100 Points - limited Limited Release from Spottswoode, one of California's Best Cabernet Producers. 100 Points Robert Parker: "Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Spottswoode explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crushed blackcurrants, fresh blackberries and wild blueberries with hints of cardamom, lilacs, incense and fragrant earth, leading into wafts of pencil shavings and crushed rocks. Medium-bodied, elegant and yet so, so intense, it has layers of bright crunchy fruit and mineral sparks galore, framed by exquisitely ripe, finely pixelated tannins, finishing very long and energetic. Wowsers." 100 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "One of the wines of the vintage, as well as a legendary Napa Cabernet that will compete with anything out there, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate reveals a deep purple hue as well as extraordinary notes of pure crème de cassis and blackberry-scented fruits intermixed with lots tobacco leaf, lead pencil, spice, and hints of flowers. Reminding me of the 2016 with its purity as well as its balance, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, seamless texture, and a blockbuster of a finish. Based on 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, this is a wine you don’t want to miss! It’s going to take 7-8 years to hit its early drinking plateau and cruise for 30-40 years in cold cellars." 99 Points Antonio Galloni: "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon soars out of the glass with stunning intensity. A powerful, regal wine, the 2018 possesses off the charts richness and layers of flavor that build into a dizzying crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures. Bittersweet chocolate, mocha, spice and licorice accents are laced into a core of dark red cherry and plum fruit. The 2018 is a magical wine. That's all there is to it."
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The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is stunning, just as it was last year. A dark, ample, brooding Cabernet, the 2018 offers up the essence of black cherry, plum, mocha, spice, graphite, leather and incense. The 2018 has shut down considerably since I tasted it last year. That won't be a problem in a few years' time, but today the 2018 is decidedly brooding. Even so, it shows tremendous finesse and tons of pure breed. It is without question one of the epic, present-day wines for the estate. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2022)
The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is stunning, just as it was last year. A dark, ample, brooding Cabernet, the 2018 offers up the essence of black cherry, plum, mocha, spice, graphite, leather and incense. The 2018 has shut down considerably since I tasted it last year. That won't be a problem in a few years' time, but today the 2018 is decidedly brooding. Even so, it shows tremendous finesse and tons of pure breed. It is without question one of the epic, present-day wines for the estate. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2022)
9.9Matt Duncan
2018 is stunning!!!
2018 is stunning!!!
9.6Yianni Stone
Sneak preview. Bottled in July. Release in 2021
Sneak preview. Bottled in July. Release in 2021
Joe DAscoli
Huge wine. Took several hours to open up but had intense and beautiful blue and black fruit aromas.
Huge wine. Took several hours to open up but had intense and beautiful blue and black fruit aromas.
9.5Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego
2018 vintage. 10.26.23.
2018 vintage. 10.26.23.
9.5Nathan Renfro
Dark ruby. Loads of cherry and plum, graphite, mocha. Really a fantastic wine. 3.5 hour decant at this point. Supple tannins, gray lush full mouthfeel. Very enjoyable now. But really needs more bottle time, I’ll be letting the rest sit for several years. Still very enjoyable today with a decant.
Dark ruby. Loads of cherry and plum, graphite, mocha. Really a fantastic wine. 3.5 hour decant at this point. Supple tannins, gray lush full mouthfeel. Very enjoyable now. But really needs more bottle time, I’ll be letting the rest sit for several years. Still very enjoyable today with a decant.
9.5WARNING: DRINKING DISTILLED SPIRITS, BEER, COOLERS, WINE AND OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MAY INCREASE CANCER RISK, AND, DURING PREGNANCY, CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS.