Spottswoode, March 25, 2013

Winery - 7 / Wines - 7
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Elegantly restored farm house.  Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernets, reservations required.
www.spottswoode.com

Now that Spottswoode has completed work on their new hospitality room, they are better prepared to accommodate visitors (by reservation only).  In the past it was quite difficult to sample the wines at Spottswoode, but not any longer.  My traveling companion has long been a fan and supporter of Spottswoode and had been longing to taste the new vintage.  Having never visited Spottswoode to taste, and never having tasted Spottswoode’s premium Cabernet, I was also eager to try them.  So, we slipped past the St. Helena traffic backup via the side-streets and turned onto Madrona Avenue toward Spring Mountain.  Just as the town of St. Helena drops off, you’ll find the Spottswoode Estate on the right.


The old farmhouse at Spottswoode

The first thing you notice pulling into the Spottswoode driveway are the dramatic old oaks shading the parking area and surrounding buildings.  To the left stands the old winery-operations building where the barrels lie in rest behind the old stone walls.  On the right is the old farm house with its surrounding porch, which has been carefully restored and expanded in a way that does not disrupt the architectural continuity.  Inside the main office and reception area, natural light floods in through the windows that line the exterior walls of the area.  Finally, you are seated in the hospitality room where your flight is poured. 


Barrels lie in rest in the old winery operations building at Spottswoode.

 The windows in the tasting room come down just low enough to expose the view of the oaks, foothills, and vine tops from the surrounding vineyards, but block any view of the cars just outside.  The interior is decorated in a warm putty color with white paint on all the woodwork.  A beautiful, long, hardwood table runs the length of the room and its natural finish adds warmth to the setting.


Inside the hospitality/tasting room at Spottswoode

 Our Spottswoode flight consisted of the three wines made at the estate.  We started off with the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (which includes about 1/3 Sauvignon Musque and trace amounts of Semillion).  This was followed by the 2010 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the estate’s second label Cabernet.  Finally we had the 2009 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon, which is the flagship wine at this estate.  Both the Cabernets seemed to need more time to develop.  (I opened a 2004 Lyndenhurst in 2011 and was quite impressed.)  My favorite was the Sauvignon Blanc, which magically combines a sense of crispness and weight – likely attributed to its multiple forms of fermenting and aging (barrel, steel, and cement).

Based on this experience, I would rate the winery as a 7 and the wines offered as a 7.