Winery - Spottswoode
* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The bouquet is a bit flat at first, offering nothing more than white stone fruits and pear. Green melon is amplified by a dose of white pepper on the palate, while the finish is layered and solid; it’s the best part of the wine by far.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
A sturdy young Cabernet showing great harmony and class. It’s fresh in ripe tannins, very poised and balanced, with a great depth of cedary blackberry fruit. This is really classic Napa Cabernet, so elegant, and a great food wine.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Feels a bit common and rustic now, with uneven tannins and some green, minty flavors alongside riper notes of cherries and blackberries. Nicely dry, and shows a certain pedigree, but doesn’t seem quite ripe enough for the long haul.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Not quite as ripe as the '03, this bottling has grass and hay notes alongside melons and figs. It's a dry, polished, elegant wine, easy to drink, and with quite a lot of complexity.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Opening aromas range from well-ripened blackberry fruit to leaner, herbal notes of peat, green olive and dried leaves. Vanilla, caramel and smoke are contributed by oak. Feels creamy and dense in the mouth, with solid tannins, and finishes long, with a trace of bitterness.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Tasted in a big lineup of St. Helena Cabernets, Spottswoode’s magnificent ’05 stood out. It’s a massive powerhouse, explosive in black currant, cherry pie, plum, chocolate, anise and cedar flavors that are detailed and precise. However, the wine, which was blended with a little Cabernet Franc, is graceful and balanced. Drinkable now due to its softly refined tannins, but has the integrity to ride out the years. Easy to find, with 3,896 cases produced.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
The ’04 Spottswoode shows the enormous ripeness of the vintage, with lush currant, blackberry jam, chocolate-covered cherry candy and spice flavors, plus an earthier note of sweet green olive tapenade. For all that voluptuous flavor, the wine maintains great structure. Very good now, it will gradually evolve through at least 2012.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Another fabulous ‘01 Napa Cab. This beauty maintains a pleasing balance between the sheer power of its well-ripened cherry and blackberry fruit flavors, and an earthy quality grounded in firm tannins and good acidity. Totally balanced, dry and harmonious, this Cab exudes elegance and style. Drink now through 2015.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
If you don’t mind a little cat pee, you’ll find some pretty aromas and flavors in this wine: figs, lemongrass, green apple, white peach, honeysuckle, spice. It’s definitely on the sweet side, although crisp acidity helps balance it.
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* Expert NoteJanuary 12, 2012
Terrific Sauv Blanc, rich, dry and complex. Brims with citrus, fig and melon flavors, with riper tropical fruit notes and an oaky veneer. Perfect with shrimp in risotto and goat cheese.
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