vintages 1993–2006
1993DRINK!!Showing its age today. A sweet entry, with some dusty, evolved ripe fruit—pretty on the palate. Soy overtones, with a medley of earth, tobacco, beef bouillon, graphite, salt, five-spice, vanilla bean, cheese rind, and walnut underneath. Tannins are fully evolved. Jon commented, “This is where an old claret goes.” Made Beth think of “an old English manor library with leather furniture.” Perhaps best enjoyed in such a room, with a lovely cheese pairing.
1994DRINK/HOLDDark, jammy fruit still apparent through aged notes. Ginger ale, roasted soy, barbeque, white pepper, dried mushroom, stewed tomato, and anise. Complex and approachable, silky and texturally spot on. Has followed a pleasing aging trajectory, even if the fruit has taken a backseat to more earthy characters at the moment. Beautiful tannins, claret-like, attractive.
1995DRINK!Full and luscious. Effusive nose of cranberry, cherry, black tea, rose petals, citrus rind, white pepper, cardamon, persimmon, malted milk, and baking spices. The nose carries through accurately to the palate. Wonderfully integrated texture and structure—smooth, warm and balanced. Jon said, “At its happy moment.” And Aron added “If it tastes this good, why hold it?” Showed wonderfully at this tasting.
1996DRINK/HOLDA welcoming, sweet nose of blueberry pie, granny smith apples, powdered sugar, cherries, strawberry, dark spices, coffee, molasses and a touch of menthol. Youthful fruit. A salivating mouth feel with fine tannins. Pretty, long and creamy. Delicate, yet dense. Savory, yet lively. We have always really liked this “sleeper” vintage. Mysterious and enticing.
1997DRINK/HOLDSomewhat reticent nose, but youthful still, with beautiful color. Powerful, plush, ripe, and creamy. Hints of cherry pie, dusty blueberry, licorice, cut hay, flowers, cola, cedar, smoke, and tobacco. Lively, with refreshing acidity and a bright palate. We recommend early decanting, as the wine evolved and integrated with time in the glass. Attractive and alluring.
1998DRINKMore earth tones, but an intriguing nose with some green-edged aromas intermingled with leather, earth, graham cracker, raspberry cordial, apricot roll, hay, tobacco, mushroom, and minerals. Interesting and dynamic, yet a bit edgy with raw tannins and somewhat tart fruit. Good structure. An accurate, compelling wine. Will pair beautifully with lamb.
1999HOLDAnother wine with the element of mystery we love. Brooding and somewhat restrained, with dusty berries, licorice, cocoa, cedar, brush and sage, tea, dark chocolate, smoke potpourri, plum dust, and minerals. A discernable deep core of young fruit. Elegant, perfectly balanced, still evolving, the promise lies ahead. A truly lovely vintage.
2000DRINK/HOLDA big, fleshy wine. Very forward. Pepper, black olive, soy, tarragon, fresh hay, and leather. Briary, earthy, and dense. Beautiful tannins, great structure, lots of muscle. Full and rich on the palate. We continue to love the distinctive, Bordeaux-like character of this particular vintage.
2001HOLDBeautiful, yet tightly coiled. Blackberry pie, cherry, soy, molasses, root beer, sweet tobacco leaf, nutmeg, cocoa powder, a bit of earth. A sweet fruit core. Complex, balanced, dense. Mouth coating and lush, with lovely structure and weight. Graceful. A quiet beauty that still asks for time to collect itself.
2002HOLDA ripe, forward nose of cassis and berries with soy, briar, brioche, bake shop aromas, warm wet stones, and spicy pepper. Creamy, yet possessing refreshing acidity. Great texture, dynamic yet structured, demonstrates a bit of heat. Showing a bit backward right now—seems to lack clarity and integration, with tannins sitting atop the fruit. Still, Rosemary labeled it “a happy wine.” Lots of wonderful qualities. Give them time to integrate and reveal themselves to you.
2003OPEN A BOTTLE!/HOLDPerhaps the wine of the day! Delightful and dynamic, with everything perfectly in place. An amazing medley of aromas and flavors—plum and currant, berries, vanilla, black tea, spice, toast and brown sugar, marshmallow and fruit roll, forest floor, ruby candies and a hint of melon. Powerful, yet elegant, with soft tannins and a seamless structure. A perfect texture creates the wine’s frame. Well integrated from start to finish. Tracey simply wrote, “Wow.”
2004HOLDPacked, full, and young. Notably spicy, with cherries, soft paprika, bacon, earth, cedar shavings, plum skin, menthol, balsamic, and graham cracker. Big, firm tannins, with a warm, friendly mouth feel and a long finish. Fresh and delicious. The fruit is beautifully polished but the wine asks for aging—we feel it may have entered the expected youthful hibernation stage at this time.
2005TRY/HOLDA huge, fruit-forward vintage, still showing remarkable youth. Ripe and zesty—blackberry syrup, crushed blossoms, chewy chocolate, coffee, caramel, simmering butter, brioche, spice cookies and cola. Robust—big color, bold tannins, with an underlying mineral energy demonstrating itself on the palate. Refined tannins, very well-integrated, an almost sweet quality. Mike said “Tastes fantastic!” and Jon rejoined, “You could drink it now, it’s so fulfilling!”
2006HOLDVery dark purple, lovely color. Fresh fruit, minerals, baby powder, brown sugar, white chocolate, chai, ripe cherry, lots of spice and some pretty musk. Dense and a bit tight and brooding. Mouth filling and textured, with a sweet core and lovely balance. Tannins are broad and forceful, yet fine. The wine is well-knit with much promise. Definitely benefits from decanting and a bit of time in the glass—when racy blueberry and trademark Spottswoode spice emerge.
