2006 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
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Tasting notes
25th anniversary vintage. Made by Jennifer Williams with current winemaker Aron Weinkauf assisting for the first time. Mainly Cabernet Sauvignon. Looks very youthful. Sweet, rich and fiery. Really gloriously opulent. Unctuous, velvety and a little saline. (JR)
Critic scores
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Robert Parker
Tom Parker MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
A more mid-weight, charming, elegant wine that lacks the density found in the top vintages, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate nevertheless has wonderful red and black currant fruits, notes of spice, sandalwood, and dried earth, medium to full body, and silky, polished tannins. It’s a wonderfully complex, endearing, classy wine to enjoy over the coming decade.
Established in 1982 and farmed organically since 1985, Spottswoode is a well-established family-owned estate that is now biodynamic. Savoury and smoky on the nose, the fruit has mellowed and taken a graphite edge. The palate is crunchy, with chalky tannins to the fore. Leather and fruit build in tandem, with a cedar note on the back end that adds to the moreish quality in this wine. Finely balanced between sweet and savoury, with a long, driven finish. (TP)
Small, concentrated berries , so tannic that they waited until November to bottle rather than the usual July. Glowing dark ruby. Fresh and vibrant. Such lift and refreshment. Seductive. Denser than the 2008 but still racy and delicate, by Napa standards. Beautiful texture. (JR)
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.