2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Very dark shaded garnet. Very muted, light nose that grew in the glass. Then sweet, fully formed fruit with lightly tarry finish. At peak? Still a little fine tannin on the end. Hint of mint. A big contrast to the 2011 – very much a Napa wine though much fresher than many. Plump but super-clean on the end. (JR)

(14.5% alcohol): Bright medium ruby. Some distinctly roasted notes to the aromas of cassis, black cherry, blackberry and dark chocolate, but aeration brought more vibrant violet and menthol nuances. Moderately sweet, plush and fine-grained; seriously extract-rich wine with concentrated, ripe flavors of dark berries, spices and violet. Finishes chewy and very long, with building but nicely buffered granular tannins. Much livelier in the mouth than on the nose, with little sign of overripeness. A second bottle showed a slightly darker color and a fresher nose, plus very concentrated, well-delineated flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, dark chocolate and minerals. This very suave sample finished with a restrained sweetness, smooth tannins and resounding savory length, spreading out horizontally to coat the teeth and palate. The 2008 Spottswoode is showing more depth and less pepperiness today--not to mention greater depth--than the bottle that was part of my extensive vertical tasting at Spottswoode in 2016. It has a terrific future.