2014 Spottswoode Estate

Wine Advocate, Robert Parker 96+ POINTS An extraordinary of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume. This first-growth estate in St. Helena has produced a 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon that is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% and 5% Petit Verdot. It is certainly one of the wines of the . Gorgeously opaque purple, it offers up notes of spring flowers, blueberries, blackcurrants, some baking spice and graphite. It is full-bodied, concentrated and rich, with layers of fruit. The wine builds and builds on the palate, with a great finish of 45+ seconds. This is a sensational 2014 to drink over the next 20+ years. (December 2016) ————— Wine Spectator, James Molesworth First impressions of more than 20 young wines, along with a few library , from 5 Napa all-stars. • • • • Spottswoode: A Quintessential Story There’s a delicacy to the Spottswoode Cabernet, but the wine is no pushover. Sneaky long and with tensile strength, it’s a yoga pose held for minutes, in stark contrast with the stereotypical Napa Cab's bodybuilder reps. It has a uniquely pure feel, and while it’s in a less “obvious” style, its ageability is clear. The wine, like the estate, has the reach to connect Napa’s past to its future. • • • • The 2014 shows the character of the vintage that is steadily winning me over as the most intriguing of these past three big years, with notes of sagebrush and savory amid the tightly focused cassis and plum flavors. The wine has a bit more tension than ’15 and ’16, with the mineral edge piercing the finish and adding extra length. (November 2018) ————— Wine Enthusiast, Virginie Boone 98 POINTS Cellar Selection: Classic; the pinnacle of quality. Nuanced, with 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, this is a quietly powerful wine, smooth and structured and immediate in its beauty, yet possessed of legs to cellar for 20-plus years. Crushed flowers and rocks open on the nose, providing a clutch of minerality, as grippy tannins support red currant, plum and a freshness of persistent acidity. Try to wait on this one. Best 2024 through 2034. (April 2018) ————— Food & Wine, Brian Freedman Balanced and regal, with blue fruit and blackberry, sweet spice, excellent acidity, and a lingering finish that boasts both flowers and haunting mineral notes. Elegant, concentrated, and unforgettable. (October 2018)