Spottswoode’s estate vineyard in the heart of St. Helena, itself in the heart of the Napa Valley, is nothing short of a national treasure. The Cabernet Sauvignon (with a splash of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot) off this magical vineyard is consistently among the finest produced each vintage in the valley and no doubt some of the best in the world. The 2011 is a stunner, exhibiting aromas of cassis, blackberry and spice, with a note of cedar and a bold bit of new oak. This wine needs time, perhaps as much as a decade, to even begin to approach maturity and reach its full potential.
Spottswoode, St. Helena (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
By Robert Whitley