Smith-Madrone News

2008 Chardonnay on Pinterest

corkingnapa — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:54:18 +0000

Straw in color with aromas of pear, green apple and caramel. Rich pineapple, pear and citrus flavors finishing with smoke and caramel. Classic Napa Chardonnay with great balance and nuance. Highly Recommended.

http://pinterest.com/timelliott/wines/

Filed under: '08 Chard

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon on Pinterest

corkingnapa — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:52:04 +0000

Winecast’s Tim Elliott’s review: Deep garnet color with aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant, sage and eucalyptus. Rich blackcurrant and black cherry fruit flavors with white pepper and mint finishing with moderate tannins. A classic Napa Valley Cab that is delicious now but will reward cellaring for the next 10-15 years. Highly Recommended.

http://pinterest.com/timelliott/wines/

Filed under: '05 Cab Sauv

A Valentine’s idea

corkingnapa — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:20:13 +0000

We’ve just added a luscious pasta recipe in case you need a Valentine’s Day idea to play off that bottle of Smith-Madrone Cabernet: http://www.smithmadrone.com/downloadables/SMrecipe_QuattroFormaggi.pdf

Filed under: Reviews

The Triangle Wine Experience

corkingnapa — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 23:22:01 +0000

Stu’s on his way to help raise money for The Frankie Lemmon School in Raleigh. Tix still available: details at http://www.trianglewineexperience.org/

Filed under: Reviews

One of the greatest Cabernets in the Napa Valley?

corkingnapa — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:10:47 +0000

So say our colleagues at Waterford Wine Company in Milwaukee: Here is how they got there: “Smith-Madrone makes one of the greatest Cabernets in Napa Valley. Once, in Napa Valley, Smith-Madrone was joined by a host of other famous wineries who crafted their Cabernets in a classic style – Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, BV George de Latour, Mayacamas, and even some early Robert Mondavi Reserve. These wines were based on the venerable vineyards they were grown in. But then something changed. Call it Parkerization, wine maker choice, or global warming; Napa’s Cabernets are now riper and more alcoholic. Using oak to balance their gooey sweetness these “modern” Cabernets raise their prices concomitant to their owner’s egos, rather than the quality of the wine. But on Spring Mountain, in Napa Valley, the two brothers Smith dry farm their old vine Cabernet from the encroaching Madrone forest. Not many people talk about dry farming or old vine Cabernet in Napa because very few have the courage or ability to do either. But the Smith brothers do both and this sets their Cabernet far above the curve of Napa Valley. Most wineries purposefully do not let their Cabernet vines get old. They rip them out of the ground at the youthful age of twenty. Old vines produce less fruit, and the older they get the lower the yield. A lowered yield automatically lowers the quantity of wine that can be produced, ultimately cutting into a winery’s paycheck. And very few wineries are willing to make that sacrifice. But old vines also produce more dramatic wine. Age lowers a vine’s vigor, naturally producing a smaller crop. This naturally lowered crop forces the vine to put more energy into fewer berries. The result is far more concentrated, richer flavors. And the Smith Brothers, with Cabernet vines nearly reaching the half-century mark, have some of the oldest in the Valley. Dry farming (which is exactly what it sounds like – farming without irrigation of any kind) is very difficult to practice. So much so that most wineries don’t bother – they irrigate with abandon. Again, it is a question of yield. If vines do not receive water, they struggle and produce fewer berries. Well-watered vines produce bigger and more abundant berries. Not only does this lead to a bigger crop and more money but also watered down wines. Smith-Madrone’s dry farmed vines have to work harder than most, digging their roots deep into the bedrock of Spring Mountain. Most irrigated vines will have a root system that is two feet deep. Dry farmed vines will typical dig down twenty feet. The idea is that a deep root system pulls up minerals and flavors into the wine, creating more complexity as well as a sense of place in the Cabernet. The results are profound in Smith-Madrone’s Cabernet. The wine opens with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, dried herbs and cassis. It is classically built Napa Cabernet and the palate demonstrates this. The tannins are supple, cedary and full. The wine resonates like great old-growth Bordeaux; Smith-Madrone’s Cabernet is meant to age. In time, as the tannins soften, the wine’s aroma will become even more dramatic, opening up with roses, sweet smoking spices, and a framboise liqueur like finish. This is a classic Napa Cabernet, revealing fruit full of California sunshine and the structure to back it up. The Smith brothers have never changed the style of their Cabernet for a critic, preferring to let nature show how great Napa Cabernet can be. And while they take great pride in every vintage, their prices have always been more than fair for the quality of what is in their bottles. Now, even more so. Here is their piece: http://www.waterfordwine.com/2011/11/08/a-classic-napa-cabernet-smith-madrone/

Filed under: '05 Cab Sauv

Come find Stu pouring on Sunday 1/29 in West LA at LMU

corkingnapa — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:45:11 +0000

Stu will be pouring at the 31st Annual Loyola Marymount University Wine Classic on Sunday, January 29 from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. You can still buy tickets at the door: all the info here: http://www.lmu.edu/RSVP/LMU_Wine_Classic.htm

Filed under: Reviews

2010 Riesling is Wine of the Week in SF Weekly

corkingnapa — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:32:36 +0000

Clean, apple-y, classic Riesling flavors, that are both dry and simultaneously provide the illusion of a touch of sweetness in a tart package — like a granny smith apple.
Clean, fresh and pleasant. There’s a slight note of petrol in the finish which hints this wine will age into a serious petrol-rich scented Riesling over time, but don’t worry about that — just drink it now. Mentally makes us crave a slice of hot apple pie to pair it with, though it would almost certainly go better with seafood or veggies.

http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2012/01/wines_of_the_week_riesling.php

Filed under: Reviews

Chosen in a list of 2011′s 50 Great Wines

corkingnapa — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:48:26 +0000

We’re honored that distinguished wine writer Frederic Koeppel chose the ’08 Chardonnay and ’05 Cabernet to be part of his group of 2011′s 50 Great Wines: “…by great I mean not only that they pleased me immensely and intensely but that they possess something so special in the way of personality and character and authenticity that they register on a higher plane than the stuff that’s just tasty and enjoyable…”

It’s here: http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2012/01/07/50-great-wines-of-2011/

Filed under: '05 Cab Sauv, '08 Chard

A visit from GoCalifornia

corkingnapa — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:43:49 +0000

Winery Review – Smith-Madrone Vineyards

by Betsy Malloy, About.com Guide

Types of Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling
Charge for Tasting: No
Wine Price: $30 to $40 per bottle in early 2012

Size: Production is about 4,000 cases per year

The Smith part of this winery’s name has obvious roots: it’s the owners’ moniker. Madrone refers to a type of native tree, an evergreen with a red-brown trunk and branches that grows on their property atopSpringMountain, on 200 acres first planted as vineyards in the 1800s. It sits above the town of St. Helena. The vineyards grow at 1,300 to 2,000 feet and across the Valley, you can see Howell Mountain.

Run by brothers, certifiable characters and long-time partners Charles and Stu Smith, Smith-Madrone is an unfussy, unpretentious winery that from all appearances has changed little since it first opened in 1971.

At Smith-Madrone, you won’t find a tasting bar, a platter of cheese – or even a place to sit down. While standing around tasting with one of the owners, you might notice the wild boar’s head hung over the door, a collection of cryptically-labeled bottles on the desk – or their dog Curly pawing your leg for attention. This place is really all about the wine. They say they want to make artisanal wines that are distinctive and an expression of both the vintage and themselves, and it’s easy to imagine that all of Napa might have been like this 40 years ago.

The location puts Smith-Madrone beyond the reach of casual wine tourists and we’re guessing that’s just the way they like it. And so do we. If you’re looking for a chance to meet the winemakers and sample some great wines without all the crowds, fuss and tasting fees of those fancy Napa tasting rooms, Smith-Madrone may be just the place for you.

Wine Quality: About.com’s wine writer Stacy Slinkard says they make “the perfect all-American Cab to call on for celebrating Thanksgiving.” All three of their varietals have won numerous awards – and they’re one of the few Napa wineries to produce a Riesling of any kind, let alone an award-winning one, which Wine Enthusiast describes as “absolutely dry and fascinatingly complex.” It’s also one of About.com’s Wine Best Picks

Tourist Experience: Down to earth and casual. You won’t hear lots of fancy wine words here and instead of telling you what you’re supposed to be tasting, these guys will let you draw your own conclusions.

More at http://gocalifornia.about.com/od/canapasonoma/a/winery_smith_madrone.htm

Filed under: Visits

Looking back at the 2011 harvest

corkingnapa — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:19:53 +0000

Stu summed it up for NorthBayBiz: “From what I hear from friends and neighbors, and what my gut says, this may be one of the shortest crops in the Napa Valley for the last 20 years. On Spring Mountain, nobody was willing to harvest under-ripe grapes for expediency. We were willing to gut it out and not compromise. It was hard, but we absolutely got what we needed. We may be tired, but we’re feeling very good about the quality of the wine.”

http://www.northbaybiz.com/Columnists/Napa_Insider/Year_in_Review.php

Filed under: Reviews