2017 Spottswoode "Estate" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

“The 2017 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is absolutely fantastic, and one of the highlights of the entire vintage. 2017 presented its challenges, with hail, hot summer temperatures and wildfire, but Spottswoode was able to complete harvest before the fires began and they had no impact on the wines. The wine itself is composed of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot which spent 20 months in French oak (60% new). The result is a seductive wine that displays a wonderful combination of elegance and power. Aromas of ripe blackberries and currants are woven together with fresh florals, spices, cocoa powder, pipe tobacco, graphite and hints of dried which sage all take shape beautifully. On the palate this is just as impressive, offering a gorgeous medium to full body, with a velvety texture that is concentrated and focused. Structured, balanced and complex this is a stunning wine that has the potential to evolve gracefully for decades, however it will require a bit more patience before it hits its stride. (JD)” (11/2020)

“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. (LPB) 97+” (10/2019)

“A sheen of vivid, juicy blackcurrant and mulberry readily subsumes the stalky herbal notes on the nose. Rising grainy tannins cleave the fruit close; the oak (60% new) is seamlessly integrated. Elegant and well-structured, with lifted violets to the persistent and refined finish. Much more yet to give. Hails from the Novak family’s organically farmed estate, certified since 1992. (SA)” (11/2022)

“One of the wines of the vintage, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate shows what a great terroir and winemaking team can do even in very challenging vintages. Offering full-bodied aromas and flavors of jammy cassis and blackberry fruits as well violets and tobacco, it has wonderful tannins, a seamless texture, and a good spine of acidity. This is a classic, balanced, impeccably put-together Spottswoode that will keep for 25-30 years.” (05/2021)

“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.” (12/2019)

“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! (AG)” (01/2020)

“This is from the producer’s organically farmed estate and blended with 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. A beautiful, elegant and youthful wine, it offers seamless texture and integration, quiet hints of blueberry and black currant and a hint of cocoa powder. Gentle in nature and approach, it has a complex depth and more to say. *Cellar Selection* (VB)” (02/2021)

“Features a sleek and racy edge, with damson plum, bitter cherry and black currant fruit working together, revealing pinpoints of savory, sage and iron scattered throughout. The mouthwatering finish shows the vintage's slightly brambly grip, but with superior integration and energy to most of its peers. (JM)” (07/2020)

“89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (60% new).Especially deep purplish crimson right out to the rim. Not much nose yet. But if you dig, there is an iodine note buried in there. Rich and ripe with a dry finish. Quite a bit of ripe tannin. A certain stoniness. Glamorous bordeaux? 18/20 points (JR)” (11/2022)