2022 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon, Family Estate Grown, St. Helena, Napa Valley

$284.99, shipping included

“When I think of what St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon should be, I often think of Spottswoode. The wines are simply classic.” Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

Can you believe there have been 42 vintages of Spottswoode Cabernet? I remember the first I tasted, a bottle of the 1984 I discovered in a small wine store in Hawaii that I carefully brought back with me to Tokyo where, to celebrate my joining the wine business in 1989, I opened it with some good friends. I can remember it like it happened yesterday! I’ve been proudly to selling Spottswoode since I first joined PRIMA in 1994 where they’d been selling it since its very first vintage. The 2022 is yet another truly fabulous vintage for this always elegant, always ultra-polished icon. We could write volumes about how much we respect the people behind this Saint Helena institution and how thoroughly we are impressed with the way they manage to not only so proudly represent the Napa Valley’s past but also stay so relevant to its future. In short, though, all we can say is Bravo to this small family concern that values integrity above all else. While we find it hard to recommend a lot of wines in this price category, this is a wine we know you’ll be very glad to have in your cellar.

Lisa Perotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent 97+ points: The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon sports a deep garnet-purple color. After a little swirling, expressive notes of blackcurrant jelly, kirsch, and juicy plums emerge from the glass, leading to touches of crushed rocks, iron ore, lavender, and cloves. The medium-bodied palate had a rock-solid backbone of firm grainy tannins and wonderful freshness supporting the densely packed black fruit layers, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. Exemplary. 

James Suckling 96 points: This week’s report reinforces the view that many delicious, effusive wines were made and that the vintage offers pleasure in spades….the 2022 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, an icon for elegance in a classic Napa style, This wine shows pretty fruit and a rather soft texture. It’s not overly full-bodied, so it’s a vintage that’s drinkable young. Aged in 65% new oak. Mild, creamy, layered tannins. Easy and gorgeous. Drink now. A must buy. 

Jeb Dunnuck 95 points: Looking at the flagship, it’s a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, raised all in barrel. Its deep purple hue is followed by classic notes of crème de cassis, new leather, graphite, and spring flowers. This carries to a medium-bodied, beautifully balanced, layered, elegant Cabernet that will benefit from 5–6 years of bottle age, which is incredibly rare for a 2022 and will evolve for two decades. Outstanding wines. These wines are outstanding for their type and are worth the extra effort to seek out. 

Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media 95 points: Spottswoode remains a benchmark in Napa Valley. Proprietor Beth Novak Weber and longtime winemaker Aron Weinkauf turned out some of the most compelling wines I tasted during my fall trip. The estate has been farmed organically since 1985 and biodynamically since 2008, well before these practices became the mainstream concepts they are today. That focus on long-term resiliency, including no watering pre-veraison, was crucial in 2022. Weinkauf picked young vines early, as he felt those did not have the carbohydrate storage, root systems and canopies to withstand the heat. Most of the core blocks for the Spottswoode Cabernet came in after the Labor Day heat spike. Weinkauf reported no major changes to his approach to sorting or vinification. The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderfully classy, polished wine. Today, the 2022 comes across as a bit soft, but it is such a charmer. Rose petal, bright red cherry/plum fruit, cedar and mocha build nicely in the glass. This comes across as a bit quiet, but all the estate signatures are present. It’s an exquisite wine from Spottswoode.