This lot is comprised of 6 bottle(s) of 2005 Spottswoode Estate Vineyard Winery Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena - 750ml. Estimate for this lot is between $1600 - $2200 with a reserve of $1100. The wine in this lot belongs to collection 11530.
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Based in Calgary, this consignor has had a lifelong relationship with wine. He vividly remembers bottles of Chateau de La Gardine Chateauneuf du Pape on his family’s dinner table and how he enjoyed playing the part of "wine steward". In his 20s he had friends who worked for prominent fine wine merchants and had his first “a-ha” wine moment after tasting a 1988 Columbia Crest Merlot. He was a sales representative for Britannia Wine Merchants and his association and interest in fine wine and dining led to trips to the major wine regions of the world. He began drinking the fruit forward wines of Napa and Sonoma but his taste soon expanded to the more subtly expressive wines of the old world. He was always curious about the ageing process and its ability to soften tannins and develop secondary and tertiary characteristics in wine - so he began to buy and cellar Bordeaux from the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages in the early 1990s, as well as select purchases of Barolo and Super Tuscans throughout that period. Much of his collection was purchased upon initial release through several private wine stores in Calgary and a significant subset was procured directly from the winery or as part of library offerings. All bottles have slept at 55F and approximately 70% humidity away from light and vibration. He had always intended to consume these wines with family and friends and has been extremely diligent about proper storage conditions.
The tasting note for 2005 Spottswoode Estate Vineyard Winery Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena is from Robert Parker and the score is 98+ - Production more than doubled with the 2005 vintage, given the normal flowering and weather conditions. Moreover, it was a relatively cool year and an abundant one at that, with just short of 3,900 cases produced. The blend was 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. This was the last vintage during the era of Rosemary Cakebread, who left Spottswoode to pursue building her own portfolio of wine. This is a reserved, but classic Spottswoode. An inky bluish purple color, notes of vanillin, white flowers, blackcurrants and blueberries are all present in this dense, rich, full-bodied wine that seems to go from strength to strength. This was a vintage across the board that I underrated, but I have seen how the wines have seemingly put on weight, complexity and density as they have evolved in bottle. This is a beauty and certainly one of the great recent Spottswoodes. It will continue to drink well for 20-30 more years.