Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Another outstanding example from this consistently high quality performer, Spottswoode's 1995 stood out in my barrel tasting as one of the strongest efforts of the vintage. Although tightly wound, it exhibits an opaque purple color, and a tight but gorgeous nose of blackcurrants, vanilla, minerals, and a touch of smoke and blueberries. Medium to full-bodied and impeccably well-balanced, this wine's structural components (acidity, alcohol, and tannin) are beautifully meshed together with the lavishly rich fruit that is presented in a medium to full-bodied format. This should turn out to be a textbook, classic Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that admirably balances elegance and power. Rating 92-95.
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Wine Spectator
A complex web of mature currant, cedar, mocha and plum are ripe and vibrant, with a hint of wild berry jam peeking through on the finish. Impressive for its balance and integration of tannins, which are supple.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.