2006 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc
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Tasting notes
(14.1% alcohol; includes 5% semillon) Bright, pale yellow. Pungent, high-toned aromas of grapefruit peel, pineapple and minerals, with a hint of tropical fruits. Rich and fat but with lovely harmonious acidity giving shape to the brisk fruit flavors. This boasts a very sexy fruit sweetness. Spottswoode has been rapidly increasing the percentage of this wine that comes from Farina Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain: from just 15% in 2005 to 40% in 2007. (The '07, tasted from tank just before bottling, showed even livelier lemon blossom and grapefruit peel aromas; a more delicate and perfumed palate impression; and a very suave, fine-grained finish. Winemaker Jennifer Williams told me she cut back on the amount of skin contact with this vintage. This wine should merit 91-92.)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
One of Napa Valley’s reference point wines remains Spottswoode’s Cabernet Sauvignon. However, readers should not overlook their brilliant Sauvignon Blanc. The 2006 continues a nearly unbroken record of great success with this varietal. Sumptuous aromas of honeyed grapefruit, flowers, and melon jump from the glass of this lovely white. A fruit-driven effort buttressed by good acidity and an undeniable minerality, it will offer abundant pleasure over the next 1-2 years. Previously recommended: 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (94), 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (97). Tel. (707) 963-0134; Fax (707) 963-2886
(tasted from tank just before the bottling) Pineapple, spices, flint and minerals on the rather crisp nose. A juicy, intense midweight, with cool mineral, mint and menthol notes complicating the fruit flavors of raw pineapple and grapefruit. This comes across as suppler than the 2005 but with very good acidity. Finishes with excellent length. Beginning in 2005, Spottswoode has added some fruit from the relatively cool Farina Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain (the percentage of this component was up to 35% in 2006), which consultant Rosemary Cakebread said contributes structure and lowers the pH of the blend.
About the producer
Spottswoode is one of those rare Napa estates whose reputation rests less on volume or spectacle than on persistent exactitude. Set on the western edge of St Helena, where the Mayacamas rise and afternoon breezes temper the valley’s warmth, the vineyard occupies a favoured pocket of the appellation.