a deep cranberry. It continues to darken from there over the course of the next three hours. The core eventually shades a beef blood red. The nose is intense with plum, black cherry, blackberry and other black fruits. The story here is really about the cedar and graphite. Both dominate the wine from attack to finish. Somewhere in the middle licorice and mint race in and ride hard to the finish. The tannins remain big, and while not angular, they aren’t yet round and certainly are not resolved. The fruit will hold on this for several more years and the trajectory on this wine continues to arc up. A delicious wine that continues to show ample promise. A fair amount of sediment on the shoulder and also in the bottom of the bottle. 13% alc. With duck (Spousal Unit) and beef ribeye topped with garlic and cherry tomatoes (me). With former poster Michael Ross and his lovely spouse at Chez Foushee. Recommended , but leaning hard toward Highly Recommended.
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1/30/2016 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby color with very little bricking. Bing and black cherries, some raspberry, and assorted hints of sweet Oak, tobacco, hard leather and dried herbs. The wine took about an hour to fully come around. Very little sediment. This would have scored much higher but for the slightly thin mid palate and a finish that was only about 10 to 15 seconds. A lovely bottle that would have been just as wonderful 3 to 5 years from now.
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8/17/2015 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark reddish-garnet in color with ever-so-slight clearing at the edges. Forward, attractive and fragrant nose of mature & complex ripe dark fruit aromas of cherries, blackberries & cassis with cedar & loam overtones with lovely secondary nuances of earthy, dusty, leather, aged tobacco, dried herbs, mint, cocoa, spices, some tar notes, minerals, smoky and a touch of toasted oak. Full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, developed & mature, Complex & seamless, ripe fruits of dark cherries, blackberries and sweet dark plums with earthy, spices, herbs, cocoa, eucalyptus/mint, minerals and toasty oak. Long lingering smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present but has the fruit, structure, balance & depth to hold for a few more years. I doubt any further development would occur from additional aging. A great example of an aged classic Napa Cabernet.
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2/8/2015 - doctornoah wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful. Elegant. Everything aged Napa should be.
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11/9/2014 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Classic, elegant aged Cabernet. The nose is filled with leather, earth, dried fruits, a hint of cassis, some dried tobacco. Also a port like hint with air. The palate is elegant and silken, yet still carries a good concentration of the flavor and everything finishes harmoniously. A lovely mature Cabernet that shows what Napa wines can be like when made with balance.
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7/13/2014 - M DU VIN Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Very herbaceous and lacking fruit an personality. OTH I am afraid to say.
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6/24/2014 - Katieq1127 wrote: 92 Points
Thought this was going to be a dead soldier, but was excellent! Smoky, deep berries, definitely has held up beautifully!
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4/8/2014 - clayfu wrote:
Impressions from a weekend in Napa Valley Day 2 (Napa Valley): The bottle I opened was showing a bit tired. The nose had some graphite, earth, light red fruit but wasn't that expressive. Palate was seamless and soft, but didnt' have much fruit. boo. Fill level was excellent and the cork looked great. Shrug
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12/25/2013 - joekroe Likes this wine: 96 Points
Phenomenal cabernet. Powerful nose with forest floor, leather, cassis on the palette that finishes long and strong. Its mid-prime right now.
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12/25/2013 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This was similar to the prior bottle, but better. Dark red color with mature nose of leather, mineral, dried currant, dried black raspberry, damp earth, and hints of tobacco. The palate is very good. Balanced, flavorful, still with plenty of stuffing, and a harmonious finish. Very good aged cabernet. I don't see this getting any better, but should still last for another couple years with proper storage.
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11/20/2013 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is delicious aged Cabernet. Garnet with bricking at the rim with an intriguing nose of dried currant, leather, earth/dust, and an almost port like raisiny/dried plum note. The palate is rich with dried fruits, earth, and mineral notes. The tannins are velvety and hardly noticeable until the finish. The finish is a touch drying, but overall quite harmonious. This is excellent, but definitely is fully mature and should probably be drank in the next couple of years.
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8/3/2013 - oldwines wrote: 94 Points
Wine of the night unanimously. Rich complex, layered. Nose of leather, chocolate black fruit and cedar. Wonderful mouthfeel. Still lots of life left but tannins integrated and smooth. Still lively and bright tasting though.
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3/29/2013 - rwgray wrote: 83 Points
Over the hill
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12/29/2012 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank a while ago so no detailed notes now, but we enjoyed this. A nicely aged Cali - a smooth finish with earthy and mild fruit flavors.
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11/11/2012 - GlenviewGSW wrote: 87 Points
This wine is on the decline, at least the wine in my cellar, as the fruit, acidity and tannins seem out of balance. Tasted at 1 hour, 3 hours and next day.
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8/17/2012 - gutt22 wrote:
From magnum. Absolutely stunning. Dark red color. Bare bricking at the rim of the glass. Gorgeous nose of pencil lead, black currant, tobacco, and earth. In the mouth, supple and refined, with amazing purity and focus. This is an intense wine that doesn't tire your palate with its weight and intensity. It's just persistent. Fruit-forward but arguably dominated by the layers of complexity it shows. Long, lingering finish is marvelous. A
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6/20/2012 - RossR wrote: 94 Points
Rebecca's 21st birthday... and this is why you buy a cabernet to age. Dark red color, with a nose that is both spicy and floral and undertones of soft chocolate. The tannins are still drying but well integrated and pass across your tongue like a velvet towel. This wine really shows more on the flavor than the nose. The oak is well integrated and this wine shows superb balance and good structure. Hints of black pepper lightly overlay the cherry and blackberry flavors with a hint of chocolate flavor.
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3/10/2012 - Bill in Chicago wrote: 92 Points
Good color. Light nose and taste. Oak tanins are noticeable. Fruit is ethereal, light but enjoyable. Outstanding just not extraordinary.
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12/29/2011 - oldwines wrote: 94 Points
Lovely deep dark garnet color. Nice viscosity evident in long legs. Bouquet somewhat restrained with a little oak evident along with leather, dark berry and plum aromas. Flavor is stronger and more well defined than the nose. The berry and vanilla come through load and clear with a finish that has leather cedar and a hint of chocolate. Great wine!
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12/26/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 94 Points
This was a marvelous mature wine. Good right out of the bottle but really opened up after about an hour. It was fragrant with rasberry, cranberry and leather. The palate was very delicate and integrated with leather, cherry, casis and hints of cranberry and milk chocolate. Drink up.
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7/22/2011 - M DU VIN wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, but with lots of nice frruit.
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3/25/2011 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
quintessential mature red wine nose. cherries, plus smoke plus minerals. mouth - cherry, slight vegetal component. very nicely balanced, and not over the top. very appropriate for varietal and age. a mellow red.
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2/11/2011 - cmick9 wrote: 91 Points
This wine was an okay experience... Had higher expectations
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12/19/2010 - jaimetown wrote:
Over the hill bottle, drink up.
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11/26/2010 - ricknat1 wrote: 88 Points
Ripe nose, tannins still tough, even after 3 hours open but somewhat promising. Perhaps a little to classic Cali Cab for me
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11/23/2010 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Spottswoode Vertical (Urbana, Washington, DC): Showed an elegant nose of coffee, hints of veggies, candied cherries and bramble. Some thought this was slightly cooked, but it was an enjoyable wine that still had nice structure.
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5/17/2010 - bobbubbabs wrote: 86 Points
Dull relative to its youthful days. Thin purple color and watery looking, though not browned at rim. Thin tasting, too. Basically well past its prime and not nearly as enjoyable as a number of other wines from this vintage, my favorite of the decade.
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12/25/2009 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
We gave this a quick decant to get rid of the sediment and then consumed over the next couple of hours with Christmas dinner. I am continually amazed by how good the Spottswoode wines are with near 20 years of age on them, provided that they've been properly stored during that time. Still vibrant and fresh with fantastic fruit and concentration supported by nicely integrated tannins. Wonderful stuff and a really nice treat.
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10/11/2009 - sachsen wrote:
Better a year ago...DRINK UP!!!
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8/4/2009 - MeMyself&I wrote: 84 Points
past it's prime now.
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8/1/2009 - M DU VIN wrote: 91 Points
A nice bottle of fully-aged cabernet. Fruit was still there, but the wine was a bit astringent.
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7/11/2009 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
Very nice bottle of aged Cab w/ classic northern Napa fruit and cedar w/ hint of mint. No reason to wait.
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6/19/2009 - msu wrote: 89 Points
Somewhat muted fruit, medium finish. Blackberries, currants, earth flavors. A little tart for my taste.
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5/1/2009 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Very forward nose, smooth, soft, elegant black cherry fruit with currant, plum, and cedar flavors, tannins well softened, nice finish, very ready to drink
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4/26/2009 - spacewrangler wrote: 89 Points
Disappointing compared to the prior bottle, showing less energy overall. Finish still has grip but the midpalate wasn't as full as before. Perhaps a variable bottle.
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3/19/2009 - moonmanvegas wrote: 90 Points
Not much left in this bottle the tannin is almost non existent. Still had some good fruit and a little structure with its age but it did not wow me. Drink up soon or wait another 6 to 8 yrs to see if it will layer out.
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1/27/2009 - SteelerFan wrote: 93 Points
Drank from magnum without decanting. Really delicious cabernet that was still incredibly young tasting despite its maturity (maybe partially attributed to format). Still a little tannic, although those are resolving. Dark ruby color with berry and cedar notes. Restrained but ripe fruit. Drank immediately following a '90 Bon Pasteur and I liked this much better. This is a great wine now that will continue to improve.
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1/1/2009 - zinnereye wrote: 95 Points
Opened at 2pm and began drinking at 9pm, not decanted. Beautifully balanced demonstrating both fruit and earth. Compared to 1991 Conn Creek Anthology which was fruitier and 1992 Mouton-Rothschild which tended to be earthier. In comparison to these two, the Spottswoode was my preferred wine. However there was also a 1987 Vega Sicilia Unico and that stole the show for me.
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12/31/2008 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Brian brought this to dinner. Showed very young, with a slight earthy quality in addition to dark fruit notes. Full bodied, with plenty of life left. Flavors of black currant, blackberry, spice and herbs. 92-94 pts
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11/18/2008 - spacewrangler wrote: 96 Points
Most mineral-driven and terroir-reflective Napa Cabernet I've ever tasted. The red licorice/red currant fruit is so bright and full of energy, overlaid on the mineral/rocky/soily base. Chocolate covered black cherries work into the mix the more air it sees - and the eucalyptus and soft cedar wood tones almost prevent you from taking a sip. Plenty of life left and at least 5 years or so away from peak or maturity - I would decant this right before enjoying and follow it over the evening.
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11/17/2008 - DUSTOFF wrote: 94 Points
Massively complex yet elegant at the same time. The second the cork was pulled at the Martini House it excelled. 1991 continues to be my favorite Cabernet vintage and this wine optimizes that feeling.
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9/2/2008 - Ki Punwar wrote: 94 Points
Tasted from Magnum at the Napa Reserve. Classic Spottswoode features elegant tannins, nice balance. Really improved with air, a great example of what a California Cab can show with age.
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1/31/2008 - gregg g wrote:
EWG does California Cabernets ('74, '90, '91, '97, '99, '00, '05): Not showing much color advancement. Destinctive aromatics. Some unresolved tannins remain but the fruit fills the midpalate. A good wine on its own, yet not as good as the company in the same flight tonight.
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1/30/2008 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Nic & Stefs: Brite red, purple; swt blkberry core, swt soft leather, nice silky mth feel, long ass fin; a bit hot; sily & slkick, very fine t’s, blk currant hint eucalyptus. “elegant and lighter than others”.
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10/4/2007 - zimmy07 wrote: 93 Points
explosive red fruit on the palate, this still had many years to go. Tannins were fully integrated and perfectly balanced. Lacked a bit on the mid palate, but the finish was smooth, rich and well balanced.
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9/16/2007 - zazoo wrote: 95 Points
Surprised how fresh this wine was.
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6/10/2007 - TomTom wrote: 92 Points
Served with prime rib. Not quite as good as the last bottle I had, but still a very enjoyable wine. The nose was somewhat restrained, which held back my overall evaluation. On the palate, it tasted remarkably like an '84 Ducru I had a while back. Tannins were still threatening, but after an hour decant they relented somewhat. Nice base of fruit and cigar box with a medium length finish. A lot going on in the background.
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12/30/2006 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Eve of the Eve Vinci Dinner (Chicago, IL): Out of magnum. Pleasant nose of currants, smoke, minerals and spice. Very smooth on the palate with friendly, soft tannins. Medium concentrated fruits are pure, intense and bright. An elegant cali cab.
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8/28/2006 - psmith wrote:
Dark, mature California Cabernet nose with lots of black fruit and cassis-type notes - really pretty. Palate doesn't quite live up to the nose. Very short with a stern acidic kick on the finish. Sort of in a funky place now, and hard to say if the flavors can keep up.
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5/18/2006 - tederf wrote: 93 Points
Drank this at our monthly off line - Bordeaux vs Cali Cab "taste-off." This one came in tied for 2nd place as WOTN behind an 83 Haut Brion. Thick textured but not chewy, with dense blackberry fruits. Fat mid-palate with loads of glycerin. Tannins are smooth and very, very firm. Most were surprised it was a Cali.
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9/29/2005 - luko wrote:
my bottle (out of 750) was more advanced than the previous tasting note....but still excellent. Initially notes of leather and earth dominate, but after a bit sweet black fruit comes to the mix. The nose is a powerhouse, and the texture perfect.
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8/20/2005 - cassetta wrote: 94 Points
From magnum. Dark, dense plum in color with light bricking on the edge. Lavender initially explodes from the glass and then scent of brooding black fruits emerge with some secondary aromas of saddle leather just starting to develop. Lush blackberries and plums coat the palate with a long smooth finish. The sweet tannins are fully integrated but there to provide enough support for the wine to hold for a few more years, maybe more under ideal cellar conditions. Very similar to the ’85 at the same age. Delicious wine.
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8/10/2005 - buckeye76 wrote: 91 Points
BLACK CHERRIES, BLUEBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES AND MINT IN THE NOSE WITH BLACKBERRIES AND BLACKCURRANTS IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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2/28/2004 - brianofthevine wrote: 93 Points
Black cherry, rich, full, long finish.
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