- Publish Date: Apr 1, 2010
Spencer Cook, a 14 year old boy from Santa Rosa, CA, is being hailed as the youngest winemaker to produce what some critics are calling a “perfect wine.”
His second bottling, The Amulet of Kroog Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 (named for his favorite Magic the Gathering card) was recently poured for a family friend and wine writer who, according to his parents, “thought the wine was among the best Napa Cabs he’d ever had” and later gave it 98 points in his local column.
Spencer has grown up watching his mother and father make wine in their garage since he was old enough to crawl and has been a part of the winemaking process ever since. With close friends in the industry, their family has had access to select fruit from Napa’s premiere vineyards each year, leading to wines that have always been celebrated by friends and family, but not like this.
At age 14 Spencer is taking AP level science classes and will be eligible to graduate high school after his freshman year. He has already been offered jobs at several boutique wineries but his parents are hoping he will attend college first (likely UC Davis).
Ratings from major critics will be printed next month, but in the mean time, Spencer will be competing in Magic the Gathering tournaments and also likes to enter free-style rap and slam poetry contests.
To read more about Spencer, the Amulet of Kroog, or his thoughts on winemaking, check out this exclusive Daily Sip interview with the world's best winemaker, pound for pound.
