2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
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Tasting notes
Dark ruby in color, with just a bit of lightening at the rim, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon offers up striking aromas of damp moss, loam and black cherries, framed by hints of cedar and vanilla. It's medium to full-bodied, rich and velvety in feel, with a long, complex finish redolent of dried spices. It should drink well for at least another decade, probably more.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Lot 47. Very deep crimson. Ripe and aromatic – sort of Margaux-like. Lovely perfume. Extremely well-managed tannins which are almost smothered in nuanced fruit with real character. Cool and fresh – another wine that is not remotely like the Napa caricature. Dances! Light balsam character and beautiful balance. Utterly sensuous. (JR)
A favourite Napa estate of mine, one that is always a pleasure to taste, and it is exceptional in the 2014 vintage. Inky plum on colour, with savoury blackberry, pencil lead, and cigar box spice on the attack, with still firm but supple tannins. As it opens, sweeter black cherry, kirsch, earth, espresso, cocoa powder and tobacco leaf notes become clearer. Tasted with Alexandre Schmitt, the perfumer-turned-wine-consultant, and I love the extra dimensions that he brings to discussing the evolution of wine in a glass.
The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate shines for its incredible purity of fruit, and it shows the vintage’s seamless, supple, incredibly charming, and approachable style. Perfumed notes of red, blue, and black fruits as well as white flowers, graphite, and spice define the nose, and it has a great mid-palate, velvety, supple tannins, no hard edges, and both breadth and length. It’s still a baby yet offers incredible pleasure. Given its balance, it’s going to evolve for 30-40 years.
About the producer
Spottswoode is one of those rare Napa estates whose reputation rests less on volume or spectacle than on persistent exactitude. Set on the western edge of St Helena, where the Mayacamas rise and afternoon breezes temper the valley’s warmth, the vineyard occupies a favoured pocket of the appellation.