2022 Spottswoode Vineyard and Winery Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena 750 ml

If we had to make a list of Napa Valley “First Growths,” Spottswoode would absolutely be in that elite group.

To us, the estate defines Cabernet from northern Napa Valley’s prestigious St. Helena AVA. Over four decades, Spottswoode has built their reputation on some of the most regal and ageworthy Cabernets made in California—and their 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is yet another stunner.

Boasting a 97+ point rave from former Robert Parker Wine Advocate boss Lisa Perrotti-Brown, it’s as impressive and classic as Napa Valley Cabernet gets. It’s got aromas of captivating dark, ripe fruits layered with violet, sage, crushed gravel, espresso, dark chocolate, and cedar. The palate is powerful and elegant, with a core of dense, velvety black-fruit flavors carried on silky, well-integrated tannins. It’s a true blockbuster.

Since the winery’s founding in 1982—exactly a century after the estate itself was established—Spottswoode has become an icon of Napa Valley and St. Helena in particular: “When we think of what St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon should be,” wrote Antonio Galloni, “we often think of Spottswoode. The wines are simply classic.”

Located on the western edge of St. Helena, the winery’s Texas-shaped (minus the panhandle) vineyard is dominated by organically and biodynamically farmed Cabernet Sauvignon, with a bit of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a picture-perfect site for grape growing: The alluvial clay-loam soils provide superb drainage, while the cool breezes that pass through the Mayacamas Range promote even ripening, even in the up-valley heat.

The 2022 Estate Cabernet consists of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, lifted by a brushstroke 9% Cabernet Franc and intensified by 5% Petit Verdot. After 20 months in 62% new French and Hungarian oak barrels, it’s an incredibly impressive wine—one that every Napa Cab collector should put away.