Spottswoode Estate

Spottswoode is a historic, family-owned estate based in Napa Valley. It was founded by George Schonewald in 1882, but takes its name from Mrs Albert Spotts who renamed it in 1910. It has since come to be owned by Mary and Jack Novak, who purchased the estate in 1972. Jack had been working as a doctor in San Diego, they had five children and despite no winemaking background, were looking for a lifestyle change; some open space to raise their family. Unfortunately, Jack passed away suddenly in 1977, leaving Mary to run the farm and raise her children single handed. Quite incredibly, she succeeded and released their first Cabernet Sauvignon in 1982. Spottswoode is now run by two of her children, Beth who is leading the winemaking, and Lindy who is in charge of marketing and sales.

Spottswoode is located on the western edge of St. Helena, at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. The heart of the production here is Cabernet Sauvignon with small holdings of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc. Mary and Jack started the conversion to organic farming in 1985 and gained certification in 1992, making them one of the first to adopt such practices in Napa. Today, they are also working biodynamically. They have 18 hectares of which 15 are planted to vines. These vines have been separated into 22 individual blocks. Elevage is predominantly in French oak barrels of which anywhere between 40-70% is new and the wine will rest here for 20 months. These wines are some of the most elegant, terroir-driven and age-worthy examples coming out of the region.

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