Someone has to be the best right? Loaded question I know. But I’m here to tell you that Smith-Madrone, located on Spring Mountain, is Napa Valley’s Best Winery.
Stu Smith Founded Smth-Madrone on Spring Mountain in 1971. A short time later he was joined by his brother Charlie. For most of their history it was the two of them running the show, and doing pretty much, everything. But in the last few years Sam Smith, Stu’s son came on board as assistant winemaker and now there’s a trio of Smith’s running the engine on their gorgeous property.
I’ve been drinking these wines for more than 15 years now in many disparate setting. I’ve visited the winery many times and tasted with the family and I’ve met up with Stu locally in New York City, not to mention tasting the wines at home either to evaluate them or simply because I pulled a cork on one of their wines with a meal. And the other night I tasted the current lineup with Stu and some other writers over Zoom. One thing that screams to me every time I put a glass to my lips that contains Smth-Madrone; these are honest wines. They’re as real as the day is long and represent their place up on Spring Mountain, the vintage conditions of a particular year, and the joyous humans involved in making them.
In my experience, Smith-Madrone wines tend to be uniformly delicious, and are enjoyable all on their own, but they’re inclined to sing for their supper and simply excel with food. If you want to dig in and analyze them, there’s more than enough meat on the bone to geek out all night. But if all your crave is a hedonistic exercise in self indulgence, the Smith-Madrone wines have you covered, all for a reasonable price too. With the exception of “Cook’s Flat Reserve,” which is their very delicious answer to the litany of “trophy” wines strewn through the Valley, the wines top out at $52. In addition to being a gastronomic delight, “Cook’s Flat Reserve” is also better made than the lion’s share of Napa Valley Wines in it’s price tier.
If you’ve been to Napa Valley and haven’t been to Smith-Madrone, you’re missing out. When you get there you’l be greeted by a member of the family, welcomed like a beloved cousin who they haven’t seen in a while and treated like gold. They’ll show you the property and pour you some wine. Stu, Charlie, and Sam will all be glad to talk about anything you want to discuss, whether about their wines, the property or CA Wine as a whole. You’ll walk away with a real awareness of Napa Valley’s history over the last 50 years. If you want to buy some wine, they’ll be delighted to sell you some, hell that’s one of the things they do. But you won’t encounter any sort of high pressure sales pitch. And when you leave you’ll have a sense of an amazing experience that other wineries are going to have a tough time competing with. Trust your instincts on that, you’re right. By the time you make it back home, you’ll know in your heart and in your bones that you experienced the most authentic Winery Visit Napa Valley has to offer. Your job then is to keep drinking Smith-Madrone Wines and get back to Spring Mountain as soon as you can.
Well made, fairly priced wines with a sense of place that age nicely, pair with food fabulously, made, poured, and sold by wonderful people at a Family Winery with a sense of the valley’s history and their place in it. What would you call that? They named it Smith-Madrone, I call it Napa Valley’s Best Winery.
Smith-Madrone 2016 Estate Chardonnay ($40)
This isn’t a shy Chardonnay, neither is it an ostentatious and over the top Chardonnay. This is though a big mouthful of delicious Chardonnay. Over the years they learned which barrels work for their vineyard, and while it has 80% New French Oak on it, it’s never obtrusive in the least. Vibrant orchard fruit is buttressed by oodles of rich Meyer lemon. Those flavors fill your mouth and make it happy. If you think you don’t like Chardonnay, try this one, you may experience a revelation.
Smith-Madrone 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon ($52)
In addition to Cabernet Sauvignon there’s also 16% Cabernet Franc blended in to this wine. Black cherry and bits of leather present on the nose. Red cherry drives the palate along with spice, savory herbs, lots of earth and a core of mineral notes. The finish is long and acid rich. Delicious now this wine will improve over time. I wish more Napa Valley Cabernet’s tasted like this. People often ask me for Cabernet recommendations to buy as a gift. to impress someone. Often they say their budget is $100. I tell them to buy two of these.
Smith-Madrone 2016 Cook’s Flat Reserve ($225)
This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (54%) and Cabernet Franc (46%). Dark and spicy fruit aromas lead the charge here. Black cherry and plum flavors abound. Bits of kirsch liqueur and sweet dark chocolate drive the long and spice laden finish. This is a joyous and hedonistic wine, and like their other offerings is also well proportioned. Drinking Cook’s Flat Reserve brings to mind the term, Excess in Moderation. A mere 111 cases of this wine were bottled. I’d lay it down for awhile, but it’s also hard to resist now.
Smith-Madrone 2016 Riesling ($34)
The hero in most stories usually has a secret weapon of some sort. In the case of Smith-Madrone, Riesling is their secret weapon. This wine is well made, stupidly delicious and quite possibly the most age-worthy wine in their portfolio most years. Peach and apricot notes are evident from the first whiff to the last sip. Throw in white tea, white peppercorn and a long finish and it’s a got everything you need. The tension between the fruit and the acid is simply thrilling. I’ve gotten to travel a good bit of the world tasting wine. One of my fondest memories is a drizzly day a handful of years ago up on Spring Mountain. I had an appointment to see Stu and Charlie around lunch time. We sat around inside the winery, tasted the current releases and ate some sandwiches. After a few minutes with a twinkle in his eye, Charlie told me he thought I might want to try an older Riesling. I don’t recall the vintage off hand, but it was delicious and complimented our food and our boisterous conversation so well. A perfect day.
I look forward to getting back there just as soon as the world gets a bit closer to normal and I find my way back to California. Bottom line, if you don’t know, Smith-Madrone, You should. Visit them, drink their wines, doesn’t need to be in that order. I promise, you’ll thank me.