Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2016
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Wong
Wilfred -
Suckling
James
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Layers of flavor and beauty—juicy and inviting, with a mélange of white peach, guava, and nectarine. A wine of great complexity—there is a sense of creaminess (lemon meringue comes to mind) juxtaposed with a bright freshness that offers lift and vivacity. This is a beautifully crafted wine—expressive, balanced, and sophisticated—displaying all that is best in Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc. A mouth-filling wine of great presence and breeding.
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: For three decades, the Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc has been hidden in the cellar. While the winery's Cabernet Sauvignon ranks amongst the world's finest efforts, its white counterpart has been just truckin' along as its top-notch silent partner. One should never pass up the opportunity to acquire this wine. TASTING NOTES: The 2016 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc starts out showing its alluring aromas of dried citrus, ripe melon, and wild herbs. One begins to feel the wine's vitality as it envelops the palate with exciting energy and persistence. The finish is bright, crisp and lasting. Pair it with linguine and clams accented with the freshest Italian parsley. (Tasted: February 9, 2018, San Francisco, CA)
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James Suckling
This is a bright and linear white with sliced green apple, lemon and mineral. Medium to full body with tangy acidity. One of the benchmark sauvignon blancs of California.
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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.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Reaching up California's coastline and into its valleys north of San Francisco, the North Coast AVA includes six counties: Marin, Solano, Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake. While Napa and Sonoma enjoy most of the glory, the rest produce no shortage of quality wines in an intriguing and diverse range of styles.
Climbing up the state's rugged coastline, the chilly Marin County, just above the City and most of Sonoma County, as well as Mendocino County on the far north end of the North Coast successfully grow cool-climate varieties like Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and in some spots, Riesling. Inland Lake County, on the other hand, is considerably warmer, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Sauvignon Blanc produce some impressive wines with affordable price tags.