As you
traverse through your wine life you realize there are a handful of producers
who, over the course of your tasting their wines for years, perhaps decades,
actually never seem to fail. Such is Spottswoode Winery in Napa Valley. I’ve
had the pleasure of tasting their wines for years, meeting with winemaker Aron
Weinkauf at their Napa Estate, and the truth is there is never a bad wine from
their portfolio. Their secondary label, Lyndenhurst - a reference to the
property being named such for a time back in the early 1900’s, provides the
quality of the Spottswoode wines at a lesser cost.
This is a
seamless wine, embracing all the elements of great Cabernet, wood, fruit,
acidity, soil and a deft touch of winemaking know-how. It is both elegant and
gently aggressive. Comprised of Cabernet with small amounts of (in descending
order) Petite Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It offers black
cherry, black berry, light blueberry, rose water, sandalwood, raspberry, vanilla,
cedar and a hint of tobacco. The tannins and acidity support the structure of
the wine without compromising it. This is a wine that commands attention but not
in a bellicose way, rather it nods and smiles at you from across the room,
drawing you close for a personal conversation. 1,826 Cases.
ORIGIN:
Napa Valley,
California
ALCOHOL: 14.5%
PRICE: $85/ 750ML
SCORE: 92 POINTS
Aron and I at the Spottswoode Estate |
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