2013 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
At ten years of age, the 2014 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon is still an infant. Cinnamon, orange peel, mint, lavender, rose petal and dried flowers give the bouquet a gorgeous, exotic character. Medium in body and persistent, the 2014 shows the more linear style of the year. All the elements are so well balanced. It's a super-classic wine from this reference-point St. Helena estate. (AG)
Critic scores
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Nicely developing at 10 years, this shows enticing earth and tobacco leaf aromas, then turns tighter and more fruit-focused on the palate. Good tension and acidity with racy, fine-grained tannins and pure black cherry and creme de cassis flavors. Has a long life ahead of it. (JG)
The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is regal. Just starting to show aromatic complexity and openness, the 2013 is so impressive. Black cherry, plum, mocha, new leather, licorice, incense and dried herbs all build in the glass. The 2013 possesses remarkable depth and muscle, with all the tannic heft that is such a signature of the year. There's a bit more oak influence in the 2013 than there is today, but it works within the style of the wine and vintage. This heady Cabernet packs a serious punch.
Dark ruby in color, with just a bit of lightening at the rim, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon offers up striking aromas of damp moss, loam and black cherries, framed by hints of cedar and vanilla. It's medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety in feel, with a long, complex finish redolent of dried spices. It should drink well for at least another decade, probably more. (JC)
About the producer
Spottswoode is one of those rare Napa estates whose reputation rests less on volume or spectacle than on persistent exactitude. Set on the western edge of St Helena, where the Mayacamas rise and afternoon breezes temper the valley’s warmth, the vineyard occupies a favoured pocket of the appellation.