Spottswoode Estate Visit
Visit Date: December 16, 2024
Tasting Guide
Molly Sheppard
Global Sales & Environmental Manager & Winemaker
Molly Sheppard made my recent visit to the estate truly remarkable. Born and raised in Victoria, Australia, Molly has been surrounded by wine for most of her life. After gaining experience at wineries in Victoria, Margaret River, and the Yarra Valley, Molly ventured to Napa Valley in 2017. During my visit, Molly’s knowledge and enthusiasm were palpable as she guided me through the historic vineyards and winery in the wet, chilly winter Napa weather. Tasting the wines alongside someone with such an intimate understanding of their creation was inspiring. Molly’s fresh perspective and passion for sustainability and terroir-driven winemaking made it an experience to remember.
The Wines
Reds
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Known for : Historically, a second wine that used the younger vines. Now known as a collaboration wine.
Rating: Excellent+
Profile: This is a dry, full red wine that has assertive, grippy tannins with flavors of fruit and oak. The wine is youthful from a classic vintage.
Tasting Note: Quiet. Confident. Vibrant. An elegant wine with a plush mid palate; the tannins build and assert themselves through the finish. Black and purple fruit leaning. As the tannins fade, bay and sage with tart plum show themselves. Massive potential.
Capture the Vintage: 2021 was a calm, warm growing season with drought stress. The wine succeeded: with drought stress yielding high concentration / intensity and the warm season-with no major heat spikes-resulting in generous and precise fruit character.
Composition: A blend of all 5 Bordeaux varietals yielding a mid palate texture that is more plush with tannins that don’t assert themselves until the finish.
*Tasted on December 16, 2024
*Find details about Rating Scale and Wine Profile System at the bottom.
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Known for : Flagship wine.
Rating: Outstanding.
Profile: This is a dry, full red wine that has assertive, grippy tannins with flavors of fruit and oak The wine is youthful from a classic vintage.
Tasting Note: Elegant. A wine that requires a moment to discover. A dark, concentrated, precise wine with the estate signature aromatics of boysenberry, lavender, sage and pine. Plenty of flesh on the mid palate that hides the presence of powerful tannins that present themselves in full force on the finish. Allowing time for the tannins to fade leads to the rediscovery of a minty character. Impactful.
Capture the Vintage: 2021 was a calm, warm growing season with drought stress. The wine succeeded: with drought stress yielding high concentration / intensity and the warm season-with no major heat spikes-resulting in generous and precise fruit character.
*Tasted on December 16, 2024
*Find details about Rating Scale and Wine Profile System at the bottom.
White
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Known for : “Super Sauvignon.” Flagship White. Since 1984.
Rating: Very Good.
Profile: This is a dry, lean, racy white wine with flavors of fruit, mineral, and oak. The wine is youthful from a classic vintage.
Tasting Note: A wine with great intensity. The nose displays an impressive spectrum of tart tropical fruit, to grassy herbaceous with great precision and clarity. Seamless and lightweight on the entry and through the palate, finishing with phenolic grip and tingling acidity that holds onto floral and citrus zest flavors. Impactful. The acid on the finish is a tad bit aggressive holding this wine from greatness.
Capture the Vintage: This wine successfully captured the season. 2023 was long and cool. With California’s generous sun, the wine displays a wonderful array of ripe fruit. The cooler year allowed the wine to maintain tension between fruit profile: ripe and tart.
*Tasted on December 16, 2024
*Find details about Rating Scale and Wine Profile System at the bottom.
The Winery
In 1999, Spottswoode expanded its legacy with the construction of a new winery designed by Backen & Gillam Architects, led by the renowned architect Howard Backen. Known for their expertise in creating wineries that harmonize with their natural surroundings, Backen & Gillam incorporated beautiful wood elements into the design, creating a warm and inviting space that blends seamlessly with the historic charm of the estate. The winery was completed just in time for harvest and stands as a testament to their dedication to both functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Backen & Gillam Architects have also designed other iconic wineries, including Harlan Estate, Ovid Winery, and Ram's Gate Winery, earning acclaim for their ability to integrate natural materials with practical winemaking needs. In 2000, the firm received the Napa County Landmarks Association award for "Exemplary New Winery in a Historic Setting", highlighting the significance of their work at Spottswoode.
The Estate Vineyard
The Spottswoode Estate Vineyard, located on the well-draining gravel soils of the St. Helena bench, benefits from exceptional farming practices and the thoughtful use of canopy management. These techniques, combined with the vineyard's age, ensure that tannin ripeness is achieved with ease, while preventing wines that are overly high in alcohol or sugar.
Even during rainy seasons, as observed during my visit, the vineyard’s excellent drainage prevents flooding, maintaining optimal conditions for the vines. This iconic vineyard, paired with Spottswoode’s quietly powerful winemaking style, has consistently produced wines of elegance and balance, staying true to its timeless philosophy through the years.
Trellis System
During my visit to Spottswoode, I observed the vineyard’s thoughtful trellis system, which plays a crucial role in managing the vines in St. Helena, Napa Valley’s second warmest AVA.
Despite the cold weather during my visit, it was clear that this system can provide abundant shade from large, healthy canopies (essential for protecting the grapes from excessive heat). A modified Vertical Shoot Positioning (VSP) system is used, featuring two cross-arms angled at 30 degrees. This design allows the canopy to grow abundantly, providing optimal shade while simultaneously helping to shield nearby vines.
Farming & Vine Age
During my visit to Spottswoode, I noticed the presence of irrigation systems in the vineyard, which are used sparingly and only as necessary. In the drought-stress year of 2021, which produced exceptional quality wines, the team employed rain-mimicking irrigation early in the season to support the vines before veraison.
The vineyard has a long history, being continuously planted since 1882, but the current vines date back to the 1990s. This replanting was required after phylloxera affected the vineyard due to the use of AxR#1 rootstock, which proved vulnerable. Despite these challenges, the vineyard’s age and meticulous care have ensured its ongoing legacy as one of Napa Valley’s most iconic sites.
An Homage to the Prohibition Era
During Prohibition, the Spotts family, who owned the estate from 1910, adapted to the ban on alcohol production by diversifying their agricultural activities. They cultivated mushrooms in the mansion's basement and raised frogs and snails to supply local restaurants with these delicacies.
The statues of snails and frogs on the property today serve as charming reminders of this resourceful chapter in Spottswoode's rich history.
Gallery
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Perfection
Outstanding
Excellent
Very Good
Good
Neutral
Mediocre
Poor
Very Bad
Undrinkable
*The rating scale I use for wines is simple and personal—it reflects the pleasure a wine gives a person at that specific moment, focusing on enjoyment rather than rigid criteria.
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Red Wine Structure
Sweetness: Dry / Off-Dry / Sweet
Body: Lean / Full
Tannin Quantity: Subtle / Assertive
Tannin Quality: Velvety / Grippy
Flavors
Fruit
Mineral
Oak
Earth
Vintage
Solar = sun-drenched years marked by abundant sunshine and elevated temperatures, higher alcohol, more rich and ripe.
Classic = moderate temperatures, even ripening, well balanced
Cool = lower temperatures, higher acid, lower alcohol, more delicate and fresh.
Age
Youthful = Fresh and Vibrant. Primary and minimal influence from aging.
Developing = Freshness and emerging complexity.
Mature = Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary are all on display.
Tertiary = Minimal traces of primary fruit remain.
