84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec

Food pairings: Grilled lamb chops, roast beef tenderloin, braised short ribs, duck breast, mushroom dishes and aged hard cheeses.

Winemaking: Lyndenhurst is Spottswoode's expression of Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, made with the same care as the Estate Cabernet. The 2022 was aged 20 months in barrel, 92% French oak and 8% other oak, 48% new. The season began with much-needed rain after a dry 2021 and a light fruit set; despite extreme heat over Labor Day, the grapes arrived in excellent condition with ideal acidity and focused flavors.

Vineyards and terroir: The core of the wine is the organically farmed Spottswoode Estate Vineyard in St. Helena, joined by family-owned grower vineyards across Napa Valley: Darms Lane in Oak Knoll, Edcora on Atlas Peak, Obsidian Ridge in the High Mayacamas, Rahn Estate on Howell Mountain, Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Carneros and Young Inglewood in St. Helena. Spottswoode has farmed its estate organically since 1985 and works with its growers so that all Lyndenhurst grapes are organically farmed by the 2025 vintage.

Family and history: The Spottswoode estate dates to 1882, and its Victorian home appears on the label. In 1908 its owners named it Lyndenhurst for the fragrant linden trees in the garden, which still bloom today; in 1910 Susan Spotts renamed it Spottswoode. Mary and Jack Novak bought the estate in 1972, and Mary released the first Spottswoode Cabernet in 1982. The Novak family still owns the estate, with Aron Weinkauf as winemaker since 2011, and the first Lyndenhurst, the 2002 vintage, was released in 2005.

In the pictures: The Spottswoode entry gate in autumn, the estate vineyard beyond the palms and pool, and the Spottswoode winery (all courtesy of Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery).