Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena

Sheesh I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t have much hopes for a 2000 vintage bought cheap on an auction site. Was happy to pull the cork and see it was perfect. The wine was fantastic. Very fresh. Developed nice fullness in the glass as I drank it over a few hours. Rich California fruit, decent acid and a beautifully plummy cassis flavor. Over the years, Spottswoode holds up as one of the best producers across vintages …

2000 vintage

excellent Cab! Full-bodied with lots of ripe lush fruit and smooth finish.

2008 vintage

Classic balanced and mature Spotts Cab. Plenty of tertiary flavors on the jose. Himts of dark red fruits that emerge on the palate along with more tobacco, cigar box, dried lavender. Still sme soft tannins add to its weight. Long elegant finale. Happy to have two more.

2003 vintage

Pure red fruits, elegant, nice herbaceousness, great length. Awesome wine in amazing condition. I wish more Napa producers made wines in this style.

1999 vintage

Todd’s wine. This one was pretty cool. It was by far the lightest color of any of the old California wines we drank tonight. The color was very light red, limpid with pink edges. It did not give off a lot of aromas early. But when first tasted it showed beautiful, red fruit, leaning heavily towards strawberries and rhubarb. I got an interesting note of a very light vanilla brûlée towards the end. This Wine faded the quickest, but it …

1992 vintage

Splash decanted this 1999 Spottswoode just to clear the sediment and let it stretch a little. Absolutely delicious and beautifully refined, everything you hope for from a 25 plus year old Napa Cab from a top producer. Graceful, composed, and still very much alive. I have five more and plan to enjoy them over the next three years. No rush, but I do not see them getting any better than this sweet spot. Cheers, enjoy life, never save the best …

1999 vintage

Decanted and drank over several hours.

2008 vintage

The second time I have had a cork fall apart with this vintage of Spottswoode. Unusual but I see no reference to this below. On to the wine. Dark crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 14.1% ABV. Gorgeous nose of black fruits, saddle leather, pencil shavings and wet leaves. Medium body with perfect acidity and balance. Tremendous structure and concentration. Currants, cassis, plums and tobacco on the finish. Exceptional length on the finish with …

2002 vintage

Drink side by side with the ‘09. This btl was similar but with a denser palate and a bit of sweetness on the finish. What an exciting night to compare (2) vintages. Thank you Scott.

2005 vintage

Decanted and served and one should take care of the sediment here as well as the cork and a durant is advisable. 3 years since we had this last ( Papies 92) and definitely a better bottle, soft and elegant , well matured , with all the hallmarks of aged claret but with an extra shot of fruit as we are in Napa afterall. Beautiful wine and ever so happy to have a couple of more tucked away. 94-95

1993 vintage

Similar to last time. Quite young and muscular wine. Dark fruit driven bouquet, chocolate, mocha. Long and wonderfully balanced finish, silky with nice sweetness at the end. Many more years ahead.

2005 vintage

2-hour decant; Blueberry, blackberry, cherry; very rich and super smooth; just love this winery; it is so solid. It’s the Haut Bailly of Napa

2012 vintage

Out of magnum. Intense blackberry and espresso. Still a very firm tannic grip but after about an hour a little acidic bite starts to develop at the finish. I don’t think the fruit is going to survive long enough to let the tannins completely melt away or integrate, so my vote would be to drink now. An excellent Napa cab, short of the very best Spottswoode vintages but certainly a good one. Score: 94. Relative to expectations: ++

2005 vintage

For the price. I would buy something else. But excellent bottle. Decanted for 1 hour. Probably needed more time.

2015 vintage

Perfectly aged delicious cab. Tasted blind and everyone thought it was from the '00s so aging well. Opened without decanting and had 2.5 hours of slow ox before the group visited. Well resolved with nice dark fruit complimented with evolving secondary flavors. Cork was perfect but I would suggest a Durand.

1996 vintage

Give to Said Ibrahim

2005 vintage

Napa classic 2005 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate ($80 winery 2007). Mid garnet, rim variation, viscous (14.1 alc.); herbaceous, berry, cassis, mint nose; mid acids; softening tannins; long, balanced, red fruit, berry and wood finish. w/lamb. 17-17.5/92-93.

2005 vintage

Nice bricked colored rim. Ox-blood in color. Leather gloves, mushrooms, cigar box. All tertiary notes on the nose. Smooth tannins. Dry, and some nice acidity showing. Longish finish. Tastes like the nose. At its peak. Drink now or hold 12 months. I think I would prefer this more a little younger. Excellent wine. Drink this cellar temperature to ensure it stays together. Short decant is all that was needed. Leftovers and a thin crust pizza.

2003 vintage

Decanted about an hour, consumed over the next 6. A lot different than other 2012 wines I’ve had, which are generally soft. This wine had fresh, perfumed aroma with assertive tannins and lots of fruit. This could easily have taken a few more years of aging. Quite impressive.

2012 vintage

Blackberry, blueberry, fresh unroasted black coffee, subtle pencil shavings. Perhaps not quite ready yet; biggish in a sculpted, intense fashion with the reserves blueberry and coffee notes on the palate buttressed by substantial tannin. The 14.1 ABV at first shows through but seems somewhat better integrated revisited serially over several hours. Enjoyable, if never quite reaching the next level.

2002 vintage

First of all, this absolutely needed 3 hours in the decanter. I began tasting at 1 hour 15 minutes and literally had to double-check the label to make sure I opened the right vintage, it was so monolithic, reticent, and primary. Ultimately, this remains somewhat reserved but shows notes of cool-toned, NOT-overripe blueberry, blackberry, black raspberry, mint, and a hint of dried brown tobacco and graphite. The finish is long and lovely. The wine is medium-full bodied, lifted, with lots …

2012 vintage

Grand Cru Burgundy with Mike (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.) : From magnum, nose of black cherry, black berry, and hints of chocolate, same on the palate, big body, elegant, very tasty, rich fruit, sweet fruit, at peak-drink soon, long, lovely, rich finish and terrific aftertaste.

1992 vintage

Elegant, refined, deep dark red fruit. Mature but not showing too much age and still some unresolved tannin. I’ll likely wait 10 years to open my next bottle. Shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. Still very primary.

2010 vintage

Via coravin. Surprisingly young. Very dark color, fruit driven nose, muscular wine. Intense bouquet of blackberries, blueberries, black currant, black cherries, chocolate and Espresso. Very long and silky finish. Still at the beginning of drinking window, many years ahead.

2005 vintage

Incredibly, this bottle was fresher than the bottle i drank in 2002! Deep red color with no signs of bricking. Aromas of blueberries, vanilla and oak. Ripe fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and a surprisingly oaky finish. After about an hour the oak resolved and it was a nicely structured, complex California Cabernet in the sweet spot of its maturity.

1997 vintage

This was beautiful - dark fruit, some oak but very well managed. Concentrated, bright, silky smooth on the palate. A fine example of a Napa cab - wonderful with grilled Matsusaka beef.

2018 vintage

This is in a really good place right now, round dark red fruit, crushed florals elegance, layered, silky and persistent . The purity of fruit on this wine always impresses me even on a vintage like 2018.

2018 vintage

Great spot - Drink or Hold.

2005 vintage

The 750s are starting to come around. Consistent with my experience from 375s. This was delicious and easy to pick out as Spottswoode — it hit all the hallmarks. May just be sneaking into a crack in the drinking window, for best result, this is still a hold for me. Went quick so no idea if would have improved with air.

2015 vintage

Full bodied with ample fruit and medium tannins. Marvelous wine.

2008 vintage

Decanted for several hours before drinking. Tannins have resolved and are smooth and silky, dark fruit, leather and smoke. Tertiary flavors and some oxidation. Drink NOW. Black Fruit is dying and starting to turn to raisin and prune after 4 hours in decanter and in glass. Would have not decanted as long.

2005 vintage

Super solid but not amazing. Love the redder fruit and moderate ripeness

2012 vintage

2 hr decant. Classic Napa feel. Blackberry and bing cherry, cigar smoke, anise. Tannins beautifully resolved. Has that Spottswoode elegant balance between fine meshed flavor weave and just enough loose knit feel to keep it from being overwhelming. Bottle says 14.3% abv IIRC but you’d never know it. Nowhere near cracking up. Pure class. Score. 95. Relative to expectations: +++

2010 vintage

The 2012 Spottswoode Cabernet is just beginning to reveal its full potential. Upon opening, the nose still exhibits a slight primary character, but after decanting for 2-3 hours, it transforms into a beautiful symphony of flavors. The wine boasts a gorgeous violet-purplish color, on the palette; mild oak notes, ripe blue berries, and a touch of raspberry. The body is rich and velvety, yet it maintains a delicate and refreshing mouthfeel. The acidity is present, but it harmonizes perfectly with …

2012 vintage

1.5 L bottle, saturated cork, deep Ruby colors, very light and versatile with fully integrated tannin and subtle acidity. Some dried dark fruit notes but still a very lively wine despite being on the back side of its life

2000 vintage

94+ Missing complexity to take it to the next level. Pretty much perfect in every other way. I think another 5 years will do great things to this wine.

2015 vintage

This is open for business! Didn't need a decant or slow ox, but still drinks quite young and benefitted from some time in the glass and swirling. Notes of blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. Slightly thicker mouthfeel, almost reminiscent of a Zinfandel (but very different flavor profile). This is a pretty incredible wine and can go the distance! 93 points.

2005 vintage

Brought to our wine meet with RJN by new friend M. Opened at the table, and immediately singing, but I observed a very different profile than RJN, finding much more red fruit, rose petals and earthy herbality. Lifted, lithe and taut as a crossbow, this is distinctly Old World Napa, much more like the recent Heitz Marthas’ than, for example, the recent Hartwell T5 or the Clif Lede BtK (or even the evening’s Dalla Valle, for that matter). This did …

2005 vintage

A very round and complete wine. Not typical spotty style, excellent blue fruits and depth. Drinking excellent now but think this might be a top vintage in 5-10 years.

2010 vintage

Very surprised this still has typical Bordeaux aromas and flavors 15 year later. Dark berry fruit, oak, slight forest floor, leather, and a perfume I can’t identify. Mild tannins still exist with a finish of black cherry, herbs and hint of blackberry

2010 vintage

There was a surprisingly strong green streak in this wine. Actually, at first, it was all I could taste. Eventually, some dark fruits surfaced, ending up sort of like pyrazine-covered fruit. The body was good, layered, round and a bit soft, the tannins were well-integrated (or melted, as some would described it). For a wine generally described as rich and fruity coming from a very ripe vintage, the flavor profile wasn't what I was expecting (the body matched up to …

2002 vintage

Very solid stuff. Not the 100 point wine that WA had but very good nonetheless. Its my only bottle but I would buy more if I could find it.

2015 vintage

About as good as it gets!

2012 vintage

From magnum, this wine is a bit more primary than the 750ml I tried in 2024. A bit more sweet, fat fruit in the middle, but still a bit of tertiary development starting. A touch of green on the nose carries into the palate, giving a sense of an old world wine the just happens to have extra ripe red/purple fruit.

2008 vintage

Beautiful wine

2015 vintage

Wow. I expected this to be good but at first sip it was GREAT. Bursts with dark fruit flavors and a gripping backbone that is super smooth. Super impressive

2015 vintage

Beautifully fully mature Cabernet. Lovely colour and bouquet. Flavor profile included an earthiness with cassis and dark plum flavours. Great balance and length. A very enjoyable wine.

2000 vintage

brett.

1997 vintage

94-95

2015 vintage

Excellent and in a good spot now.

2012 vintage

Are you sure?

Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena

Vintages

No vintages

Community Reviews