Spottswoode Estate

Spottswoode founder and matriarch Mary Weber Novak passed away just before harvest, which cast a bit of a somber mood on my fall visit. These wines are a lasting testament to the passion for quality Novak instilled and that her daughter Beth Novak Milliken continues today. Quite simply, I was blown away by the wines I tasted, starting from the small production Albarino and Sauvignon Blanc to the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon. In addition to these current releases, I also had a chance to revisit the Cabernet Sauvignon back to the 2010 vintage. The most surprising wine of that mini-vertical is the 2011, a wine that shows what total dedication and a top site can do. ANTONIO GALLONI, December 2016