Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc (375ML half-bottle) 2017
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Wilfred
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: I have enjoyed the Spottswoode Sauvignon Blancs over the last three decades and have always regarded it as one of California's very best examples of this grape variety. The 2017 vintage—amidst a vintage of extreme heat—shows how committed to quality this winery is, and how the team can produce a wine of high quality, given the challenges of any given year. TASTING NOTES: This wine is as pure as this grape variety can be. Its aromas and flavors circle around ripe citrus peel, dried leaves, and frisky minerality. I paired this wine with a pasta dish of fresh clams, garlic, white wine, a few twists of black peppercorns, sea salt, and red pepper flakes. The match was excellent for both the wine and the dish, as well as my wife and me (the diners). (Tasted: August 12, 2018, San Francisco, CA USA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Beautifully interwoven acidity gives this wine a lift of freshness and viscosity in this lovely, 100% varietal white, sourced from several sites, including Stagecoach on Atlas Peak, Hyde Vineyards in Carneros and the Spottswoode Estate. Fresh peach, apricot and wild vanilla are met by textured richness that’s balanced and measured in approach.
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James Suckling
A delicious sauvignon blanc, as ever, showing smoky bacon, pink grapefruit, passion fruit, guava peel and kiwi fruit. Full-bodied and oily, but with real restraint and finesse, thanks to beautifully expressed acidity. Drink now.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Sauvignon Blanc comes from Sonoma Mountain, Knights Valley and about 5% from Napa Valley. It opens with beautifully intense notes of gooseberries, green apples, yuzu and lime juice with touches of mown grass, wild sage and chalk dust. Medium-bodied, crisp, refreshing and packed with zing, it delivers loads of citrus and herbal layers and a long, chalky finish.
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Jeb
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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.