1986 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
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Tasting notes
Tony Soter , a big proponent of organics, unusual then in Napa Valley, made this fifth anniversary vintage. 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. Yummy, rich and mellow. Mature rather than old but the finish is just starting to dry out with the acidity coming to the fore. The balsam note again but it’s still lively and lovely with a filigree quality. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Made in the early days of Spottswoode. Contains 6–7% Cabernet Franc. Magnum, recorked 2017. Classic cassis aromas and still quite a tannic imprint, underneath which is some rich, convincing fruit that’s not overdone though the fruit is definitely in retreat. (JR)
With an identical blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Cabernet Franc, the 1986 seemed to have less character and aromatic intensity, with possibly a touch of oxidation in the nose. Once it hit the palate, it came alive showing charcoal, smoke, roasted herbs, blackcurrants and loamy soil undertones. This medium-bodied wine is fully mature and should be drunk over the next 4-5 years.
Dark, evolved red. Currant and licorice on the nose, plus an inviting floral element. Lovely penetrating, firm wine with harmonious acidity shaping its flavors of currant and tobacco. Not a fleshy Cabernet but restrained and elegant, and still with life ahead of it. This was a sleeper vintage, noted Beth Novak Milliken, adding that "the 1985 was more meaty and in your face."
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.