accolades

2004 Spottswoode Estate Cabernet
The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate exhibits an opaque ruby/purple color, soft plum, black currant, and flowery notes in the fragrant up-front nose, sweet, chewy, luscious fruit in the mouth (mostly black currants and smoke), low acidity, and a lush finish. It’s a sexy, exotic style for Spottswoode and, like so many wines in this vintage, is front end-loaded. It should be seductive upon release, and drink well for 10–12 years. 90–92 Points (December, 2005)

Wine Spectator, James Laube

Elegant and stylish, with pure, rich, vibrant and focused black cherry and blackberry fruit that’s supple and polished. The aromas capture the ripe berry fruit, adding a pretty floral array, and the tannins are firm yet fine-grained. Long and persistent on the finish. One of the best from Spottswoode in recent memory. Best from 2008 through 2016. 95 Points (August, 2007)

International Wine Cellar, Steve Tanzer

Good full medium ruby. Dark berries, chocolate, graphite and minerals on the nose. Big, sweet, rich and mouthfilling; atypically large for a cabernet from this producer, but with surprisingly good acidity, which winemaker Rosemary Cakebread says was due to some dehydration of the grapes, which concentrated sugars and acids. Finishes very broad and rich, with a chocolatey ripeness and bug but fine tannins. Cakebread described 2004 as her most challenging vintage to date, as the estate struggled to keep the vines going through periods of heat stress (the harvest took place mostly during the early September heat wave). After strict selection, just 1,800 cases were produced. 90–92 Points (May/June, 2006)
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The San Francisco Chronicle Magazine, Top 100 Wines 2007, Jon Bonné

2004 was a tumultuous year at this historic estate. New vineyard manager Jennifer Williams (now the winemaker) faced uneven ripening and the lowest yields in two decades. Hence the bad news—the 1,500-case production made for even less Spottswoode than usual. The good news? It’s extraordinary stuff: a dense, rich pile of black cherry, nuanced raspberry and blackberry, coffee, toast and a full box of exotic spices. The tannins have both eloquence and solid grip, hinting at its long potential ahead. (December 2, 2007)