Spottswoode Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (750ML)

98+ WA / 98 WE / 96 VM / 18 JR

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon has a drop-dead gorgeous nose of Sichuan pepper, hoisin, peppered salami and fertile loam over a core of blackberry preserves and redcurrant jelly with touches of kirsch and pencil shavings. Medium to full-bodied and concentrated yet still maintaining that wonderful purity and elegance that is the signature of this estate, it has layer upon layer of earthy nuances and a very long finish.LPB - The Wine Advocate

Nuanced, with 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, this is a quietly powerful wine, smooth and structured and immediate in its beauty, yet possessed of legs to cellar for 20-plus years. Crushed flowers and rocks open on the nose, providing a clutch of minerality, as grippy tannins support red currant, plum and a freshness of persistent acidity. Try to wait on this one. Best 2024 through 2034.” – Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast

Spottswoode 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is striking. Black cherry, plum, graphite, spice and menthol are some of the signatures. Intensely mineral and savory, the 2014 comes across as a slightly restrained version of the 2013. The flavor and tannin profiles are both quite similar, but the 2014 is a bit smaller-scaled in all of its dimensions. That is not a bad thing, as the 2014 will be ready to drink sooner. This is an impressive showing. Antonio Galloni – Vinous Media

86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. 20 months in French oak, 60% new.
Tasted blind. Rich and sweet on the nose. Very opulent and flattering with a certain amount of lift. Very glorious. Satisfying already and very long. Is this a Margaret River superstar? Or is it too concentrated for that? California again? Perhaps very slightly hot on the end. Not the noblest but pretty good! Admirable freshness makes me hesitate between California and Margaret River. Jancis Robinson