Spottswoode 2020 Family Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley

Situated on the western edge of St. Helena in Napa Valley, the Spottswoode Estate terroir is ideal for winegrowing. The alluvial clay loam from the Sulphur Creek fan provides superb drainage while cool maritime breezes passing between Spring Mountain and the Mayacamas range allow the fruit to ripen evenly.

Originally established in 1882, the Spottswoode Estate has a distinguished history in Napa Valley. Stewarded by second-generation sisters, Beth Weber Novak and Lindy Novak, our 42 acres are planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon, with small blocks of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc.

At Spottswoode, grape growing and winemaking are intimately linked. In addition to the health and resilience organics and biodynamics have brought to our vineyard, the individual attention given to each block contributes to the consistent quality and unique characteristics of our wines.

Winemaker Notes: Our longstanding practice of picking our estate fruit when perfectly ripe meant that, serendipitously, our fruit was harvested by September 26. While our yields were down due to drought conditions, the quality and concentration of the fruit at harvest was excellent. Young and present, this is an energetic and bold expression of violets, lavender, and cassis mixed with dark chocolate, cherry, plum, and graphite. A wine happy to be tucked away in the cellar, and it’s also expressing itself beautifully now.