In Bond Fine Wine. 2012 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon, California, USA. Red usa-california in 6x75cl. Top critic score: 100/100 (JC). Drinking window: 2017–2045. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Spottswoode sits in the very top tier of Napa Valley estates. Known for its combination of historic St. Helena terroir (the estate dates to 1882), organic farming since the 1980s, and a restrained style that prizes purity, finesse and ageability over sheer power. The flagship Spottswoode Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is widely regarded as one of Napa’s most collectible wines—regularly earning 98–100‑point scores, with Lyndenhurst made to be more approachable younger. In the market, Spottswoode occupies the same echelon as Harlan, Colgin and Schrader, but with a reputation for elegance and terroir. Precision over decadence.
Joe Czerwinski (JC) — 100/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 15/09/2022 · Drink 2025-2045
My favorite in the blind-tasted lineup extending from 2010 through 2020 was the opulent yet concentrated and impeccably structured 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon. It boasts classic scents of cherries and cassis on the nose, with touches of vanilla and wood spice adding nuance on the medium to full-bodied palate. Imbued with tremendous intensity, the supple tannins and ripe acids necessary for aging and…
Jeb Dunnuck (JD) — 99/100 · JebDunnuck.com, 05/12/2021 · Drink 2021-2041
A wine that would easily rate a perfect score on its own, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a full-bodied, ripe, exuberant 2012 that brings lots of richness yet still stays weightless and graceful on the palate. Giving up plenty of pure cassis fruit as well as spice, chocolate, graphite, and tobacco, it's that rare mix of power without weight. It does everything right and can be drunk any tim…
Robert Parker (RP) — 96/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 01/10/2014 · Drink 2017-2037
The opaque purple-hued 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits a glorious bouquet of creme de cassis, spring flowers, a Pauillac-like lead pencil note, and background new oak. The overall impression is one of restraint combined with richness. This full-bodied effort possesses good acidity and ripe tannin. It has been crafted for the long-term. The hallmarks of great Spottswoode wines are their purity an…