Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum 1.5L 2020
- wa98-100
- twi96-98+
- jd96
- ws93
Category | Red Wine |
Varietal | |
Brand | Spottswoode |
Origin | California, Napa Valley, St. Helena |
Alcohol/vol | 13.7% |
Winery Notes:
Our longstanding practice of picking our estate fruit when perfectly ripe meant that, serendipitously, our fruit was harvested by September 26. While our yields were down due to drought conditions, the quality and concentration of the fruit at harvest was excellent. Young and present, this is an energetic and bold expression of violets, lavender, and cassis mixed with dark chocolate, cherry, plum, and graphite. A wine happy to be tucked away in the cellar, and it’s also expressing itself beautifully now.
Wine Advocate
- wa98-100
Tasted blind, in a lineup that included vintages back to 2010, a barrel sample of Spottswoode’s 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon stood out as being one of the most exciting efforts. Full-bodied, ripe and rich without being overbearing, it delivers concentrated black cherry and cassis fruit framed by supple, velvety-textured tannins. It’s long on the finish, with an attractively soft, dusty-loamy texture and no overt signs of a fire-troubled Napa vintage. 98–100 points
The Wine Independent
- twi96-98+
The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, tasted as a barrel sample, has 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot in the blend. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs with notes of cedar chest, cinnamon toast, and black cherry preserves, leading to a core of blackcurrant pastilles, potpourri, and mocha. Medium-bodied, and big on flavors, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits with a rock-solid structure of firm tannins and lively acidity, finishing long.
Jeb Dunnuck
- jd96
Tasted out of bottle, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate showed beautifully, and it’s certainly in the top handful of wines in the vintage. Offering beautiful red, blue, and black fruits as well as notes of tobacco, violets, and chalky minerality, it has medium to full-bodied richness, ripe, high-quality tannins, and outstanding length. It doesn’t show any signs of smoke taint and is a beautiful, incredibly impressive effort in the vintage that I suspect will evolve gracefully for two decades.
Wine Spectator
- ws93
There's a lot to like about this one, with an expressive mix of singed alder, dried violet and sweet bay leaf notes leading off, followed by a sleek, iron-accented core of warmed cassis and bitter plum fruit. Fine-grained through the finish, with everything knitting nicely. Best from 2024 through 2038. 3,150 cases made.