...extraordinary effort. Still youthful, backward, and immensely promising, this rich, powerful, concentrated wine displays sensational extract, admirable purity, layers of ripe black-cherry and cassis fruit, fine integrated acidity for focus, and sweet, ripe, tannin in a lengthy finish. Unevolved and young, it is capable of 15 more years of cellaring. I have always felt this was one of the finest Cabernet Sauvignons Spottswoode ever made, and this tasting confirmed those thoughts. California's answer to Chateau Margaux? Drink it between 1998-2015. Wow! (4/ 1995)
The California wine community rejoiced with the picking and first tastings of the 1985s because it appeared that we had found a French-like year in which elegance and balance with lovely, refined fruit would give us some of the finest wines ever seen. Well, it has not turned out that way in the long run, but Spottswoode's '85 does come closer to Bordeaux in its tobacco-scented maturity than we normally see in these parts. It is to be drunk up now and will yield real pleasure in its atypical complexity. Two stars when first reviewed. (4/ 2007)
Particularly pale with lots of brick to orange on the rim. Classic mature claret nose. A real trip down memory lane for me of my early days in the wine world - like a 1960s red bordeaux. Again a slight marine/oyster shell note plus a little bit of menthol. Relatively lightweight but lovely balance in a delicate way. Transparent. It made it into the Wine Spectator top 100 wines and put Spottswoode on the map. (11/ 2006)
Ranked #8 on The Wine Spectator's "Top 100" wines of 1988.
Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.
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1999 York Creek Spring Mountain District Meritage $24.99
2002 Dunn Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon $97.99
2001 Heitz Cellar "Trailside" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $79.99
1994 Beaulieu Vineyard "Georges de Latour" Private Reserve Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon $64.99
1994 & 2001 Napa Valley Tasting Lot $120.00
