2010 Riesling in the May 25 Wall Street Journal
In her Wall Street Journal column on May 25 (Men Are From Cab, Women Are From Moscato?), Lettie Teague includes the 2010 Riesling:
The idea that women are better tasters than men is hardly new. ..I called the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia and put the question to sensory psychologists….What did wine professionals think of the purported palate divide?… What about wine-drinking amateurs? What would they say? I decided to convene a group of six tasters, male and female, for some real-life insight…..The next wine, the 2010 Smith-Madrone Napa Valley Riesling, was a universal favorite. “It’s a wine for men and women,” said Peter, thanks to the wine’s bright acidity and clean, minerally flavors. …..Do women have better palates than men? Based on my tasting experiences over the years, I’d have to answer: It depends on the woman. And it depends on the man.
Read her article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303610504577418223626210782.html?KEYWORDS=lettie+teague#project%3Dwine0525%26articleTabs%3Darticle
Stu talking about Chardonnay at Toutsuite
Stu’s on a panel talking about Chardonnay on World Chardonnay Day: http://www.toutsuite.com/videos/part-1-chardonnay-day-2012-toutsuite-social-club
A photo on Flickr asks about posts
And here’s the answer: http://www.flickr.com/photos/8006430@N07/7266058724?reg=1
Tune in to a discussion of Chardonnay on Chardonnay Day #ChardDay on May 24 where Stu will be one of the participants. It’s happening at ToutSuite in Napa, but you can join virtually by going to http://www.toutsuite.com/events/third-annual-world-wide-chardonnay-day-2012, beginning at 5:00 pm PST. Should be fun—have a glass of ’09 Chardonnay (http://www.smithmadrone.com/wines/winefactsheets/factsheet_SmithMad_chard09.pdf) handy!
2006 Cabernet reviewed by Hawk Wakawaka
Hawk Wakawaka also reviewed the Cabernet in a wonderful ‘comic’ here: http://wp.me/p1XlmA-vQ
The Cabernet Sauvignon shows an excellent nose with nice meaty qualities, light pepper, good earth, and red fruit. I like the red chalk effect on the palate that comes in alongside a great umami character (I was caught up thinking of caribou soup with red cherry, pepper, and light tobacco here, I have to admit), light tobacco notes, red fruit, and that nice alcohol pepper and heat. The presentation offers a drying grip, with pleasing texture, red fruit, and lightly watery body.
I very much enjoyed this Cabernet and wanted it alongside meat to help draw out more of the fruit flavors. The tannin here has enough of a drying effect that pairing with meat proteins would give more room to show off the flavors. I’d love to let this Cabernet age, and I enjoyed it now as well.
2009 Chardonnay in the eyes of blogger Hawk Wakawaka
Please also check out Hawk Wakawaka’s unusual ‘comic’-style review of the 2009 Chardonnay: http://wp.me/p1XlmA-vQ
The Smith-Madrone Chardonnay undergoes full barrel fermentation followed by 9 months in new French oak. That said, the oak elements are well integrated here. This is a California style Chardonnay that can relax with its own innate characteristics, thereby setting you at ease to enjoy them too.
The nose shows as lightly candied, nutty, and chalky, with good fruit of yellow apple skin and mixed citrus zest, and hints of toast. The palate follows with the addition of light white pepper accents. The overall structure is very pleasing–there is rich texture, with great acidity, and a good medium-long finish.
I would love to let this Chardonnay age to drink again in a few years, but it drinks beautifully now as well. The overall style is richer than I tend to reach for on a Chardonnay, but, that said, I was pulled in by this wine and enjoyed it. It’s a California style Chardonnay with well done, balanced presentation and its own story to tell.
Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery will provide wines and a toast as The Cameo Cinema begins a year of celebrating its centennial. On May 15 at 8 p.m. the kick-off event will be a screening of the silent film, The Kings of the Forest, which had its very first screening at The Cameo on May 15, 1913. Tickets are $20 available online and at The Cameo (1340 Main Street, St. Helena). The evening will include not only this unprecedented screening of a historic film but also an introduction and commentary on The Cameo’s history by local historian Mariam Hansen, a toast from vintners Stu Smith and Charles Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery, desserts and also a sneak preview of Rod Vance’s upcoming documentary, Napa Valley Dreams. The Kings of The Forest will have live piano accompaniment by Mike Greensill.
The Cameo opened its doors on May 15, 1913, and this was the very first film shown—to an audience of 500 people. More about The Kings of The Forest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selig_Polyscope_Company
A coincidence—-Smith-Madrone Winery opened its doors also on a May 15—in 1971. “We’re ‘only’ just celebrating our 41st anniversary,” said Stuart Smith, “so our respect for 100 years is enormous,” he added. Stuart and Charles are long-time fans of The Cameo, often zooming in to see a new movie fresh from the crush pad.
The Cameo’s centennial year will feature an event each month honoring its 100 years in business. More at http://arts.cameocinema.com/centennial/
The Cameo Cinema, at 100 years old, may be the oldest single screen movie house still operating in America. Today it is one of fewer than 25 single-screen single-owned theaters in the entire United States—and the only one with digital and 3-D capability. It was meticulously restored in 1997 with touches including a classic Art Deco lobby, purple-upholstered seats and movie star photo-wallpaper.
