Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium lemon colour . This is showing a little more complex and detailed than the last time . Lemon rind , crushed rocks , ginger and white flowers , touch of brioche also . On the palate a bit more dense , but with good balanced acidity and lemon rind , brioche , ginger and toasty , mineral finish. Drinkable now , though best days will be in 5-10 years time , though I don’t think this will be as long lived as the 2012 . — a day ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2014 vintage. Last tasted 04.20.22 (9.5). Still tight but behind all the subterfuge, clouds, white lies, deception and smoke, there is a fantastic show slowly being assembled. All the performers are there and you've watched plenty of the rehearsals. Another 8-10 years will likely find this in the 9.6 and maybe 9.7 zone when the curtain finally rises. Built for future speed. If you've got the time and ca$hi$h, put a case aside and start tapping in 2035. This goes places wine doesn't have a right to. It's not asking for permission. 01.30.25. — 2 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium ruby , wider light ruby rim . Touch more closed and mineral on the nose with, red currant , grafite , cedar . Quite aloof . On the palate this is quite strict , excellent refreshing acidity and very noticeable gritty tannin , more red fruits on the palate , red currant, cherry, cranberry hints alongside the cassis and mineral backbone . Very young , mineral , quite linear and saline . This shows a lot of intensity and salinity after a while in the glass , improves with time in the glass but really needs time in the cellar. Come back in 5 - 10 years , will show well for a further 10 perhaps 20 years. Very classic and aristocratic . — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Medium ruby . Bit more coffee and roasted character at first , touch of oak perhaps. Quite rich and rounded on the palate , good acidity , good length . More red fruit , more delicate after a while , mineral , oyster shell , mineral and lean on the long finish . Very classic , grafite tinged . This improved with air and really gained in complexity with time . I would be tempted to leave this a little longer or give it a longer decant . No rush here , will continue well for a further 10 years . Tied as my favourite wine of the flight with the Latour. — a day ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — a month ago

Mike Dinter

9.8

mit Mary in Oudtshoorn Surval Olive Estate SA — 2 months ago

Justin Huang

9.5

Fruity, deep berry, dry but heavy full fruit taste with a bit of tannins. Needs time to aerate but smooth drinking wine with lots of complex flavor. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

No formal notes. Maybe slightly less dense ruby, wider rim . More refined and quite elegant , medium bodied , slightly more cooler greener fruits . This quite aromatic initially, mix of red and dark hedgerow fruits . A little more refined and small boned , perhaps a little light a shorter than others . This was impressive out of the gate , aromatic and charming quite mineral also , though it was the only wine that faded a little with time in the glass . This appears to be at its peak though probably will remain here for another 5 -10 years perhaps — a day ago

Damian

9.9

Decanted in the glass for 30 minutes, with bottle open during that time and later. The best wine experience so far. I tried it before on a tasting and was not impressed. Brioche, toast, citrus, apple and racing acidity were still present in my mouth after 2 minutes of taking a sip. I prefer to drink it the way I described at the beginning vs straight from the bottle that was standing in ice. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Poured into a decanted about an hour prior to service and presented double-blind. The 2019 “Lily’s Garden” pours a deep garnet with a bit of purple and a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with black bramble fruit, purple flowers, a touch of the animal and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The alcohol is elevated; calling it high. The finish is medium+. I called Syrah from France, from the Northern Rhône, Croze-Hermitage from a recent warmer vintage like 2019. Dangit…I got the variety right but I should have considered Australia with the elevated alcohol. This is a fairly classic Aussie Shiraz that certainly gives off a French vibe but the fruit and alcohol give it away. Drink now through 2034. — 2 months ago