2020 Lyndenhurst (Spottswoode) Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

JS95 Aromas of blackcurrant, hazelnut and chocolate, with hints of mint and sage that follow through to a medium to full body, with wonderful soft and fine tannins that give a velvety texture and persistent finish. So balanced and refined. Subtle. Didn’t include wine from vineyards in Atlas Peak this year. An excellent 2020. Drinkable, but will improve so well in the cellar.
Estate Notes: An energetic Napa Valley Cabernet with a bright and impactful first impression imparting flavors of black and red cherries. Medium-bodied with well-integrated, powdery tannins. Notes of blackberry bramble, raspberry, and red currant mingle with cocoa, dried herbs, and crushed graphite. Great acidity. Well balanced and structured, this wine can be enjoyed upon release, and can also be cellared and enjoyed in the years to come.
The success of our 2020 Lyndenhurst underscores our belief that the mark of a great winery isn’t what it achieves in ideal vintages; it is what it accomplishes in challenging vintages that defines excellence. While the 2020 Napa Valley vintage may be remembered for its late-season wildfires, we are incredibly proud of the quality of our 2020 Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon. It is beautiful, authentically expressing both time and place, which is and always has been our ambition.
All of the estate fruit was picked prior to the Glass Fire, which started on September 27, 2020. At Spottswoode, we had already picked 92% of the vineyard – we brought the final tonnage in on the 26th of September. In terms of those from whom we purchase grapes, only untainted fruit from our family grower partners was included in this vintage’s blend.
It is important to note that we tested every single lot of wine at AWRI in Australia. We also tested our finished wines back to 2008 so as to have baselines. We are happy to let you know that the guaiacol counts, both free and bound, in the 2020 Cabernets compare favorably to those of our other vintages. Which is to say, there is no smoke taint in the Lyndenhurst.
Because our yields were down due to the small berries and clusters resulting from the severe drought conditions, production of our 2020 is down significantly from our 2019 vintage. Having said that, the quality and concentration of the fruit at harvest was excellent.