Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
2024 marks the 20th vintage for Spottswoode’s Lyndenhurst label. The original goal is still the same: use all five Bordeaux varietals and pull fruit from the estate as well as other exceptional Napa vineyards, all of which are organically grown. In doing so this wine allows for, “a broader expression of Napa Valley, while applying the same philosophy that shapes our Estate Cabernet,” says winemaker Aron Weinkauf.
This is a blend of 76% Cabernet sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 11% Cabernet Franc from Napa. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is lovely with cassis, cedar, slight cigar box and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Great balance. On the palate, this is young and delicious. Flavors of cassis, spice, slight mocha and char. Long finish. This drinks great on its own and will work with most food (not seafood). It should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.
Another big name for Napa's past that probably doesn't get the attention it deserves compared to the "latest-greatest" but still provides a lot of quality. This is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon with 9% Merlot. Deep garnet in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, tobacco, and spice (cloves?). Full bodied. Silky tannins. Good balance. On the palate, cassis, slight black cherries and spice. Long finish. This drinks great on its own but is better with food. This would be great with a Beef Stew. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.
This is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Malbec, and 2% Petit Verdot. Inky purple, opaque and bright. The nose is tight but opens a bit with some air. Cassis, dust, oak and cumin. Firm tannins. Lots of energy. Good acidity. On the palate, black cherries, cassis and spice with plenty of depth. Good finish. This needs time for my tastes. There is a lot here but it seems a bit shut down. I would hold for five and then drink for ten to fifteen after that. If drinking soon, it will need a steak or Prime Rib to stand up to the tannins. The score should go up a few poi
This venerable old label used to be one of the most talked about wines from Napa. Today, it seems to barely get a mention yet the quality is still top notch. Fame is fickle. This vintage is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petite Verdot and 3% Malbec. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is classic Napa which is also to say very Bordeaux-like in a ripe year. Black cherries, some cassis, earthy, cigar box and slight graphite. Great texture. Firm tannins. Full bodied. On the palate, cassis, earthiness and spice. Long finish. This is outstanding. Great on its own but better with
Another great wine from Fait-Mail. These wine get some buzz but deserve even more. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with cassis, slight graphite, cedar, spice and char. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Great energy and balance. On the palate, this is concentrated, intense and delicious. Flavors of cassis, slight dark chocolate, spice and char. Long finish. This is still quite young and won't hit peak for at least a decade. That said, it provides a lot of pleasure right now. Drink over the next twenty years. Fantastic on its own, this would work with big meat
The inaugural vintage of this wine. This is a blend of 33% Zinfandel, 31% Petite Sirah, 22% Merlot and 14% Syrah from various appellations around California. Deep garnet in color, clear and matte. The nose has cherries, black cherries, gravel, spice and slight mocha. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. Good balance. On the palate, flavors of cherries and black cherries with some chocolate and underlying char. Good finish. This is accessible and ready to go. It is nice on its own and will work well with many foods (not seafood). Baked chicken dishes would work well. Drink over
What a lovely Rosé and a great value as well. Sort of a pink/purple/blue color with the pink dominating, clear and bright. Very pretty. The nose is nice with typical light cherries, strawberries and watermelon but also some interesting tangerine/orange notes and a bit of a dried herbal note. Medium bodied. Semi-plush texture. Good acidity. On the palate, this is tasty with cherries, some watermelon and again a bit of orange citrus that seems to give it a jolt of acidity that livens it up and makes it very food friendly. Nice finish. It drinks very well now and will work well with a
