2020 Spottswoode "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, with 3% Petit Verdot and 0.5% Cabernet Franc in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. It charges out of the glass with notes of blueberry preserves, redcurrant jelly, and boysenberries followed by suggestions of cumin seed, star anise, sandalwood, and fragrant earth. The medium-bodied palate is delicately crafted, with beautiful freshness and silky tannins framing the soft-spoken black fruits and earthy layers, leading to a long and minerally finish on this very pretty wine. (LPB)

If there is one thing I learned early on at K&L it's that the best thing you can do when collecting wine is follow the producers that you trust. K&L has a five decade history of just that, sticking with the folks that make consistently excellent wines regardless of what vintage specific, seasonal challenges come their way. Nothing could be more reflective of that strategy than looking at Spottswoode's 2020 Estate Cabernet. 2020 was obviously a challenging vintage with tragic reasons already well documented. However, there are plenty of excellent wines to be found and this is one of them. This wine has everything you expect from Spottswoode - stunning varietal typicity, layers of flavor, a refined, elegant structure, vibrant, fresh acidity, and precise balance and poise. Despite being remarkably well integrated and approachable when I tasted the wine first in April and again last week, I'm sure this wine will also age beautifully in the cellar for those lucky enough to secure some. Spottswoode is a small vineyard with a very finite production level, our allocations typically go very fast and we can rarely get additional wine after release.