Accolades
Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc
2018 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc
Wine Advocate, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc bursts from the glass with notes of lemon tart, key lime pie and orange blossoms with nuances of acacia honey, baking bread, fresh grapefruit and crushed stones. Medium-bodied, the palate has fantastically intense citrus and mineral notes, framed by great freshness and a silken texture, finishing very long and perfumed. 94 points (November 27, 2019)
Wine.com, Wilfred Wong
The 2018 Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc shows outstanding focus and clarity. This wine shows lovely and persistent dried fruit and earth in its aromas and flavors. Enjoy this wine with Ahi tuna in a mix with arugula, perfectly-ripened heirloom tomatoes, and well-massaged kale. 94 points (May 28, 2020)
Wine Review Online, Marguerite Thomas
Intricately flavored and alluringly textured, this is a stunningly pleasurable Sauvignon Blanc. The fruit sourcing is from Napa County (40%) and Sonoma County (60%). It is laced throughout with notes of citrus, delicate herbs and stone minerality. Medium bodied, and delivering a long and complex finish, this white wine was fermented in a combination of oak and stainless steel barrels, a clay amphora and three different sizes of concrete egg. No wonder it is both multifaceted and subtle! 94 points (May 4, 2020)
Wine Spectator, MaryAnn Worobiec
Lemon meringue, spice and grapefruit flavors reveal whiffs of lanolin and spice in the background. Balances focus and intensity. 92 points (May 31, 2020)
California Grapevine, Nick Ponomareff
Medium-light yellow; attractive, floral, citrus and white peach aroma with hints of rose petal, gooseberry, and honeysuckle; medium body; crisp, elegant, white peach, nectarine and pink grapefruit flavors with bright acidity, stony minerality, and a silky mouthfeel; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended. 92 points (December 2020)
Los Gatos Magazine, Laura Ness
A superbly textural, exceptional wine, whose complexity is carefully crafted from six different vineyards throughout Napa, this Sauvignon Blanc is elegant, statuesque and reminiscent of Katherine Hepburn. It is sure to turn heads and win the ‘empty bottle’ contest. Fermented in small stainless barrels, some French oak barrels, an amphora, and two concrete and one ceramic egg-shaped vessel for complexity, lees stirring also helped forge this generous wine that oozes class from every pore. Irrepressible in its aromatics, including stunning pink grapefruit, lemongrass, fresh-cut pineapple, flint and Meyer lemon, the flavors are no less remarkable. Juicy pineapple guava, lemon curd, crisp peach, lime zest and coconut build to a crescendo of minerally salinity. Never losing its acid-driven grip, it heads to a long, satisfying finish that trails off with a trumpet flourish of tangelo and tangerine. (June 2020)
The SOMM Journal, Meridith May
The fruit is sourced from Sonoma Mountain (Farina Vineyard & Murray Vineyard), Carneros (Hyde Vineyard), Knights Valley (Pelkan Ranch Vineyard), and Atlas Peak (Stagecoach Vineyard) as well as from the estate. Focused aromas of lime and flint are attention-grabbing. Flint also lines the upper palate as delicate notes of white peach gently sweeten the mouth. The striking acidity is accompanied by a note of pink grapefruit that appears mid-palate. A bright light glows from within. 94 points (October 2019)
Jamessuckling.com, James Suckling
A very aromatic white with notes of gooseberries and currant leaves. Fresh green apples. Crispy, but balanced with limes and lemons, as well as some crushed stones. Fresh and fruity on the finish. Lively. A benchmark. Drink now. 93 points (February 14, 2020)
Wine Spectator, MaryAnn Worobiec
Lemon meringue, spice and grapefruit flavors reveal whiffs of lanolin and spice lingering in the background, as well candied ginger and floral details. Balances focus and intensity, with a light body and fresh, juicy acidity. 92 points (October 21, 2019)
Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide, Virginie Boone
This wine opens in a nutty flourish of earthiness and floral apple blossom before exposing complex waves of Meyer lemon, green apple and fig. Intensely high toned, it is crisp and dry, with plenty of bite and texture. 91 points (October 2019)
IntoWine, Michael Cervin
A consistently stellar Napa producer, the 2018 iteration from their organically farmed vineyards offers up lemon verbena, honeysuckle, lime kefir and white peach, framed by a modest acidity and mildly tart back notes. (September 16, 2019)
The Press Democrat, Peg Melnik
This balanced sauvignon blanc has a lovely range of flavors – Meyer lemon, guava, and mineral. Bright acid. Finishes crisp. Highly recommended. (July 2019)
Colorado Springs Gazette website, Rich Mauro
Combining fruit from the Spottswoode organic estate and other top Napa and Sonoma vineyards, the winery’s 2018 balances vibrancy and richness, structure and complexity. (August 2019)
Wine Review Online, Rich Cook
I can’t imagine anyone taking this variety more seriously than the folks at Spottswoode. Four different clones sourced from six different vineyard sites, fermented in oak, stainless barrels, concrete eggs of three different sizes and a clay amphora, and a dedicated facility at the winery. Add in the idea that this isn’t even the flagship product, and you know that there’s something here worth investigating. Of course, if the wine isn’t any good, then none of that matters. No worries about that here thanks to the deft hand of winemaker Aron Weinkauf. Wisely giving himself a large palette from which to create, he comes through with a blend that has a rich mouthfeel on entry and great tension from bright acidity mid palate through the long finish, supporting the mixed citrus, stone fruit, melon and mild herbal accents beautifully. I don’t know that I’ve written this about a wine before, but I was struck by the ‘retro-aromatic’ impression that remains after the liquid disappears – I felt like I was still smelling the wine. Absolutely riveting Sauvignon Blanc. 97 points. (January 15, 2019)
Creators.com, Robert Whitley
This is the aristocracy of domestic sauvignon blanc, a sauvignon so fine that price is no deterrent. In fact, compared with sauvignon-based Bordeaux blanc prices, even at $42 the Spottswoode represents extraordinary value. Using stainless steel tanks for fermentation and lees stirring to develop richness and texture, the Spottswoode sauvignon gets the sort of TLC that makes a huge difference in the finished product. The 2017 Spottswoode offers complex aromas and flavors, and shows notes of white peach and lime, with exquisite balance and impressive length. 96 points (January 8, 2019)
Wine Enthusiast Advance Buying Guide, Virginie Boone
Beautifully interwoven acidity gives this wine a lift of freshness and viscosity in this lovely, 100% varietal white, sourced from several sites, including Stagecoach on Atlas Peak, Hyde Vineyards in Carneros and the Spottswoode Estate. Fresh peach, apricot and wild vanilla are met by textured richness that’s balanced and measured in approach. 94 points (November 13, 2018)
Wine.com, Wilfred Wong
I have enjoyed the Spottswoode Sauvignon Blancs over the last three decades and have always regarded it as one of California’s very best examples of this grape variety. The 2017 vintage – amidst a vintage of extreme heat – shows how committed to quality this winery is, and how the team can produce a wine of high quality, given the challenges of any given year. This wine is as pure as this grape variety can be. Its aromas and flavors circle around ripe citrus peel, dried leaves, and frisky minerality. 94 points (August 12, 2018)
Decanter.com, Eduardo Dingler
Since its inception, Spottswoode Winery has delivered breathtaking wines, and this is no exception. It’s a 64% Sonoma Mountain and 36% Napa Valley blend crafted in a combination of French oak barrels, stainless steel barrels and concrete cuves, which seems to be the magic combination for delivering a teasing combination of lemon pith, grapefruit zest, crisp pear and an elegant vanilla curd tone. 94 points (November 19, 2018)
Wine Review Online, Michael Apstein
A style of Sauvignon Blanc reminiscent of white Bordeaux, the 2017 Spottswoode’s combines a gentle bite characteristic of that grape with a creamy seductiveness. Bright acidity in the finish amplifies its allure and keeps you coming back for another sip. This is serious stuff and a joy to drink. 94 points (January 15, 2019)
VinePair, Edward Deitch
Subtlety is the name of the game here. The oak accents the wine rather than defining it, framing delicious fruit notes of white grapefruit, green apple, and white peach. The herbal and floral notes are muted. With alcohol at 14.3 percent, it’s a slightly bigger wine than many Sauvignons, but with its balancing acidity, the overall effect is pure elegance. (January 3, 2019)
Bloomberg, Elin McCoy
The 50 Best Wines Under $50
Long one of the most sophisticated whites in Napa, it balances juiciness, complex lime, chalk and herb flavors, and lush texture. (December 6, 2018)
