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Spottswoode is a family-owned historic vineyard and
winery renowned for its exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon.
Established in 1882 by George Schonewald, the estate
is distinguished by the historic Victorian home depicted
on the Spottswoode label. Spottswoode was christened
by Mrs. Albert Spotts, who owned the property from
1910 until its purchase in 1972 by Mary Weber Novak
and her late husband, Dr. Jack Novak. The first Spottswoode
Cabernet Sauvignon was produced in 1982, exactly one
hundred years after the estate’s founding.
Today,
two of Mary’s daughters, Beth and Lindy, work
for the family winery that each year releases three
very special wines: the Spottswoode Estate Cabernet
Sauvignon, Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc, and the recently-introduced
Lyndenhurst Cabernet Sauvignon. The Novak family is
committed to producing wines that faithfully reflect
their grape origins. Each Spottswoode wine is known
for its refined elegance, balance, and classic structure.
Dedicated stewards of their property, the Novaks have
farmed organically since 1985 and have pioneered the
restoration of their local watershed.
The Spottswoode
Estate Vineyard is an ideal terroir for growing wine
grapes. Situated along the western edge of St. Helena
on the apex of the Sulphur Creek fan, the sandy clay
loam provides superb drainage. The gap between the
Mayacamas Range and Spring Mountain admits cooling
maritime breezes that temper the sun’s warmth,
creating an exceptional microclimate for winegrowing.
Our
forty acres are planted primarily to Cabernet Sauvignon,
with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot,
Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Musque. As stewards
of this beautiful estate, we treat the land with great
respect. We hand-tend and organically farm our grapes
and have been certified by the California Certified
Organic Farmers (CCOF) since 1990. The individual
attention given to each block of our vineyard contributes
to the quality, consistency, and unique flavor of
our wines.
The Spottswoode
Estate consists of two historic buildings (circa 1884):
a Victorian farmhouse which serves as our office,
and a pre-Prohibition stone cellar where we barrel-age
our Cabernet Sauvignon. We’ve also added a handsome
winery built to blend seamlessly with the historic
structures and carefully designed to help our winemaker
optimize the quality of each distinct block of our
estate vineyard.
At
Spottswoode, we farm with integrity and sensitivity
towards our land and our neighbors. We have been farming
our vineyard organically since 1985, and have been
certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers
(CCOF) since 1990. Our ongoing relationships with
organic farming specialists have broadened our knowledge
and use of organic farming techniques. We have incorporated
the use of cover crops, beneficial planting beds (vegetation
we grow along the edge of our vineyard to attract
sharpshooters, in the hope that our vines are less
attractive to them), fertigation (applying organic
fertilizers via our irrigation system), and many other
organic farming methods.
We’re
passionate about integrating environmentally sensitive
practices into all aspects of our grape production
and land management and we encourage you to support
organic farming by bringing organically grown foods
to your table.
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