Spottswoode –
Sauvignon Blanc 2017

Tasting Notes

We have been making a highly acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc for three decades, and we make it with the same intention as our Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Crafted with great care from fruit grown in exceptional soils, it is a serious wine with structure, sophistication, and the ability to age gracefully. This classically complex and elegant expression of the varietal comes from a who’s who of the finest vineyards in Napa Valley and on Sonoma Mountain as noted below, as well as grapes from our own Spottswoode Estate Vineyard. Winemaker Notes: Fresh and juicy, with great complexity. A powerful wine that’s layered and textured with citrus and stone fruits filling the palate. Fresh pear and white peach mingle with passion fruit and lemon meringue. The mouthwatering vivacious acidity and complex subtle vanilla and creaminess gives great length to this impressive wine.

Food Pairings

It is an excellent match with sweeter shellfish, such as scallops and lobster, and seafood in creamy sauces. It also holds its own with chicken, pork or cream-based soups.

Third Party Reviews

From the outset, Spottswoode was a heavy hitter in the Napa Valley. Its estate Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in St. Helena was coveted by other vintners, such as Duckhorn, and its Sauvignon Blanc vineyard was thought by the neighbors to be sublime. When the Novak family decided more than 30 years ago that they were ready to make the transition to producers instead of growers, they hired the brilliant winemaker Tony Soter. The rest is history. Soter moved on long ago but the Spottswoode wines are good as ever, if not better. The Sauvignon Blanc has undergone some changes, adding to the estate vineyard sources such as Stagecoach and Hyde vineyards. Winemaker Aron Weinkauf continues to use a combination of steel barrels (60 percent) and oak (35 percent) barrels during fermentation to increase lees contact for texture and complexity. Concrete cuves are used for the remaining five percent. Spottswoode’s innovative approach and attention to detail results in a Sauvignon that is both unique and in some ways in a class by itself. The 2016 vintage is a beautiful wine that delivers a creamy texture along with classic Sauvignon flavors of tangerine, white peach and lemon zest. 96 points Wine Review Online, Robert Whitley (December 26, 2017)