As the Covid-19 pandemic wears on, one of the things we’re all getting a little (ok maybe a lot) quarantine fatigued. But the multitude of challenges presented by the pandemic has also created opportunities for wineries to sell wine and engage with its customers in diverse ways. Initiatives like low or no cost shipping, contact-less pick up, interactive tastings, and even virtual winemaker dinners have emerged as meaningful and fun ways to sell wine and engage customers.

I was recently invited to virtual tasting with Smith Madrone Vineyards & Winery Managing Partner and Enologist Stuart Smith.

Our Zoom chat covered a variety of topics, including the history of Smith-Madrone, their Spring Mountain property, how the property is farmed, and of course, their wines.

Stu is a plain-spoken man in the best way, whose commitment to his beliefs is impressive. Here are a few of my take-aways from the chat:

• The “Goal was always to be in the mountains” because Stu believes that’s where the best fruit is grown.
• Smith-Madrone’s commitment to Riesling in the Napa Valley is awe-inspiring. For 15 years they were the only winery in America to label it “Riesling” rather than “Johannisberg” Riesling.
• Selling Riesling is a challenge, he told us he feels like Sisyphus, who is condemned by the gods for eternity to repeatedly roll a boulder up a hill only to have it roll down again once he got it to the top.
• The Cook’s Flat Reserve is modeled after first-growth Bordeaux. Stu told us that he and his brother Charles believed “we can do that and we can do it better” 
• The Smith brothers are one of the longest tenured winemakers in the Napa Valley

About Smith Madrone

Smith Madrone Vineyards, is a family run, estate-bottled winery located in St. Helena, California was founded in 1971 by brothers Stuart and Charles Smith who are the Managing Partner/Enologist, and Winemaker respectively.  Stuart’s son, Sam Smith is the Assistant Winemaker. The name of the winery is a tribute to the Smith brothers and the Madrone trees on the ranch.

At Smith-Madrone our goal is to make artisanal wines which are distinctive and are an expression of both the vintage and us, as vintners, but above all else, are wines which bring pleasure to the senses.

When the Smith brothers purchased the  200 acre ranch in 1971, it included a vineyard that had been planted over a century before.  But the forest had reclaimed much of the land. The brothers had to call in loggers to clear patches of land that would become vineyards.  There remain numerous historical sights on the ranch, as well as the huge array of natural beauty and wildlife.

All their wines are produced exclusively from their 34 acres of hillside vineyards planted by the Smith brothers.  The vineyard is planted to 6.25 acres of Riesling, 10.25 acres of Chardonnay and 13 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Merlot, and Cabernet Franc available for blending.

The vineyard sits high atop Spring Mountain, west of St. Helena in the northern Napa Valley. The vineyards sit at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 feet, on steep slopes which range up to 35%.

Smith Madrone offers five wines, Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Rosé and a special Cook’s Flat Reserve bottling represents the very best of which they are capable in a given year. . The wines are available for purchase at the winery or on their website. They produce about 4,000 cases/yr.

The Wines

Disclosure: I received the wines as a media samples. I received no compensation for this post, and all opinions presented are my own

Smith Madrone currently produces five wines from their Spring Mountain estate. We were provided media sample of four of their five wines. The wines were tasted in the order of my tasting notes that follow.

• 2016 Smith-Madrone Chardonnay – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  Pale yellow color with yellow apple, ripe pear, honeysuckle, lemon puff pastry, and crushed rocks aromas On the palate it’s medium-bodied with mouth-watering acidity and very appealing texture with yellow apple, quince paste, ripe white peach, lemon peel, clove and a hint of white tea flavors accented with a kiss of minerality. Long lemony finish. This outstanding wine is delicious and structured wine with vibrant acidity keeps you coming back for another sip. 100% Chardonnay that was barrel fermented. Raised 9 months in 80% new French Oak. 831 cases produced|14.4% abv|SRP – $40. Remarkable value for a Napa Valley Chardonnay! (92 pts.)
• 2015 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  The wine is opaque garnet with billowing cassis, blackberry, black cherry, violet, tobacco and a hint of graphite aromas. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, complex and and fresh with well integrated firm tannins. It shows black cherry, cassis, a bit of red plum, graphite and A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Cabernet Franc raised in 65% new French oak, 35% one year-old French oak for 18 months. 1,192 cases produced|14.3% abv|SRP – $52. It’s approachable now with a good decanting, but it has you’ll be rewarded for aging. This is an Ole Skool Napa Valley Cab that is complex and balanced and drinks well above its price point (91 pts.)
• 2016 Smith-Madrone Cook’s Flat Reserve – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  Opaque garnet with effusive aromas of black and blue fruit, cassis, tobacco and spice. On the palate it’s medium-bodied, elegant, and complex with a supple texture and well -integrated polished, sweet tannins. It shows rich black cherry, ripe black and blueberries, and spice flavors with a long, and very appealing delicious finish. A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon (46%) Cabernet Franc. The wine is made in very limited quantities from the best vintages from their best blocks. 130 cases produced|14.3% abv|SRP ~$250. This is an exceptional wine that is approachable now, but will handsomely reward cellaring.
  
  The proprietary name “Cook’s Flat is an homage to George Cook, the first owner of the property. ‘Cook’s Flat’ was the local oldtimers’ name for the eight-acre plateau-like vineyard block which was replanted in 1972. (93 pts.)
• 2015 Smith-Madrone Riesling – USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District
  Very pale straw color with green highlights with aromatic white peach, nectarine, lemon, honeysuckle, wet stone and a hint of petrichor. On the palate it’s dry and very fresh with white peach, nectarine, honey, Meyer lemon flavors accented with a wet stone minerality and citrusy long finish. 1,199 cases produced|12.8% abv|SRP – $34. (92 pts.)

My Take Aways

Stu told us during the tasting that “balance is everything”. That winemaking aesthetic is evident in each of these world-class wines proudly crafted from the Spring Mountain’s distinctive terroir.

If you’re a fan of Riesling, look for their soon-to-be released 6 year vertical (2014 – 2019). I’m looking forward to it!

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vivino and for all things wine.  As a wino with latent foodie tendencies, you’ll also find plenty of food and wine pairings, and wine related travel stuff!  Become a fan and join ENOFYLZ Wine Blog on Facebook. Cheers!

Copyright Notice: This entire site is Copyrighted 2010-2020. All Rights Reserved. No unauthorized copying of any section of this site is permitted. If you wish to use any part of this site, contact me. For information on Copyright Law, see the official U.S. Copyright Office home page.