Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Leading with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, followed by small amounts of Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, this is a structured, savory and sleek wine. Blackberry, cocoa powder and a light grip of tannin are balanced and elegantly layered across the lengthy palate.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Spottswoode Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon offers an incredible glimpse at one of the best red wine grapes in the world. TASTING NOTES: This wine brings aromas and flavors of blackberries, scorched earth, dried fruits, oak, and a hint of perfume into the mix. Enjoy it with thinly-sliced, grilled beef in a mix of fresh garden greens. (Tasted: June 6, 2021, San Francisco, CA)
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Jeb Dunnuck
A wine well worth purchasing and cellaring, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst sports a dense purple hue as well as classic Cabernet notes of blackcurrants, Asian spices, violets, licorice, and tobacco. Beautifully rich, full-bodied, and concentrated, it's one heck of a second wine that can be drunk today or cellared for 15-20 years.
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James Suckling
Black plums, blueberries, chocolate, cloves and dried leaves. Black olives, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins. Chewy, generous layers of dark fruit and chocolate. Try from 2022.
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Wine Spectator
There's a well-endowed core of warmed cassis and steeped plum fruit here, splashed with a sassafras note and backed by roasted applewood and melted black licorice on the finish. Rich in feel throughout. Best from 2022 through 2034.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The deep purple-black colored 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Lyndenhurst comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant scents of fresh blackcurrants, black raspberries and Morello cherries plus hints of lavender, pencil lead and bouquet garni with a touch of Sichuan pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is charged with electric energy, framed by grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing with great intensity and purity.
Spottswoode is an historic, family-owned estate vineyard and winery located on the western edge of St. Helena in Napa Valley. The estate was established in 1882 by George Schonewald, whose historic Victorian home is depicted on the label. Spottswoode was christened by Mrs. Albert Spotts, whose family owned the property from 1910 until its purchase in 1972 by Mary Weber Novak and her husband, Dr. Jack Novak. After Jack died unexpectedly in 1977, Mary carried out their shared dream, and Spottswoode’s debut Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1982, exactly one hundred years after the estate’s founding.
To ensure the highest quality, Spottswoode is dedicated to producing a handful of wines in very limited quantities: Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Lyndenhurst, and Field Book. The winery's goal is to produce exceptional, well-balanced, structured wines that exhibit texture, elegance, consistency and the ability to age well.
The 40-acre Spottswoode Estate Vineyard is an ideal terroir for growing wine grapes. Situated on the apex of the Sulphur Creek fan, the alluvial soils comprised primarily of sandy clay loam provide superb drainage. The gap between the Mayacamas Range and Spring Mountain admits cooling maritime breezes that temper the sun’s heat, creating an ideal microclimate for winegrowing. Among the first to introduce organic farming practices in the Napa Valley in 1985, Spottswoode is proud to have enjoyed the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certification since 1992 and Demeter Biodynamic Certification since 2020. Spottswoode is also Napa Valley’s first Certified B-Corp winery.
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.