2021 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Buying options
Tasting notes
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon needs a fair bit of shaking to wake up notes of blackcurrant jelly, black raspberries, and mulberries, leading to hints of cinnamon stick, red roses, and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate is tightly knit with bold red and black fruit notes and provocative mineral sparks, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic tension, finishing long and layered. It's another WOW vintage for Spottswoode! The blend includes 9% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.
Critic scores
Average Score
James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent
More reviews and scores
This offers a gorgeous display of pure, unadulterated mulberry, boysenberry and plum fruit puree flavors that glisten as they move along, throwing off light accents of anise, violet and hibiscus along the way. Inlaid with an underlying fine-grained structure in the form of sleek threads of iron and alder, this shows tensile strength while extending through the long, refined finish. Drink now through 2045. 3,739 cases made.
Slated for a September 2024 release, Spottswoode's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon comes across as more vibrant, floral and fresh than the 2020. Violet and cassis notes are accented by hints of crushed stone and pencil shavings on the nose. Hugely complex yet harmonious, this medium-bodied effort is firm but silky in feel, with a long, elegant finish. Lovely stuff.
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with 8% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. Scents of creme de cassis, mulberries, and juicy plums jump from the glass, giving way to an undercurrent of licorice, lilacs, crushed rocks, and clove oil. The medium-bodied palate shimmers with bright, vivacious black and blue fruits, framed by firm yet super-ripe tannins and amazing tension, finishing long with loads of mineral, baking spice, and floral layers. This is pure electricity!