I had high expectations for my visit at Spottswoode. It didn't help that I arrived 20 minutes late due to traffic and missed the walk-around tour of the...

This was our first winery tour and second tasting in Napa and we were not disappointed. This was a perfect example of a small, family-owned winery. The...

Spottswoode is a family owned winery in a beautiful location not too far from downtown Saint Helena, the wines are wonderful.

Wine

Atmosphere

Service

A delightful family owned vineyard about half a mile from the main road. The tasting room was well prepared however we did all of our tasting outside which seemed strange. The first wine was their new 2006 Sauvignon Blanc and this got us off to a bad start. The wine was unbalanced and too acidic, leaving a curling of the tongue in its wake. It was strange they elected to produce this wine when their forte is Cabernet Sauvignon but apparently the winemaker liked Sauvignon Blanc. The tour took us around the gardens of the house, which although very beautiful didn?t really allow for serious tasting as there was limited seating. Without doubt their strength was the Cabernet and the 2004 Estate Cabernet was very good, if a little overpriced at $130. Dark black fruit and relatively soft tannins produced a balanced wine. I didn?t share their view on the complexity, but that was probably because the tasting was being held outside with other associated distractions.