1983 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
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Tasting notes
Production was slightly larger in 1983, which was also 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike the first vintage that was made at Hafner Winery, this was made at Robert Pepi. It wasn’t until 1999 that the winery was completed and all wines after that were produced and bottled at the estate. The 1983 shows a dense garnet color, notes of licorice, underbrush, a hint of charcoal and earth, slightly more rustic, but light tannin, medium-bodied, chunky and somewhat monolithic. It is close in quality to the 1982, but the ‘82 wins out on pure elegance and finesse.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Good full red. Currant, spices, flowers, cigar box and leather on the nose, along with a faint weedy quality. Juicy, spicy and slightly green; rather lean but still full of life. Shows a constricted quality that suggests acidification and finishes with a minty note. No shortage of energy here but a bit screechy--and turned drier with air. Another vintage that never quite blossomed in bottle.
Light crimson with a particularly pale rim. Warm and even a hint of mint, as well as the spice. One of the most obviously ‘hot’ noses with a strong mineral streak. Lots of acidity – drying out a bit on the palate. Desperately needs mild flavoured food. Dry and tart on the finish. The last vintge that acid was added. (LM) (JR)
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.