We often hear Cabernets described in two camps-- those you can drink on their own on the front porch and those you need to pair with a nice juicy steak. Lyndenhurst certainly falls into the former category. With a blend of 79.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.6% Merlot, 3.8% Petit Verdot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc, and 2.9% Malbec (they’re precise at Spottswoode) and 20 months aging in only 35% new oak, the wine is elegant, yet extremely approachable. This vintage is blended from three mountain vineyard sites, in addition to the Spottswoode Estate vineyard. Dark morello cherry, allspice, and tobacco box prove to be inviting in the wine’s youth.
It nearly feels redundant to introduce a winery as classic as Spottswoode, dating back 40 vintages with numerous 100-point wines. However, we are again taken aback when we try to summarize the endeavors of this winery: Certified organic since 1992, biodynamic, Regenerative Organic Certified, B Corporation certified, solar powered, TRUE Zero Waste certified, and making some of the most popular wines in Napa Valley. We recently tasted the much-anticipated 2021 vintage, and the wines were precisely what we hoped.