Second of 3, and pretty much Ibid everything in my 10/22 TN, except that, if anything, this has gotten even more focused and balanced, with stunning elegance, drinking immaculately off the pour through the last glass on night 2, on its own and with chicken basil orzo on night one, loin lamb chops and roasted veggies on night 2. The depth and expressiveness are things to behold, and I’d have dead called this as a BDX, if only I could find BDX I liked this much at this price point. In its drinking window for sure, the ample tannins are silky and integrated, but a strong beam of acidity continues to give this wonderful backbone and definition. Beautifully mature and most similar in feel to the mag of ‘96 Insig I had shortly after the initial bottle of this a year ago Fall. No reason not to drink now, but I’d expect this has years of quality quaffing left. While neither this producer nor this cuvee needs my plumping, I’ll get on the stump again for this vintage (and more generally, the ‘04-‘10 run), which, for better bottlings, is drinking beautifully, as, in the past year or 2, has included the bottles of this, a Favia Cerro Sur, a Larkmead LMV, a couple of Ovid Reds and a Blankiet Paradise Hills. While my CT friends are drinking ‘18s-‘21s, I’m plugging away with the aughts, even ‘96, ‘97 and ‘99 when I can get my hands on them. An absolute banger, and with a bit of a discount to surrounding vintages, relative qpr. Solid 97 if scoring.
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Always love this wine. Soft but strong, polite and elegant but with power. love 2008s as I think they are a strong vintage but overshadowed by 2007s. Cigar box, blue fruit on the nose/tongue. Long finish. Just wonderful
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I followed the GEAUX TIGERS recipe and did just 15 min decant and drank over the cooler side. It worked!
The wine is complex, nicely balanced, and full of life still. At age 15 is likely a little pass it’s prime or passing now but there so much to like about this Bordeaux style Napa wine. After 2 hours it started to go downhill…
Drink and enjoy without rush!
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JT and Marty Super Bowl Extravaganza (Chez Newman): This was excellent and while still quite young and primary it is starting to come into an early drinking window; classic Spottswoode with beautiful blueberry and cassis alongside floral and spice notes; elegant and yet still powerful. And really just delicious.
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On open it was clear we needed a decant as it showed muted fruit and earthy funkiness. At 15 min, tried again and it was ready for business. Cherry, hint of raspberry, charcoal, cardamom, damp earth, long finish, delicious. As with the last bottle this was Napa meet BDX.
No oak or tannins apparent, plenty of acid to go years. As it warmed a bit, a medicinal cherry note became dominant. Put the decanter on top a bed of ice, and voila, back where we were. Recommend drinking at or near cellar temps for the duration. My last bottle, sadly, from a time when prices were far more reasonable for this gem.
17x Spottswoode (2x SB, 5x Lyndenhurst, 10x Estate Cab): Ten vintages of the flagship Estate Cabernet Sauvignon side-by-side. What makes these Spottswoode wines great is their weightless structure and feel as well as the absence of the excess ripeness or extraction that can be found in some Napa Cult Cabs. These wines are still distinctively Napa and not Bordeaux-esque but definitely on the more elegant, finesse-driven side of the spectrum. Still, not all vintages masked the alcohol perfectly. The best wines were the structured 2013 (96pts), followed by magical 2012 and a very promising 2020 (both 95pts).
TN: A bit muddy nose, not much precise aromas shining through. Dark fruits and crushed rocks but not well defined. Better on the palate. It shows expressive, round, elegant with a satin-like texture, fine tannins, well-rounded acidity, and a fine potpourri of dark and dark red berries, not too ripe, herbs, crushed rocks, hints of tobacco. Very elegant and with good weight but not overly complex and slightly riper and more alcoholic than the 2003 we had in the same flight.
Decanting: Opened 6 hours prior to the tasting. Quickly double decanted 3 hours prior to the tasting which seemed fine.
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Spottswoode tasting (Widder (Meilen ZH)): Spottswoode tasting with proprietor Beth Novak-Milliken with 10 vintages Spottswoode, 5 vintages Lyndenhurst, 2 vintages Sauvignon Blanc. All bottles were opened at 15.00 and briefly decanted for the event which started at 19.00. Main observations were: i/ The flagship Spottswoode was typically light and elegant for a Napa Cab with 2013 being the wine-of-the-night (closely followed by 2014, 2019 and 2020, ii/ the Lyndenhurst tends to be rather extracted and lacking mid-palate presence, although the 2019 broke this rule and was towering over the rest. Brief history, snippets from Beth and complete list of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Good level of concentration but with a rather light and fresh red currant fruit. Christmas spices and fine herbal seasoning were additional features. The palate was pretty wild with grippy tannin and sub-optimal balance not ideal. While sexy and offering great allure, this lacked expression in the end and there were also instances when this appeared on the decline.
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First of 3 ($165@) from an auction lot a couple of months ago. On the nose and palate, medium powerful notes of black cherries, black currants, cassis, black plums, prunes, figs, pen ink, dry earth, anise, leather, sweet spice, incense, and lesser notes of dark chocolate, tobacco and a hard to pin down red fruit (cranberry? Red currant?). Dark purple with the slightest brown tinge, full bodied, thick legs. Medium acidity, well integrated, medium tannins which might be the most velvety you’ll ever encounter, no heat. VG++ intensity and complexity, tremendous persistence. Like a reverse medieval hair shirt, the Spottswoode chased the Aubert following a week or 2 filled largely by cheap and forgettable pours, showing me that even if price isn’t dispositive, it does have more than a passing correlation to quality, lest I had any doubts. This came out of the bottle almost shockingly drinkable with notable balance and elegance, but a couple hours of air only added to the depth and length, which continued to hold well, if not improve, over the 3 days it’s been open. The fruit here has an intense, and to me, at least, surprising ripeness, but it’s completely leavened by savory notes, great underlying structure, and that slight red fruit note on the back end, which keeps this wine on a taut, true path. A bang on winner both on its own and with food (mixed grill one night, scampi another), this wine’s profile reminds me most closely of Dominus, a wine seemingly more appreciated by the pros than my fellow CTers, and just a bit less, Montelena, although that bottling seems to most often fall just a bit short of Spottswoode or Dominus in its persistence and complexity. These wines are, at their best, supple and generous, lifted and with a sneaky power that you won’t confuse with Ovid, QC or Venge, yet it continues to resonate well after the last swallow. My palate often seems to fall into an anomalous place on the site when it comes to the BDX varietals, as the biggest of the local quaffs too often feel unbalanced and unstructured, yet the BDX varietals from their homeland seem relatively bereft of fruit (I do note very comparable experiences to this with the ‘09 SHL and ‘10 Poyfrere in the past 6 months or so, as well as good experiences with Bevan and Venge wines, so my feelings are from absolute). Still, even without quite the electric charge of the ‘16 of this bottling, this is a memorable pour, a wine in full which is, I suspect, earlier rather than later in its drinking window, with miles to go and short term fluctuation perhaps more likely incrementally on the up than downside. Not cheap, at least for sfwl’s wine budget, but if it’s within yours, well worth it. 96-97+
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Amazing depth of darker blue and black fruit. 14.5% EtOH, and every bit of that comes across in the glass by itself. When enjoyed with ribeye and roasted potatoes, the alcohol is more background, and with this pairing the wine really shined. 1.5 L format that was an absolute hit with everyone at the table. Decanted about 90 minutes. Drink now with air or hold for another decade plus.
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Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (R&D's): Double blind. Very similar to the preceding wine with black fruit and ripe plummy qualities. Firm, fine grained tannins support abundant black fruit. Excellent. (R&D)
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Gorgeous Spottswoode that hits all the right notes from this winery. Soft, elegant with hints of Bordeaux driven elements. This is not a big Napa Cab that's been out there for a while but what I believe Napa should be. Layers of rounded dark and red fruit with a medium finish.
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PNP. Dark garnet color. Blackberry crumble, vanilla oak, red currant, stone and eucalyptus with some thyme, cherry cola and boysenberry. Intense, bright flavors encompassed in some present alcohol notes that will mellow with time. The structure and layers are there for this wine to enjoy for years.
p.s. grilled pork chops with roasted cauliflower and green beans.
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Orlando CT & Friends Offline (Fishbones): A sweet spot wine for me as I really like this producer and this is one of my favorite Napa years. Still on the young side and probably makes sense to hold these, but you can tell that the age is starting to show at least a bit more here. Nice floral side to it in addition to the red fruits and a lot of spice characteristics. Also an old world style (e.g. a bit more restrained, fruit less ripe, more acid) which I appreciate. Drinking nicely.
Decanted for 2 hours and consumed over the course of another hour. Very new world in style with up front rich and slightly sweet Cabernet fruit with a firm structure on the backend, which suggests this needs more time in the cellar. There is also a touch of heat on the finish suggesting the components of the wine still need time to integrate. The nose is great and the finish lingers, but for my palate... don’t touch this for another 5 years. As much as I love Spottswoode, I have to admit that my last few bottles have been underwhelming vs my expectations. I need to be more patient and treat my Spottswoode like I do my Dominus and lay them down longer. Additionally, at >$200 per bottle upon release, I can go buy fully mature 20 year old second growth Bordeaux for that price that is delicious to drink now.
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Initial glass after PnP: disjointed and lacking flavor - so I knew it needed some time to breathe. Re-corked (minus 1 glass) and drank next day. Just by having some oxygen in overnight it opened it up perfectly.
Medium bodied, layered and vibrant. dried fruit, walnut, leather, wood, blackberry, soft tannin, and 20-30 second finish. Very pleasurable.
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This Spottswoode is quite easy to drink. It goes down like old school California Cabernet with ripe, tooth furring tannins, full blown cigar box cedar, deep cherry cola, and juicy strawberry lurking in the background. It is higher in alcohol than bottles from the classic period, but there’s plenty of body to balance.
While drinking exceptionally well now, it will last for decades. The tea bag tannin flavor from heavy oak treatment indicates that this is still 8-10 years away from maturity. Did not decant. Try again in 2025.
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Terrific wine, needed only a quick decant and was ready to go. Should have a decent drinking window ahead of it but no reason not to drink this now. Classic Cab from a top producer.
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This tasting echoes that of my last bottle opened some time ago. I am befuddled by Spottswoode Cabernet. Don't get me wrong, we finished the bottle. But... if I were to blind test this wine (for which I paid $125 from the winery) against a $20 Louis Martini Napa Cabernet from my corner liquor store, would I immediately tell the difference?
Not quite as muscular as Spottswoode wines of the early teens (say '13 to '15). Inky dark fruit. More cedar than leather. A wine that commands attention but in the way of Abstract Art as opposed to the Impressionists. Maybe I am drinking these wines a tad on the young side but as I have said before, a great wine is accessible young or old. And I have come to expect greatness from Spottswoode.
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A smooth and silky drinking cab with light tanins and good fruits. Slightly tilted to sweet-not inappropriate- just an element different than the Opus '08 we had the previous night. Should be good for another 10 years
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Drank over 2 days. More cool weather fruit profile, but with a rich backbone. Still some tannin which suggests the wine could still improve. Nicely made wine
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This bottle was performing much better than the last I had. Double decanted 2 1/2 hours prior to serving and the consumed over about an hour and a half. There were a few dregs I was able to eliminate during decanting. By the end of the evening it was absolutely singing! Delicious, balanced and no where near over ripe. No need to rush as this has years of enjoyment ahead of it but if you want to open one up try decanting for 4+ hours.
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Decanted 90 min and drank 2.5 hrs. Blackish red in color. Napa say hello to BDX in near perfect mix and harmony. Nice inky and glycerin feel without being heavy or viscous. Tannins and oak nicely integrated. Nose of tea, blackberry, blueberry, red fruit and cinnamon. Palate was beautiful mix of red and black fruit, red cherry, black cherry, faint black raspberry, black tea and cinnamon and a med to long finish. A bit of heat on the finish appeared near the end of the bottle, holding the score back.
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Another great experience from what I deem a first growth new world wine. 3 hour open air decant and enjoyed over the course of 24 hours. This bottle evolved every couple hours. Rich cassis & Blue fruits. Followed by a very lengthy dusty baking spice flavors. Highly enjoy these wines and will continue to support them.
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Orange at the rim. Black fruits on the nose and in the mouth. Big full but still some tannin to resolve. Long finish. Drink now with steak or wait a couple of years I have 12 bottles left and am going to wait another year to try again. Have had the 2009 multiple times and find it superior to this vintage by quite a bit
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he 2008 Spottswoode is characteristic of many wines in this vintage which feature cool weather notes. Floral black currants, tobacco, and fennel seductively draw you into a wine that leaps to life with tremendous energy on the palate. Dense with black and red fruit, this wine is everything I love about Spottswoode and Napa Valley. A dusty tannin finish that lasts minutes. The 2008 drank well after a slow oxidation over the course of the day. It could easily go another 3 decades.
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For the life of me I can't figure out this wine. For Christmas dinner, we paired the 08 Spottswoode with an '89 Chateau Olivier, which was hands down the winner. Twenty years younger and a quarter of the price, the Olivier was young, vibrant and well balanced.
The Spottswoode comes across as all that is wrong with the Napa Valley. Deep, dark, brooding and dense with fruit. A narrow tasting profile and hot on the finish. I keep hoping that things will improve with age but that's perhaps a pipe dream. Since I have plenty more Spottswoode and a variety of vintages, I am hoping this is a one off bad vintage rather than suggestive of a downward trend of this storied winery. Time will tell.
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Orange at the rim. First night tasted like it was on the downhill run. Today after sitting in the fridge overnight. Full bodied. Still has a hint of being downhill from here. Not much bouquet but nice upfront black fruits carrying across the palette to a 35 second finish. Will try again over Xmas to confirm if I need to drink up my case
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This tasting echoes my negative notes of a year ago. I wish it was different (and like others who have had much better experience with this vintage of Spottswoode). This wine lacks any of the beauty, suppleness and balance I've come to expect from Spottswoode. Over the top dead weight. There hasn't been any positive evolution in my view despite impeccable cellaring. May not hold onto my remaining six bottles. Too bad.
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It appears my opinion differs from some of the recent reviews of this wine. This vintage, at this point in time, I think is one of the best Spottswoode’s I’ve ever had. I actually emailed the wonderful people at Spottswoode to tell them so. My past experiences with other vintages is that I’ve typically had them either too early or too late. The 2008, right now, is just stupendous.
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Decanted 3 hrs and drank over 2.5 more. Early on showed coffee notes but subsided into heavy red berry notes. Good not great, could use 3-4 more years. The acid left in this tells me it has 10-15 more years left. Got whooped by an ‘05 Montelena
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Somewhat disappointing as I usually really enjoy Spottswoode Cabs. Very nice nose with floral notes and the initial pallet of black fruit and spices is delicious if not fully developed from a 1.5 hour decant. Unfortunately the very good acidity acted as a springboard for some burning alcohol. The 14.5% abv is not hidden at all by the fruit or mineral flavors.
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2008 Napa Cab Retrospective (Fresno): 93+ Identified by a few tasters in our group as spottswoode, classic cab character with a crazy long finish. This is another I think will continue to improve with time.
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I think PEPMI either had a bad bottle, or did not aerate it long enough. When I opened this bottle, it was muted, and somewhat quiet, lacking any expression or energy. It was the hoof beats in the distance of a possible Dothraki army, but showing nothing. Like, what's the fuss? After an hour, though, it was Daenerys and Drogon gloriously raining fire on on the poor Lannister army. Ohmygosh, Wow!! What a transformation! Breathtaking. Even though I'm not usually one to decant, this wine does need decanting at this stage. I think this vintage will last another 20+ years easy. Hours later, I'm still tasting all the density of sweet red berries, dried, baked, aromatic jammy black and blue fruit and dark espresso and mocha. This is very pure St Helena cabernet.
This wine is not going in the right direction. The '08 Spottswoode lacks finesse, balance and restraint. In a tasting note from about a year ago, I had hoped that the wine would pleasantly evolve but this bottle suggests otherwise. The imitative target appears to be more Harlan than First Growth. When the fruit leaves a fruit bomb, all you are left with is a bomb...
Hoping this is not a vineyard/winemaker trend as I have cases of later vintage awaiting in the cellar.
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Radiant and transparent Cabernet showing excellent purity and very good typicity and acidity. Spottswoode is always so consistent for me and always so impeccably pure. The 2008 is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc that shows beautiful Cabernet traits, something the best Napa wines excel at. What many wines in Napa do not necessarily excel at is revealing the terroir of site, this vintage of Spottswoode shows terroir in spades. Cassis and currants, a dash of mocha, a touch of graphite and rock, with white floral and violet aromatics in the background. A nice streak of minerality shows up on the mid-palate and finish. The tannin are ripe, full bodied, but fine and supple. The acidity here is key, it elevates the aromas, as well as adds lift and energy to the palate, while refreshing the finish. @spottswoodewinery makes some of the most consistent and honest wines from #cabernetsauvignon not just in Napa but the world. #spottswoode #cabernetsauvignon #sthelena #napa #spoton
No formal notes. That said, if this is an "off" year from Spottswoode then I understand why Parker thinks of them as a Napa "First Growth". A bit redder and twinge sweeter than what I was expecting. Nevertheless very full, complex, rich and totally wonderful to experience. I had the 2010 last weekend and while this didn't quite get to that level, it was terrific and has a long life ahead. Can't say enough about this label.
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Opened & let it breath in the bottle for about 90 minutes before drinking. This wine is still very young and has plenty of life left. Very dark in color & great nose. Fruit forward & very smooth. Smooth translates into elegant which is how others describe it. However the low rating is due to no finish. It has a great mid-palate, but then nothing on the finish which is very disappointing.
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Medium/full bodied and on the elegant, refined side of the style range, there is good freshness, purity of fruit and smoky, earthy blackberries to please the palate. But the same level of refinement and plush, polished fruits found in the best vintages is not present.
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Knightsbridge 30th Anniversary Party (The Bristol - Chicago IL): From magnum. black cherries and berries with dark chocolate. Still very young. Lots of elegant acidity and tannins provide brightness and help this come across with great restraint. Very good upside and potential.
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My last tasting in 2013 concluded this wine was way too young to drink and three years later, it is still too early. I'd push back your drinking window by 5 years.
The wine is big, heavy and with plenty of dark fruit. I am hopeful that the Spottswoode poise and balance will show through in future tastings down the road. Early tastings have not suggested the ultimate expression of this wine.
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Great depth of fruit and concentration. This has a lot of complexity already, but I think is still developing. Violet, cassis, blackberry, and hint of tobacco. Probably should decant if opening now, which I did not do.
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Last bottle and always so hard to let go! Explosive nose of ripe, warm fruit, with spices, cassis, some pepper. Big, fleshy and sexy on the palate. Supple, yet not overwhelming.
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SO much better on day 2. This wine is massive, and it is killing the baby to drink it without a very long decant. Notes of oak and licorice at first, with dark berries to follow. Fantastic, long and intense finish. Had I rated this day 1, it would have been 91pts. It has a long, long life ahead. No need to rush.
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A bit tight at first, but within an hour this had really come together. Very dark in color, lots of blue and black fruits and hints of cedar (?) and tobacco. Looonnnggg finish. Can see many years ahead of this one still. Certainly pricey though... not sure i'll take the plunge too often.
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Had side by side with '11 Pott Arsenal. I scored both 94 even though they are completely different wines.. This is ready to drink and either at its prime or just beginning to slide. The tobacco and mineral notes are becoming more prominent and the tannins are fully integrated. A perfect pairing with steak.
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Big full bodied wine. Purple to the rim. Not much of a nose at this stage, however, tons of fruit with a long finish. some Oak but very well integrated. Still some tannins to smooth out but drinking very well for such a young wine with very little of the grappy taste so often found in young california cabs. Two bottles consumed in a weeks time with friends who had the same impression as I did. Will leave this one for a couple of years before I crack the next bottle and drink over the next 10 to 15 years.
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This still has some prominent tannins that I think will soften with time. It is dark and full-bodied, with notes of blackberry, licorice, and pepper. Nice structure and balance.
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A superb fruit - actually so balanced and enjoyable I am quite amazed. The wine is best described as elegant, lovely and clean. The oak is slightly visible and adjoined by a fully integrated palate. There are some tannins present but they just add to the overall positive impression. Compared to other vintages, the 2008 appears as a bit lighter on its feet. (Tasted in a flight with 2007 - 2010 Spottswoode)
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This is a beautiful blueberry cobbler experience. Blue fruits are fresh in a balanced package that is silky yet somewhat viscous in your mouth. Wanted to score higher but it was slightly marred by a sharpness to the woody tannin on the midpalate that follows through to the finish. Not highly complex yet. Still tastes young with room to improve in the cellar.
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Big chocolate nose with raspberries, cassis and a little beef. The palate has lots of dark fruit, cranberries, beef and drying tannins. Great wine. Needs time.
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Pop and pour Nose is all fresh fruit. First sip, the fruit hits. At first its noooo, to fruity. Than like cherry pie the crust kicks in and your chewing and loving it. Sip some more, wow, opening up faster than a lap dancer with a short song. Third sip, wow, nice, easy to love fruit, tannins that sell it, long crazy smooth finish.
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Every bit worth this rating and it's still a baby. Give it plenty of time to decant today. Dark fruit with a small hint of chocolate. Nice floral hint on the nose as well .
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Had the Ridge Monte Bello 2008 and Spottswoode 2008 together. The difference was very big. Spottswoode was bigger and broader both on the nose and palate, and the Ridge was more focused and elegant, with a higher minerality which the Spottswoode lacked all together. The Spottswoode had dark berries, chocolate and plums on the nose, where the Ridge had more classic cabernet notes. I clearly prefer the style and colder climate of Ridge. You can clearly sense that Santa Cruz mountains is very different from St Helena on the Napa valley floor.
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For me this was a distant 3rd in the blind tasting. Out of balance and much more rustic than I remembered. Worn leather and oak dominated the wine. 2 of the 8 people LOVED this wine.
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An absolutely great California Cab. Rich, delicious black cherry fruit with toasty oak, vanillin, dark chocolate, currant, and cassis flavors, excellent structure, ample tannins, layers of complexity, long finish, very Margaux-like in style, one of the best Spottswoode Cab's that I have drunk
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A tremendous wine. Black fruit and cherry nose. Plum, vanilla, and caramel palate. Nice finish. Opened up like a champ. Paired with grilled steaks and va va va voom.
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This is a young Spottswoode that needed time to open up; decanted and had the first taste after an hour; big and a bit disjointed in the beginning; continued to improve and consolidate over the next hour. Loads of potential here. Just need a little patience. The last sip was the best by far. Classic Spottswoode structure and elegance by the end of the bottle.
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Tight at first. Benefitted from a 1 hour decant. Nose of barbecue and spice. Good concentration, mouthfeel. Notes of cherry, vanilla. Fine integrated tannins. Nice effort from Spottswoode.
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Initially I was disappointed. Popped and poured, medium to light bodied, no depth but classic Spottswoode flavors, a very elegant wine. Went head to head with Realm ToKalon 08 and both of these wines did a 180. After an hour the Spottswoode opened up into a monster of a wine. Excellent depth and an unending finish. Best Spottswoode I have had.
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K&L Napa 'Big Boy' Tasting (K&L San Francisco): I don't know what it is about Spottswoode, but I never seem to catch a bottle drinking that well. Closed nose, something I couldn't make out that others seemed to think were flowers. Toasty, closed palate. Med+ acidity, medium mouth feel. I recognized some uplift on the finish which was pleasant, but was overwhelmed by drying tannin. Feel like this will be a late drinker.
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Seamless, drinking scary good right now. Well integrated and ripe tannins should allow this to age for many, many years.
92% cab sauv, 8% cab franc, 100% French oak of which only 65% was new wood.
Color: deep purple red, with red edges
Nose: black currants, black cherry, graphite/pencil lead, mocha and savory mint note
Palate: zesty black cherry and currants, licorice, seamless palate, superb length, ripe and exceptionally integrated tannins, and a good dose of acidity round out the experience.
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Seamless, drinking scary good right now. Well integrated and ripe tannins should allow this to age for many, many years.
92% cab sauv, 8% cab franc, 100% French oak of which only 65% was new wood.
Color: deep purple red, with red edges
Nose: black currants, black cherry, graphite/pencil lead, mocha and savory mint note
Palate: zesty black cherry and currants, licorice, seamless palate, superb length, ripe and exceptionally integrated tannins, and a good dose of acidity round out the experience.
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Beautiful wine. Nose of dark fruits, tobacco, carries through to the palate with dark chocolate. Tannins fairly soft. Not a rough edge to be found. Decent length to the finish. After rabbit aerator and some decanting.
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Winery tour tasting. Loads of aromas- cherry, tobacco, leather, cracked pepper, cedar, red currant, with subtle spice. Profoundly elegant flavors and mouthfeel- silk, tea, black currant, black cherry, leather, cigar box. Seamlessly layered balance. perfect weight and presence. Fine tannins that are firm and gripping. Long finish. Awesome to taste now, but I won't touch this for many years.
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Pop and pour. Consumed over a period of 3 or 4 hours. Excellent mix of ripe fruit, a touch of vanilla and a great silky mouth-feel. Just a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Seemed to close up a little bit with aeration, if that's possible. Hold for a few years for sure. A notch or two below the 07, but still quite nice.
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Cracked my first bottle of 2008 last night. 96 points. Intense fruit with rounded off tannins, very balanced with a lengthy finish that comes in a wave just a hair after the midpalate. The fruit was balanced out nicely with some earthy layers that added some depth and (as usual with Spottswoode) gave this more character than your standard "Napa Cab" profile. Gorgeous wine.
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Better than the incredible 2007? Maybe in a few years. On a weekend in Napa where I consistently preferred 2008 cabs to 2007 cabs due to increased structure and acidity,without sacrificing fruit, I think the 2008 Spottswoode may ultimately surpass the 2007, which I love and is pretty dang incredible right now.
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1/6/2024 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:
Second of 3, and pretty much Ibid everything in my 10/22 TN, except that, if anything, this has gotten even more focused and balanced, with stunning elegance, drinking immaculately off the pour through the last glass on night 2, on its own and with chicken basil orzo on night one, loin lamb chops and roasted veggies on night 2. The depth and expressiveness are things to behold, and I’d have dead called this as a BDX, if only I could find BDX I liked this much at this price point. In its drinking window for sure, the ample tannins are silky and integrated, but a strong beam of acidity continues to give this wonderful backbone and definition. Beautifully mature and most similar in feel to the mag of ‘96 Insig I had shortly after the initial bottle of this a year ago Fall. No reason not to drink now, but I’d expect this has years of quality quaffing left. While neither this producer nor this cuvee needs my plumping, I’ll get on the stump again for this vintage (and more generally, the ‘04-‘10 run), which, for better bottlings, is drinking beautifully, as, in the past year or 2, has included the bottles of this, a Favia Cerro Sur, a Larkmead LMV, a couple of Ovid Reds and a Blankiet Paradise Hills. While my CT friends are drinking ‘18s-‘21s, I’m plugging away with the aughts, even ‘96, ‘97 and ‘99 when I can get my hands on them. An absolute banger, and with a bit of a discount to surrounding vintages, relative qpr. Solid 97 if scoring.
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12/30/2023 - konadog wrote: 95 Points
Dropdead gorgeous.Audouzed For 30 minutes. This is ready from the jump. Luscious blueberry, fruit, faint cigarbox, tans, are smooth and integrated.
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12/15/2023 - Bluethunder wrote: 94 Points
Gorgeous wine, soft and smooth with sweet fruit and a long finish.
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8/2/2023 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 95 Points
Always love this wine. Soft but strong, polite and elegant but with power. love 2008s as I think they are a strong vintage but overshadowed by 2007s. Cigar box, blue fruit on the nose/tongue. Long finish. Just wonderful
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5/7/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 95 Points
I followed the GEAUX TIGERS recipe and did just 15 min decant and drank over the cooler side. It worked!
The wine is complex, nicely balanced, and full of life still. At age 15 is likely a little pass it’s prime or passing now but there so much to like about this Bordeaux style Napa wine. After 2 hours it started to go downhill…
Drink and enjoy without rush!
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4/18/2023 - n2wine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best wine of the year so far.
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2/13/2023 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
JT and Marty Super Bowl Extravaganza (Chez Newman): This was excellent and while still quite young and primary it is starting to come into an early drinking window; classic Spottswoode with beautiful blueberry and cassis alongside floral and spice notes; elegant and yet still powerful. And really just delicious.
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2/4/2023 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
On open it was clear we needed a decant as it showed muted fruit and earthy funkiness. At 15 min, tried again and it was ready for business. Cherry, hint of raspberry, charcoal, cardamom, damp earth, long finish, delicious. As with the last bottle this was Napa meet BDX.
No oak or tannins apparent, plenty of acid to go years. As it warmed a bit, a medicinal cherry note became dominant. Put the decanter on top a bed of ice, and voila, back where we were. Recommend drinking at or near cellar temps for the duration. My last bottle, sadly, from a time when prices were far more reasonable for this gem.
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12/25/2022 - Bluethunder wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding! Soft and smooth with nicely layered fruit.
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12/18/2022 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
17x Spottswoode (2x SB, 5x Lyndenhurst, 10x Estate Cab): Ten vintages of the flagship Estate Cabernet Sauvignon side-by-side. What makes these Spottswoode wines great is their weightless structure and feel as well as the absence of the excess ripeness or extraction that can be found in some Napa Cult Cabs. These wines are still distinctively Napa and not Bordeaux-esque but definitely on the more elegant, finesse-driven side of the spectrum. Still, not all vintages masked the alcohol perfectly. The best wines were the structured 2013 (96pts), followed by magical 2012 and a very promising 2020 (both 95pts).
TN: A bit muddy nose, not much precise aromas shining through. Dark fruits and crushed rocks but not well defined. Better on the palate. It shows expressive, round, elegant with a satin-like texture, fine tannins, well-rounded acidity, and a fine potpourri of dark and dark red berries, not too ripe, herbs, crushed rocks, hints of tobacco. Very elegant and with good weight but not overly complex and slightly riper and more alcoholic than the 2003 we had in the same flight.
Decanting: Opened 6 hours prior to the tasting. Quickly double decanted 3 hours prior to the tasting which seemed fine.
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12/8/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Spottswoode tasting (Widder (Meilen ZH)): Spottswoode tasting with proprietor Beth Novak-Milliken with 10 vintages Spottswoode, 5 vintages Lyndenhurst, 2 vintages Sauvignon Blanc. All bottles were opened at 15.00 and briefly decanted for the event which started at 19.00. Main observations were: i/ The flagship Spottswoode was typically light and elegant for a Napa Cab with 2013 being the wine-of-the-night (closely followed by 2014, 2019 and 2020, ii/ the Lyndenhurst tends to be rather extracted and lacking mid-palate presence, although the 2019 broke this rule and was towering over the rest. Brief history, snippets from Beth and complete list of wines included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Good level of concentration but with a rather light and fresh red currant fruit. Christmas spices and fine herbal seasoning were additional features. The palate was pretty wild with grippy tannin and sub-optimal balance not ideal. While sexy and offering great allure, this lacked expression in the end and there were also instances when this appeared on the decline.
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10/4/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 97 Points
First of 3 ($165@) from an auction lot a couple of months ago. On the nose and palate, medium powerful notes of black cherries, black currants, cassis, black plums, prunes, figs, pen ink, dry earth, anise, leather, sweet spice, incense, and lesser notes of dark chocolate, tobacco and a hard to pin down red fruit (cranberry? Red currant?). Dark purple with the slightest brown tinge, full bodied, thick legs. Medium acidity, well integrated, medium tannins which might be the most velvety you’ll ever encounter, no heat. VG++ intensity and complexity, tremendous persistence. Like a reverse medieval hair shirt, the Spottswoode chased the Aubert following a week or 2 filled largely by cheap and forgettable pours, showing me that even if price isn’t dispositive, it does have more than a passing correlation to quality, lest I had any doubts. This came out of the bottle almost shockingly drinkable with notable balance and elegance, but a couple hours of air only added to the depth and length, which continued to hold well, if not improve, over the 3 days it’s been open. The fruit here has an intense, and to me, at least, surprising ripeness, but it’s completely leavened by savory notes, great underlying structure, and that slight red fruit note on the back end, which keeps this wine on a taut, true path. A bang on winner both on its own and with food (mixed grill one night, scampi another), this wine’s profile reminds me most closely of Dominus, a wine seemingly more appreciated by the pros than my fellow CTers, and just a bit less, Montelena, although that bottling seems to most often fall just a bit short of Spottswoode or Dominus in its persistence and complexity. These wines are, at their best, supple and generous, lifted and with a sneaky power that you won’t confuse with Ovid, QC or Venge, yet it continues to resonate well after the last swallow. My palate often seems to fall into an anomalous place on the site when it comes to the BDX varietals, as the biggest of the local quaffs too often feel unbalanced and unstructured, yet the BDX varietals from their homeland seem relatively bereft of fruit (I do note very comparable experiences to this with the ‘09 SHL and ‘10 Poyfrere in the past 6 months or so, as well as good experiences with Bevan and Venge wines, so my feelings are from absolute). Still, even without quite the electric charge of the ‘16 of this bottling, this is a memorable pour, a wine in full which is, I suspect, earlier rather than later in its drinking window, with miles to go and short term fluctuation perhaps more likely incrementally on the up than downside. Not cheap, at least for sfwl’s wine budget, but if it’s within yours, well worth it. 96-97+
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6/7/2022 - Bluethunder wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful Cabernet! Soft and sweet fruit with a touch of cedar followed by a silky smooth finish
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5/16/2022 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing depth of darker blue and black fruit. 14.5% EtOH, and every bit of that comes across in the glass by itself. When enjoyed with ribeye and roasted potatoes, the alcohol is more background, and with this pairing the wine really shined. 1.5 L format that was an absolute hit with everyone at the table. Decanted about 90 minutes. Drink now with air or hold for another decade plus.
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5/7/2022 - JS199 wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic. Pure velvety Cabernet that was completely seamless.
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4/15/2022 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (R&D's): Double blind. Very similar to the preceding wine with black fruit and ripe plummy qualities. Firm, fine grained tannins support abundant black fruit. Excellent. (R&D)
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1/23/2022 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous Spottswoode that hits all the right notes from this winery. Soft, elegant with hints of Bordeaux driven elements. This is not a big Napa Cab that's been out there for a while but what I believe Napa should be. Layers of rounded dark and red fruit with a medium finish.
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12/17/2021 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 95 Points
PNP. Dark garnet color. Blackberry crumble, vanilla oak, red currant, stone and eucalyptus with some thyme, cherry cola and boysenberry. Intense, bright flavors encompassed in some present alcohol notes that will mellow with time. The structure and layers are there for this wine to enjoy for years.
p.s. grilled pork chops with roasted cauliflower and green beans.
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9/1/2021 - GolferNJ Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great!
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8/9/2021 - bobvictor Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fine, but generic. Everything in balance but lacked depth or distinguishing characteristics.
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7/10/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Orlando CT & Friends Offline (Fishbones): A sweet spot wine for me as I really like this producer and this is one of my favorite Napa years. Still on the young side and probably makes sense to hold these, but you can tell that the age is starting to show at least a bit more here. Nice floral side to it in addition to the red fruits and a lot of spice characteristics. Also an old world style (e.g. a bit more restrained, fruit less ripe, more acid) which I appreciate. Drinking nicely.
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6/5/2021 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and consumed over the course of another hour. Very new world in style with up front rich and slightly sweet Cabernet fruit with a firm structure on the backend, which suggests this needs more time in the cellar. There is also a touch of heat on the finish suggesting the components of the wine still need time to integrate. The nose is great and the finish lingers, but for my palate... don’t touch this for another 5 years. As much as I love Spottswoode, I have to admit that my last few bottles have been underwhelming vs my expectations. I need to be more patient and treat my Spottswoode like I do my Dominus and lay them down longer. Additionally, at >$200 per bottle upon release, I can go buy fully mature 20 year old second growth Bordeaux for that price that is delicious to drink now.
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4/13/2021 - Bluethunder wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well with good fruit, tobacco, black currants and spice. Needs a decant as it evolves over time.
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3/19/2021 - Elkcims Likes this wine: 95 Points
Initial glass after PnP: disjointed and lacking flavor - so I knew it needed some time to breathe. Re-corked (minus 1 glass) and drank next day. Just by having some oxygen in overnight it opened it up perfectly.
Medium bodied, layered and vibrant. dried fruit, walnut, leather, wood, blackberry, soft tannin, and 20-30 second finish. Very pleasurable.
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11/26/2020 - tastark Likes this wine:
Modern in style, of course. Lots of oak, vanilla, and dill on the nose. Decent acidity. Dark fruits. Drink or hold.
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8/23/2020 - Lipsman wrote: 95 Points
This Spottswoode is quite easy to drink. It goes down like old school California Cabernet with ripe, tooth furring tannins, full blown cigar box cedar, deep cherry cola, and juicy strawberry lurking in the background. It is higher in alcohol than bottles from the classic period, but there’s plenty of body to balance.
While drinking exceptionally well now, it will last for decades. The tea bag tannin flavor from heavy oak treatment indicates that this is still 8-10 years away from maturity. Did not decant. Try again in 2025.
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8/23/2020 - davidsm Likes this wine: 94 Points
Terrific wine, needed only a quick decant and was ready to go. Should have a decent drinking window ahead of it but no reason not to drink this now. Classic Cab from a top producer.
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7/25/2020 - n2wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous.
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7/11/2020 - pepmi wrote: 88 Points
This tasting echoes that of my last bottle opened some time ago. I am befuddled by Spottswoode Cabernet. Don't get me wrong, we finished the bottle. But... if I were to blind test this wine (for which I paid $125 from the winery) against a $20 Louis Martini Napa Cabernet from my corner liquor store, would I immediately tell the difference?
Not quite as muscular as Spottswoode wines of the early teens (say '13 to '15). Inky dark fruit. More cedar than leather. A wine that commands attention but in the way of Abstract Art as opposed to the Impressionists. Maybe I am drinking these wines a tad on the young side but as I have said before, a great wine is accessible young or old. And I have come to expect greatness from Spottswoode.
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5/26/2020 - doug374 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A smooth and silky drinking cab with light tanins and good fruits. Slightly tilted to sweet-not inappropriate- just an element different than the Opus '08 we had the previous night. Should be good for another 10 years
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5/2/2020 - beau11 wrote: 94 Points
Drank over 2 days. More cool weather fruit profile, but with a rich backbone. Still some tannin which suggests the wine could still improve. Nicely made wine
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3/24/2020 - R.Jos.Valent Likes this wine: 97 Points
Absolute Brilliance!
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12/26/2019 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 96 Points
This bottle was performing much better than the last I had. Double decanted 2 1/2 hours prior to serving and the consumed over about an hour and a half. There were a few dregs I was able to eliminate during decanting. By the end of the evening it was absolutely singing! Delicious, balanced and no where near over ripe. No need to rush as this has years of enjoyment ahead of it but if you want to open one up try decanting for 4+ hours.
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11/9/2019 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 90 min and drank 2.5 hrs. Blackish red in color. Napa say hello to BDX in near perfect mix and harmony. Nice inky and glycerin feel without being heavy or viscous. Tannins and oak nicely integrated. Nose of tea, blackberry, blueberry, red fruit and cinnamon. Palate was beautiful mix of red and black fruit, red cherry, black cherry, faint black raspberry, black tea and cinnamon and a med to long finish. A bit of heat on the finish appeared near the end of the bottle, holding the score back.
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6/4/2019 - R.Jos.Valent Likes this wine: 96 Points
Another great experience from what I deem a first growth new world wine.
3 hour open air decant and enjoyed over the course of 24 hours. This bottle evolved every couple hours. Rich cassis & Blue fruits. Followed by a very lengthy dusty baking spice flavors. Highly enjoy these wines and will continue to support them.
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2/9/2019 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Orange at the rim. Black fruits on the nose and in the mouth. Big full but still some tannin to resolve. Long finish. Drink now with steak or wait a couple of years
I have 12 bottles left and am going to wait another year to try again.
Have had the 2009 multiple times and find it superior to this vintage by quite a bit
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1/25/2019 - jgreco Likes this wine: 100 Points
he 2008 Spottswoode is characteristic of many wines in this vintage which feature cool weather notes. Floral black currants, tobacco, and fennel seductively draw you into a wine that leaps to life with tremendous energy on the palate. Dense with black and red fruit, this wine is everything I love about Spottswoode and Napa Valley. A dusty tannin finish that lasts minutes. The 2008 drank well after a slow oxidation over the course of the day. It could easily go another 3 decades.
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12/25/2018 - pepmi wrote: 87 Points
For the life of me I can't figure out this wine. For Christmas dinner, we paired the 08 Spottswoode with an '89 Chateau Olivier, which was hands down the winner. Twenty years younger and a quarter of the price, the Olivier was young, vibrant and well balanced.
The Spottswoode comes across as all that is wrong with the Napa Valley. Deep, dark, brooding and dense with fruit. A narrow tasting profile and hot on the finish. I keep hoping that things will improve with age but that's perhaps a pipe dream. Since I have plenty more Spottswoode and a variety of vintages, I am hoping this is a one off bad vintage rather than suggestive of a downward trend of this storied winery. Time will tell.
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12/18/2018 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Orange at the rim. First night tasted like it was on the downhill run. Today after sitting in the fridge overnight. Full bodied. Still has a hint of being downhill from here. Not much bouquet but nice upfront black fruits carrying across the palette to a 35 second finish. Will try again over Xmas to confirm if I need to drink up my case
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10/21/2018 - pepmi wrote: 85 Points
This tasting echoes my negative notes of a year ago. I wish it was different (and like others who have had much better experience with this vintage of Spottswoode). This wine lacks any of the beauty, suppleness and balance I've come to expect from Spottswoode. Over the top dead weight. There hasn't been any positive evolution in my view despite impeccable cellaring. May not hold onto my remaining six bottles. Too bad.
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9/13/2018 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 95 Points
It appears my opinion differs from some of the recent reviews of this wine. This vintage, at this point in time, I think is one of the best Spottswoode’s I’ve ever had. I actually emailed the wonderful people at Spottswoode to tell them so. My past experiences with other vintages is that I’ve typically had them either too early or too late. The 2008, right now, is just stupendous.
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8/25/2018 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hrs and drank over 2.5 more. Early on showed coffee notes but subsided into heavy red berry notes. Good not great, could use 3-4 more years. The acid left in this tells me it has 10-15 more years left. Got whooped by an ‘05 Montelena
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8/4/2018 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Somewhat disappointing as I usually really enjoy Spottswoode Cabs. Very nice nose with floral notes and the initial pallet of black fruit and spices is delicious if not fully developed from a 1.5 hour decant. Unfortunately the very good acidity acted as a springboard for some burning alcohol. The 14.5% abv is not hidden at all by the fruit or mineral flavors.
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4/20/2018 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 93 Points
2008 Napa Cab Retrospective (Fresno): 93+ Identified by a few tasters in our group as spottswoode, classic cab character with a crazy long finish. This is another I think will continue to improve with time.
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3/18/2018 - EM_MB wrote: 94 Points
Slow ox 6 hours. Well integrated, earthy, brown fruit. So much better than previous bottle from a couple of months ago. Really really good juice!
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11/23/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow ox for 3 hrs. Earthy and bright red fruit, complex yet linear. Earth, cherries, cinnamon. A really great wine for a supposed off year.
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8/7/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 95 Points
I think PEPMI either had a bad bottle, or did not aerate it long enough. When I opened this bottle, it was muted, and somewhat quiet, lacking any expression or energy. It was the hoof beats in the distance of a possible Dothraki army, but showing nothing. Like, what's the fuss? After an hour, though, it was Daenerys and Drogon gloriously raining fire on on the poor Lannister army. Ohmygosh, Wow!! What a transformation! Breathtaking. Even though I'm not usually one to decant, this wine does need decanting at this stage. I think this vintage will last another 20+ years easy. Hours later, I'm still tasting all the density of sweet red berries, dried, baked, aromatic jammy black and blue fruit and dark espresso and mocha. This is very pure St Helena cabernet.
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6/2/2017 - pepmi wrote: 85 Points
This wine is not going in the right direction. The '08 Spottswoode lacks finesse, balance and restraint. In a tasting note from about a year ago, I had hoped that the wine would pleasantly evolve but this bottle suggests otherwise. The imitative target appears to be more Harlan than First Growth. When the fruit leaves a fruit bomb, all you are left with is a bomb...
Hoping this is not a vineyard/winemaker trend as I have cases of later vintage awaiting in the cellar.
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4/1/2017 - tkoby11 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Radiant and transparent Cabernet showing excellent purity and very good typicity and acidity. Spottswoode is always so consistent for me and always so impeccably pure. The 2008 is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc that shows beautiful Cabernet traits, something the best Napa wines excel at. What many wines in Napa do not necessarily excel at is revealing the terroir of site, this vintage of Spottswoode shows terroir in spades. Cassis and currants, a dash of mocha, a touch of graphite and rock, with white floral and violet aromatics in the background. A nice streak of minerality shows up on the mid-palate and finish. The tannin are ripe, full bodied, but fine and supple. The acidity here is key, it elevates the aromas, as well as adds lift and energy to the palate, while refreshing the finish.
@spottswoodewinery makes some of the most consistent and honest wines from #cabernetsauvignon not just in Napa but the world. #spottswoode #cabernetsauvignon #sthelena #napa #spoton
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3/24/2017 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Much better than last bottle....delicious
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1/15/2017 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal notes. That said, if this is an "off" year from Spottswoode then I understand why Parker thinks of them as a Napa "First Growth". A bit redder and twinge sweeter than what I was expecting. Nevertheless very full, complex, rich and totally wonderful to experience. I had the 2010 last weekend and while this didn't quite get to that level, it was terrific and has a long life ahead. Can't say enough about this label.
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1/1/2017 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still has a long ways to go, classic wine
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11/16/2016 - Justinwine wrote: 94 Points
I love Spottswood Cabernet and the 2008 is a very good example of why. Perfectly delicious.
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10/12/2016 - stconner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened & let it breath in the bottle for about 90 minutes before drinking. This wine is still very young and has plenty of life left. Very dark in color & great nose. Fruit forward & very smooth. Smooth translates into elegant which is how others describe it. However the low rating is due to no finish. It has a great mid-palate, but then nothing on the finish which is very disappointing.
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10/8/2016 - Rubinstein wrote: 96 Points
Elegant and petfectly balanced
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9/19/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Medium/full bodied and on the elegant, refined side of the style range, there is good freshness, purity of fruit and smoky, earthy blackberries to please the palate. But the same level of refinement and plush, polished fruits found in the best vintages is not present.
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5/16/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Knightsbridge 30th Anniversary Party (The Bristol - Chicago IL): From magnum. black cherries and berries with dark chocolate. Still very young. Lots of elegant acidity and tannins provide brightness and help this come across with great restraint. Very good upside and potential.
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5/7/2016 - pepmi wrote: 88 Points
My last tasting in 2013 concluded this wine was way too young to drink and three years later, it is still too early. I'd push back your drinking window by 5 years.
The wine is big, heavy and with plenty of dark fruit. I am hopeful that the Spottswoode poise and balance will show through in future tastings down the road. Early tastings have not suggested the ultimate expression of this wine.
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4/29/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chocolate , mocha cinnamon, some wood on the nose. Palate was smooth and delicious with some blue fruit, and coffee and mocha notes.
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4/15/2016 - kgh wrote: 94 Points
Great depth of fruit and concentration. This has a lot of complexity already, but I think is still developing. Violet, cassis, blackberry, and hint of tobacco. Probably should decant if opening now, which I did not do.
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2/26/2016 - Billiken Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine. Definitely needs time. Should have decanted.
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1/30/2016 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Dark fruits and some beef on the nose. The palate has high acidic pitch with some sweet dark cherries and connamon. Good wine.
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12/12/2015 - yayinski wrote: 96 Points
Last bottle and always so hard to let go! Explosive nose of ripe, warm fruit, with spices, cassis, some pepper. Big, fleshy and sexy on the palate. Supple, yet not overwhelming.
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11/14/2015 - Wineson Likes this wine:
I only got one glass. So, not enough to score.
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4/22/2015 - Cristal2000 Likes this wine: 95 Points
SO much better on day 2. This wine is massive, and it is killing the baby to drink it without a very long decant. Notes of oak and licorice at first, with dark berries to follow. Fantastic, long and intense finish. Had I rated this day 1, it would have been 91pts. It has a long, long life ahead. No need to rush.
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2/1/2015 - Rubinstein wrote: 96 Points
Great wine. Still Young, but definitely drinkable now
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12/3/2014 - anonymoose12345 wrote: 87 Points
Welp. Just not that impressed. Sweet dark red fruit with lots of heat and tannins.
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6/23/2014 - domco wrote:
A bit tight at first, but within an hour this had really come together. Very dark in color, lots of blue and black fruits and hints of cedar (?) and tobacco. Looonnnggg finish. Can see many years ahead of this one still. Certainly pricey though... not sure i'll take the plunge too often.
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3/13/2014 - jaxpaj wrote: 94 Points
Had side by side with '11 Pott Arsenal. I scored both 94 even though they are completely different wines.. This is ready to drink and either at its prime or just beginning to slide. The tobacco and mineral notes are becoming more prominent and the tannins are fully integrated. A perfect pairing with steak.
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1/31/2014 - bobh22314 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big full bodied wine. Purple to the rim. Not much of a nose at this stage, however, tons of fruit with a long finish. some Oak but very well integrated. Still some tannins to smooth out but drinking very well for such a young wine with very little of the grappy taste so often found in young california cabs. Two bottles consumed in a weeks time with friends who had the same impression as I did. Will leave this one for a couple of years before I crack the next bottle and drink over the next 10 to 15 years.
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11/21/2013 - kgh wrote: 93 Points
This still has some prominent tannins that I think will soften with time. It is dark and full-bodied, with notes of blackberry, licorice, and pepper. Nice structure and balance.
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11/14/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 96 Points
A superb fruit - actually so balanced and enjoyable I am quite amazed. The wine is best described as elegant, lovely and clean. The oak is slightly visible and adjoined by a fully integrated palate. There are some tannins present but they just add to the overall positive impression. Compared to other vintages, the 2008 appears as a bit lighter on its feet. (Tasted in a flight with 2007 - 2010 Spottswoode)
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11/4/2013 - iamandyc wrote: 93 Points
This is a beautiful blueberry cobbler experience. Blue fruits are fresh in a balanced package that is silky yet somewhat viscous in your mouth. Wanted to score higher but it was slightly marred by a sharpness to the woody tannin on the midpalate that follows through to the finish. Not highly complex yet. Still tastes young with room to improve in the cellar.
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10/22/2013 - Christeenie69 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black currant, blackberries, spicy French oak, long finish.
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9/27/2013 - Uglypinga wrote:
Big chocolate nose with raspberries, cassis and a little beef. The palate has lots of dark fruit, cranberries, beef and drying tannins. Great wine. Needs time.
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9/9/2013 - xtian Likes this wine: 96 Points
Rich balanced napa cab. Almost felt like a blend, although bottle indicated only cab. Classic long cab with tremendous class and phenominal richness.
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6/25/2013 - Justinwine wrote: 92 Points
Young and not fully developed. Will be great in a few years.
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6/23/2013 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blueberries and black currants, good acidity and serious tannins, very well crafted wine, come back to this wine in 5-10 years.
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6/20/2013 - shadow wrote: 97 Points
Pop and pour
Nose is all fresh fruit.
First sip, the fruit hits.
At first its noooo, to fruity.
Than like cherry pie the crust kicks in and your chewing and loving it.
Sip some more, wow, opening up faster than a lap dancer with a short song.
Third sip, wow, nice, easy to love fruit, tannins that sell it, long crazy smooth finish.
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3/13/2013 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 95 Points
Roses and cherries on the nose. Complex yet smooth and delicate, soft oak with a lengthy finish. Overall very good wine.
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1/10/2013 - Share 67 wrote: 96 Points
Every bit worth this rating and it's still a baby. Give it plenty of time to decant today. Dark fruit with a small hint of chocolate. Nice floral hint on the nose as well .
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1/5/2013 - pepmi wrote:
Opened way too early. Tight as a drum. Unable to decipher much at all. The color though is as black as night.
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11/25/2012 - Justinwine wrote:
Don't be tempted to drink this wine now as it will certainly benefit from at least 3 more years in the bottle.
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11/12/2012 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 Points
WOTN, against 09' 'Etain.
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11/4/2012 - Rubinstein wrote: 94 Points
Big wine.
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10/10/2012 - UTPK wrote:
Had the Ridge Monte Bello 2008 and Spottswoode 2008 together. The difference was very big. Spottswoode was bigger and broader both on the nose and palate, and the Ridge was more focused and elegant, with a higher minerality which the Spottswoode lacked all together. The Spottswoode had dark berries, chocolate and plums on the nose, where the Ridge had more classic cabernet notes. I clearly prefer the style and colder climate of Ridge. You can clearly sense that Santa Cruz mountains is very different from St Helena on the Napa valley floor.
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9/22/2012 - Rob MacKay wrote: 94 Points
Showed just as good, if not better, then it did when I last had a bottle about 18 months ago. Love the texture, elegance and balance of this wine.
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9/5/2012 - JohnOnWine wrote: 95 Points
Outstanding. Would have liked more tannic structure.
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8/30/2012 - jaxpaj wrote: 92 Points
For me this was a distant 3rd in the blind tasting. Out of balance and much more rustic than I remembered. Worn leather and oak dominated the wine. 2 of the 8 people LOVED this wine.
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8/29/2012 - chatters wrote:
Voyager Estate Masterclass 2012 (Officers mess, Victoria Barracks, Oxford Street, Sydney): Nose cream, vanilla and muted black fruit, slight dusty, slight cherry
Mouth Jammy red and black fruit, Christmas cake, sweet spice, dry, savoury. Oak there but non-intrusive. Bit warm on the finish. Very well balanced though. Good.
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8/21/2012 - DavidDay wrote: 93 Points
Blueberries and black currants, good acidity and serious tannins, very well balanced, needs time.
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7/4/2012 - Amerique wrote: 96 Points
An absolutely great California Cab. Rich, delicious black cherry fruit with toasty oak, vanillin, dark chocolate, currant, and cassis flavors, excellent structure, ample tannins, layers of complexity, long finish, very Margaux-like in style, one of the best Spottswoode Cab's that I have drunk
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6/30/2012 - mister wine wrote: 94 Points
A tremendous wine. Black fruit and cherry nose. Plum, vanilla, and caramel palate. Nice finish. Opened up like a champ. Paired with grilled steaks and va va va voom.
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5/20/2012 - mactheknife wrote: 94 Points
This is a young Spottswoode that needed time to open up; decanted and had the first taste after an hour; big and a bit disjointed in the beginning; continued to improve and consolidate over the next hour. Loads of potential here. Just need a little patience. The last sip was the best by far. Classic Spottswoode structure and elegance by the end of the bottle.
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5/6/2012 - jasonkle wrote: 97 Points
One of the best cabs I have had in last year. Smooth. Rich and flavorful.
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2/25/2012 - jaxpaj wrote: 95 Points
Once paired with Thai the wine exploded. Was WOTN for 1 of the 3 of us.
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2/18/2012 - El Tej wrote: 97 Points
Tight at first. Benefitted from a 1 hour decant. Nose of barbecue and spice. Good concentration, mouthfeel. Notes of cherry, vanilla. Fine integrated tannins. Nice effort from Spottswoode.
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2/15/2012 - kstoddard wrote:
Backward. Black fruit with loads of chocolate. Rustic green chewy tannins. A huge wine that needs time tocome around.
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11/8/2011 - jaxpaj wrote: 96 Points
Initially I was disappointed. Popped and poured, medium to light bodied, no depth but classic Spottswoode flavors, a very elegant wine. Went head to head with Realm ToKalon 08 and both of these wines did a 180. After an hour the Spottswoode opened up into a monster of a wine. Excellent depth and an unending finish. Best Spottswoode I have had.
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10/29/2011 - alr6767 wrote:
K&L Napa 'Big Boy' Tasting (K&L San Francisco): I don't know what it is about Spottswoode, but I never seem to catch a bottle drinking that well. Closed nose, something I couldn't make out that others seemed to think were flowers. Toasty, closed palate. Med+ acidity, medium mouth feel. I recognized some uplift on the finish which was pleasant, but was overwhelmed by drying tannin. Feel like this will be a late drinker.
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10/15/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 96 Points
See previous note, after an hour decant this was drinking beautifully. Complex, well balanced, terrific fruit long finish.
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10/9/2011 - tkoby11 wrote: 96 Points
Seamless, drinking scary good right now. Well integrated and ripe tannins should allow this to age for many, many years.
92% cab sauv, 8% cab franc, 100% French oak of which only 65% was new wood.
Color: deep purple red, with red edges
Nose: black currants, black cherry, graphite/pencil lead, mocha and savory mint note
Palate: zesty black cherry and currants, licorice, seamless palate, superb length, ripe and exceptionally integrated tannins, and a good dose of acidity round out the experience.
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10/7/2011 - tkoby11 wrote: 96 Points
Seamless, drinking scary good right now. Well integrated and ripe tannins should allow this to age for many, many years.
92% cab sauv, 8% cab franc, 100% French oak of which only 65% was new wood.
Color: deep purple red, with red edges
Nose: black currants, black cherry, graphite/pencil lead, mocha and savory mint note
Palate: zesty black cherry and currants, licorice, seamless palate, superb length, ripe and exceptionally integrated tannins, and a good dose of acidity round out the experience.
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9/24/2011 - winopops3 wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine. Nose of dark fruits, tobacco, carries through to the palate with dark chocolate. Tannins fairly soft. Not a rough edge to be found. Decent length to the finish. After rabbit aerator and some decanting.
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9/3/2011 - JJB007 wrote: 98 Points
after a baked potatoe it is better- it is all chemistry
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6/3/2011 - MattMauldin wrote: 98 Points
Winery tour tasting. Loads of aromas- cherry, tobacco, leather, cracked pepper, cedar, red currant, with subtle spice. Profoundly elegant flavors and mouthfeel- silk, tea, black currant, black cherry, leather, cigar box. Seamlessly layered balance. perfect weight and presence. Fine tannins that are firm and gripping. Long finish. Awesome to taste now, but I won't touch this for many years.
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5/23/2011 - Rob MacKay wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Consumed over a period of 3 or 4 hours. Excellent mix of ripe fruit, a touch of vanilla and a great silky mouth-feel. Just a hint of eucalyptus on the nose. Seemed to close up a little bit with aeration, if that's possible. Hold for a few years for sure. A notch or two below the 07, but still quite nice.
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5/20/2011 - Clarkmeister wrote: 96 Points
Cracked my first bottle of 2008 last night. 96 points. Intense fruit with rounded off tannins, very balanced with a lengthy finish that comes in a wave just a hair after the midpalate. The fruit was balanced out nicely with some earthy layers that added some depth and (as usual with Spottswoode) gave this more character than your standard "Napa Cab" profile. Gorgeous wine.
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4/19/2011 - Schrader wrote: 97 Points
This wine going to be better than '07....it was sofa king good
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4/11/2011 - Clarkmeister wrote: 97 Points
Better than the incredible 2007? Maybe in a few years. On a weekend in Napa where I consistently preferred 2008 cabs to 2007 cabs due to increased structure and acidity,without sacrificing fruit, I think the 2008 Spottswoode may ultimately surpass the 2007, which I love and is pretty dang incredible right now.
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10/2/2010 - sdwineguru Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark garnet; earthy, smoky, berry and wood nose; balanced; good fruit, well-structured tannins; long flavorful finish. w/beef.
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