2017 Spottswoode, Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena 3x150cl

Spottswoode: A St. Helena Aristocrat

Situated in the historic heart of the St. Helena appellation, Spottswoode Estate is universally celebrated as one of Napa Valley’s most elegant, refined, and historically significant family-owned wineries. The estate’s modern renaissance began in 1972 when the late Mary Novak purchased the historic property, initially selling her premium fruit to prominent local producers before releasing the inaugural Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982 with the help of legendary winemaker Tony Soter. Today, the estate is brilliantly directed by Mary’s daughters, Beth Novak Milliken and Lindy Novak, alongside highly skilled winemaker Aron Weinkauf. Recognised as a pioneering force for environmental stewardship in California, Spottswoode was one of the very first estates in Napa Valley to embrace organic farming in 1985, achieving formal certification in 1992, a philosophy that remains the foundational cornerstone of their meticulous viticultural programme.

The Chateau Margaux Of Napa

The defining winemaking philosophy at Spottswoode has consistently defied the modern Napa Valley trend of high-octane, over-extracted, and heavily oaked Cabernet Sauvignon, earning the domain its enduring reputation as the “Château Margaux of Napa.” Sourced from 40 acres of deep, alluvial, and clay-loam soils positioned gracefully at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains along Sulphur Creek, the fruit achieves spectacular physiological ripeness whilst retaining a vibrant, electric natural acidity. In the cellar, the grapes are treated with fastidious, non-interventionalist care, undergoing fermentation in a combination of stainless steel, concrete, and French oak uprights. The flagship red is subsequently aged in a restrained proportion of new French oak barriques (typically around 60%). This patient, precise regimen yields a wine of profound architectural symmetry, matching a seamless, velvety mid-palate with highly polished, fine-grained tannins and a complex, floral lift of blackberries, violets, and graphite.

The Blue-Chip Collector Status Of Spottswoode

The monumental global prestige surrounding Spottswoode is anchored by a relentless dedication to site-specific transparency and old-school pedigree. The domain’s reputation is headlined by its iconic Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, an aristocratic, long-lived masterpiece that seamlessly integrates small percentages of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec to enhance its aromatic and structural complexity.

Alongside the Grand Vin, the estate produces an exceptionally highly regarded second wine, Lyndenhurst, which offers a slightly more accessible but equally terroir-driven expression of the property, as well as a benchmark, high-tension Sauvignon Blanc that routinely ranks among the absolute finest white wines in North America. Through uncompromising agricultural discipline, rigorous canopy management, and a steadfast refusal to chase passing cosmetic trends, the Novak family guarantees spectacular consistency across varying vintages. These tightly woven masterpieces possess immense cellar longevity, purpose-built to unfurl gracefully over several decades. To find out more, click here.