Spottswoode Spottswoode Family Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 750ml

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc and 4.0% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs of lot of swirling to unlock the most gorgeous perfume of bright black and red cherries, fresh blueberries and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of roses, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Medium-bodied, elegant and tightly wound, the palate shimmers with SO MUCH energy, featuring layer upon layer of floral, savory and crunchy black fruit notes, finishing long and minerally. This is a remarkably poised, seemingly effortless beauty that cannot fail to make your jaw drop. Forget it in the cellar for a good 3–5 years, at least, to allow all those nuances to fully emerge and then savor it over the next 30 years+. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Pure black currants on the nose with an incredible al dente grape character. It’s almost like grape must. Undertone of ink and violets and sandalwood. Perfumed. Hints of spearmint. Full-bodied, but so well-formed and reserved. A touch of mint on the palate with dark fruits. It is very complete and reminds me of the classy Spottswoode 2001. I keep being impressed with the purity of fruit with the earthy undertones and stones. Savory. A fitting 40th anniversary wine. 90% cabernet sauvignon, 7% cabernet franc, and 3% petit verdot. Best after 2027.

Slated for a September 2024 release, Spottswoode's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as more vibrant, floral and fresh than the 2020. Violet and cassis notes are accented by hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings on the nose. Hugely complex yet harmonious, this medium-bodied effort is firm but silky in feel, with a long, elegant finish. Lovely stuff. (Joe Czerwinski)

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.

Moving to the Grand Vin, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals a deep, dense purple color as well as a primordial nose of ripe black fruits, cassis, camphor, scorched earth, violet, and lead pencil aromas and flavors. Reminding me of a young Leoville Las Cases with its closed, dense, structured style, it's concentrated, has a pure, layered, focused style, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It needs 5-7 years of bottle age and will evolve for 30+ years. The blend of the 2021 is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Petit Verdot.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is another incredible wine from this reference point estate in the Valley. Based on 89.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5 % Cabernet Franc, and the balance Petit Verdot that was raised in 65% new French oak, it has that classic Spottswoode refinement and elegance as well as medium to full-bodied aromas and flavors of cassis, tobacco, sandalwood, and flowers. I don’t think this hits the heights of the 2013 or 2016, but it shines for its flawless balance, remarkable purity, and great finish. It’s going to have 30 years of prime drinking. There were 4,184 cases produced, and readers will love to have this in their cellar. (Jeb Dunnuck)

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic wine off this estate. Bright and floral, with silky tannins, the 2021 is exceptionally finessed and so elegant. I can't remember another vintage like it. I wouldn't dream of touching a bottle anytime soon. The 2021 spent 20 months in barrel, 60-65% new, mostly French, with a touch of Hungarian wood. (Antonio Galloni)

This offers a gorgeous display of pure, unadulterated mulberry, boysenberry and plum fruit puree flavors that glisten as they move along, throwing off light accents of anise, violet and hibiscus along the way. Inlaid with an underlying fine-grained structure in the form of sleek threads of iron and alder, this shows tensile strength while extending through the long, refined finish. Drink now through 2045. 3,739 cases made.

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. (Jeb Dunnuck)

A bright, effusive wine, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is all finesse. Bright aromatics, vibrant red berry fruit and mid-weight structure give the 2019 its charming, sensual personality. I am surprised to see how open the 2019 is at this stage. I imagine it might close down a bit post-bottling, but the 2019 has superb balance to go with a real feeling of openness, at least today. Red/purplish berry fruit, rose petal, lavender and sweet spice shape the inviting finish. (Antonio Galloni)

Ripe blackberries, blackcurrants, cocoa powder, dried thyme and walnut husk on the nose. It’s full-bodied, chewy and compact with firm tannins and a broad, muscular palate. Structured, polished and well balanced. From biodynamically grown grapes. Try after 2024.

This wine shows pretty fruit and a rather soft texture. It’s not overly full-bodied, so it's a vintage that's drinkable young. Aged in 65% new oak. Mild, creamy, layered tannins. Easy and gorgeous. Drink now.

Not shy, this throws a pretty lush and gorgeous wave of warmed cassis and mulberry puree at you, carried by very polished tannins as violet, red licorice and sweet tobacco hints fill in behind. Shows good energy through the finish, too, with a subtle mineral hint to keep everything honest. Lovely. Drink now through 2037. 4,184 cases made. (James Molesworth)

Looking at the flagship, it's a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised all in barrel. Its deep purple hue is followed by classic notes of crème de cassis, new leather, graphite, and spring flowers. This carries to a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, layered, elegant Cabernet that will benefit from 5-6 years of bottle age, which is incredibly rare for a 2022 and will evolve for two decades.

Blackcurrants on the nose with licorice and mint undertones. Medium-to full-bodied with with medium, round and polished tannins and a fresh finish. Tight-grained tannins. Classic Napa feel to this.

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. (James Molesworth)

Delivers seductive flavors of mulberry, boysenberry and blackberry compote, along with gently singed alder, anise and black tea notes, plus flashes of iris and ink. Shows the more sedate energy of the vintage, but with range, form and definition. An impressive effort. Drink now through 2035. 3,800 cases made.