97+ Points: "Made of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color and prances out of the glass with vivacious
blackberries, crushed black cherries, warm black currants and red currant jelly scents plus exotic hints of cassia, cardamom, fenugreek and star anise with a waft of underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate has fantastic energy and beautiful poise, with bags of bright, crunchy black and red fruit plus a firm, fine-grained texture, finishing long and spicy Drink dates 2021 to 2052.” – Lisa Perrotti-Brown, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate (October 2019)
96 Points: “Spottswoode's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon has been simply tremendous on both occasions I have tasted it so far. Sweet red cherry, red plum, flowers and mint give the 2017 striking freshness to complement its decidedly mid-weight structure. The intense heat of the vintage caused ripening to slow down and yielded a wine with just 13.7% alcohol, which is low for both the estate and Napa Valley in general. Spottswoode was one of the first estates in the valley to adopt a more moderate approach to farming and that really paid off in 2017, as a wine of this level in that year could have only resulted from impeccable farming. In a word: magnificent!” – Antonio Galloni, Vinous (January
2020)
96 Points: “A soft, velvety red with dark-berry, blackcurrant and plum aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied, creamy and delicious. Pretty tension of fruit and tannins. Very refined. 89% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. Drink or hold.” – James Suckling (February 2020)
96 Points: “Looking at the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which was bottled two months prior to my tasting, it too has a Château Margaux-like complexity and elegance, with beautiful notes of crème de cassis, sandalwood, dried flowers, tobacco leaf, and
lead pencil. Harvested all pre-fire, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and remarkable purity, all making for a quintessential Spottswoode that’s going to benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and keep for 20+ years.” – Jeb Dunnuck (January 2020)
FROM THE WINERY
2017 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2017 growing season was one of extremes.
The year began with a welcome wet winter after a five-year drought, only to be followed by hail in June and a very hot summer. Catastrophic wildfires broke out in early October, the day after we had finished picking our Estate fruit.
In spite of the weather extremes, we crafted an honest and truly exceptional expression of our site in 2017, and we attribute this to the resilience of our Estate Vineyard. This resilience is a function of our long-term responsible stewardship of the land, which we farm with the greatest sensitivity, intentionally building health into the entire system. Great vineyard sites are rare, and part of defining them is their ability to ripen fruit that allows for a consistently extraordinary wine. Our 36 vintages of Spottswoode Cabernet are a testament to this. This is why, as Robert Parker wrote after tasting a full vertical of Spottswoode (vintages 1982–2014), “This tasting, which took place in August 2016, was a phenomenal look
at what is truly a Napa first-growth estate.”
Winemaker Notes: Youthful energy and concentration take center stage for the 2017. Quintessential notes of brambly blue fruit and graphite complement warm oak spices and hints of plum, celery seed, and cocoa powder. A weighty and compelling core lead to a layered depth that will follow this wine through the long and dynamic life that it is destined for.
SOURCE OF GRAPES: Spottswoode Estate Vineyard Organically farmed since 1985 APPELLATION: St. Helena, Napa Valley OAK PROFILE: Aged 20 months French oak barrels (new 60%) BLENDING DETAIL: Cabernet Sauvignon 89%, Cabernet Franc 7%, Petit Verdot 4%
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