Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

TheArmchairSommelier, March 7, 2015

92 points, great balance with layers of complexity

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

92 points: 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Merlot. Aged for 19 months in French oak. Lovely garnet color. Nose is all funk (I’m Team Funk, so this makes me giddy) — white pepper, leather, tar, cedar. Shows great restraint and finesse. Fruit definitely takes a back seat to funk (I’m struggling to come up with a dominant fruit note). I’m thinking currants in a cigar box. Great balance with layers of complexity. A massive finish. Retail price = $48 (a massive bargain — I’ve had Napa Cabernets that weren’t this good at twice the price).

https://armchairsommelier.wordpress.com/2015/03/07/snowed-in-with-smith-madrone/

Wine & Spirits Magazine, April 2015

93 points

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

93 points: Stu and Charles Smith planted 20 acres of vines in 1972. Given the remoteness of their site, on steep slopes rising to 2,000 feet, they decided to plant without rootstock. Nearly two acres of the original cabernet vines still survive, now part of a 34-acre dry farmed vineyard producing riesling, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. This wine, ripened above the fog line, feels untroubled by the cool, late 2011 harvest. In fact, it feels saturated with brisk Pacific air, with deep flavors of black currants and the spicy scent of the redwood forest that surrounds these vines. The texture is gentle, without an overt sense of tannic extract, the wine’s intensity built on cool-ripened fruit.

Michelle Williams, Rockin Red blog, January 19, 2015

Dazzling flavors, drinking beautifully

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine poured a lovely red garnet into the glass and opened with seductive aromas of dark fruit, smoke, and mocha. On the palate those aromas delivery in dazzling flavors of blackberry, black plums and black cherries with a hint of cola, leather cigar box, and smoke with rich dark chocolate, espresso and a hint of vanilla left lingering on the palate. It is a ripe, round wine that delivers ripe acidity and well-crafted tannins that linger on the palate giving this wine a long finish. This wine is drinking beautifully right now; however, I can only image the wonderful gift time will bestow on this wine! I recommend this wine; in fact, I recommend you purchase several bottles and hide them in your cellar for 10ish years, after you drink one now of course!

Snooth.com, Gabe Sasso, February 2015

Exceptional value

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

California Cabernet is synonymous with quality. Brothers Stu and Charlie Smith have grown wine on their estate for over 40 years. The wines represent exceptional value, as the brothers keep their prices quite fair considering their premier location atop Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley. This wine is top-notch, and there’s nothing sexier than buying your love the best of something. Red and black fruit fills the nose of Cabernet Sauvignon along with hints of toast and vanilla. The palate is full flavored with excellent weight. White and black pepper, blackberry, and chocolate notes are all evident. Earth, cocoa, and plenty of spice are present on the persistent finish.

http://www.snooth.com/articles/wine-for-valentines-day/?utm_campaign=13285&utm_medium=email&utm_source=all&utm_content=81736

Bacchus and Beery, February 4, 2015

93 points, one of the best Napa Cabs under $50

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

With nearly every vintage I review, I state that Smith-Madrone Cabernet is one of the best Napa Cabs under $50. This wine is no exception. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry, blueberry, raspberry and brown spice. Dry farmed estate fruit, high on Spring Mountain gives this wine a lush mouth-feel with present acidity and supple tannins. Well integrated flavors of black cherry, plum, blackberry and tobacco box with a little blueberry with pepper spice. Intriguing espresso and dark chocolate on long finish.

http://wine-blog.bacchusandbeery.com/wine-blog/winereview/cabernet-sauvignon-wine-reviews/smith-madrone-cabernet-sauvignon-2011/

BiggerThanYourHead blog, Frederic Koeppel, January 16, 2015

The kind of wine you could spend hours swirling and sniffing, an intellectual as well as a sensual exercise

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

The fact that brothers Charles and Stuart Smith continue to keep prices for their exemplary wines so much lower than the competition is one of those miracles and mysteries that make life interesting, and as far as I’m concerned we should not question this phenomenon. The grapes for their cabernet-based wine – for 2011 a blend of 83 percent cabernet sauvignon, 10 percent cabernet franc and 7 percent merlot — are grown on steep, dry-farmed slopes at an elevation of 1,800 feet on Spring Mountain, west of the city of St. Helena. Made from 39-year-old vines, the wine aged 19 months in French oak barrels.

The color is intense, vibrant dark ruby; it’s a deeply loamy cabernet, saturated with closely focused black currant and cherry scents and flavors but infused with notes of graphite, briers and brambles, lavender and dried porcini, redolent with a sort of dusty rosemary, thyme and cedar aspect that’s slightly resiny; the kind of wine you could spend hours swirling and sniffing, an intellectual as well as a sensual exercise. It’s quite concentrated in the mouth, lithe and sinewy, but not lacking in a generous character; dense, chewy tannins are part velvet, part graphite, made lively by a flare of bright acidity and a faceted granitic quality and given depth by an almost primal, dusty, robust earthiness; you feel the elevation, the scrappiness and spareness of the soil, the mineral underpinnings where the roots dig deep for sustenance. 14.3 percent alcohol. Production was 1,070 cases. Nothing flamboyant or over-ripe here. Try from 2016 or ’17 through 2025 to 2030. Excellent. About $48, a bargain in this company.

http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2015/01/16/whither-napa-valley-cabernet-part-six-five-big-guns-from-2011/

California Grapevine, January 2015

Highly Recommended

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Medium-dark ruby; spicy, cedary, cassis and blackberry fruit aroma with notes of green olive, dried herbs, and tobacco leaf; full body; initially tight, cedary, black fruit flavors that opened and developed depth and intensity with some airing in the glass; full tannin; lingering aftertaste.

Chris Kassel, Intox Report, January 2, 2014

A silken voluptuous wine

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Brisk perfectly-ripe red and black berries in the nose, neither jammy nor stewed. The fruit is the perfume, shored by dry-leaf tobacco notes and a bit of wood smoke. Eager but adolescent, the wine has its dominant acids up front and its mouth-coating tannins holding up the rear and the fruit—though lively and restless—is solidly framed by both. These are traits that fade with age, and will doubtlessly lead to an integration of the whole, at which point, I predict a silken, voluptuous wine that expresses harmony in this indispensable trio of cab components……Try the following as an introduction to the nuances of vintage and the alpine amplitude of Smith-Madrone’s wines. They are wines that define the region, from a winery that is not only on top of Spring Mountain, but also, on top of their game.

http://intoxreport.com/2015/01/02/droning-on-about-smith-madrone/

Chris Kassel, Intox Report, January 2, 2014

A silken voluptuous wine

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Brisk perfectly-ripe red and black berries in the nose, neither jammy nor stewed. The fruit is the perfume, shored by dry-leaf tobacco notes and a bit of wood smoke. Eager but adolescent, the wine has its dominant acids up front and its mouth-coating tannins holding up the rear and the fruit—though lively and restless—is solidly framed by both. These are traits that fade with age, and will doubtlessly lead to an integration of the whole, at which point, I predict a silken, voluptuous wine that expresses harmony in this indispensable trio of cab components……Try the following as an introduction to the nuances of vintage and the alpine amplitude of Smith-Madrone’s wines. They are wines that define the region, from a winery that is not only on top of Spring Mountain, but also, on top of their game.

http://intoxreport.com/2015/01/02/droning-on-about-smith-madrone/

JamesTheWineGuy video review, December 2014

Beautiful, polished wine

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Beautiful, sculpted, polished; an example of dry farming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUckPRFP0YU

Sacramento Bee, Mike Dunne, December 17, 2014

Rare combination of character, elegance and spirit in a wine, look no further

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

For the rare combination of character, elegance and spirit in a wine, look no further than the Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery 2010 Napa Valley Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($45), a seamless take on the varietal distinguished by lively red-fruit flavors, an intriguing thread of herbalness, firm but unintimidating tannins and refreshingly crisp acidity. The cool 2010 vintage was challenging, but brothers Stu and Charles Smith have been tending vines high on Spring Mountain for more than four decades and have learned how to roll with whatever weather is dealt them.

http://www.sacbee.com/food-drink/wine/dunne-on-wine/article4522893.html

Jameson Fink, blog, December 14, 2014

Not a better Cab for under 50 bucks

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

I am hard-pressed to think of a better Napa Cab for under 50 bucks. This bottle of Smith-Madrone is a testament to both site and winemaking. And I am quite particular about Cabernet, truth be told. I like it to show true Cabernet character, which I define as having notes of wonderful green things. Like olives, herbs, mint, eucalyptus. Now, I’m not saying it should taste like vegetables, but this is the side of Cabernet that, when leaned towards, gets me excited. This bottle drank wonderfully for three days, was not lacking in richness, and delivered P-L-E-A-S-U-R-E. Stuff this in your stocking or, to be safe, put a case under your tree and enjoy how it develops over the years. On my triple buy scale it gets a BUY BUY BUY.

http://jamesonfink.com/spring-mountain-cabernet-from-smith-madrone-the-perfect-gift/

St. Helena Star, Catherine Bugue, December 4, 2014

A great holiday wine...beautiful balance....

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

You don’t make wine in the mountains because it is easier; you choose the mountain because you believe you can make great wine there. The Smith brothers understood that Spring Mountain was a special place and built their winery among the thick forest of Madrone and other trees at elevations up to 1,900 feet. They make deliciously crisp whites as well as structured reds. What they don’t do is make oak-soaked, overly extracted, high-octane wines. If you want jam in a glass, look elsewhere. The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is a great holiday wine — full of deep blackberry fruit on a firm but approachable palate. Its beautiful balance, with nice acidity, makes it a great pairing for any beef dish, stew or roast. The price tag, quite low for a top Napa Valley wine, leaves more money for holiday presents.

http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/smith-madrone-cabernet-sauvignon-spring-mountain-district-napa-valley/article_ee0c05f4-63e9-5fc7-b6f5-6e88a059c412.html

Wine & Spirits Magazine, December 2014

92 points, Best Buy

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Included in Year’s Best Cabernet Sauvignon section: A traditional style of Napa Valley Cabernet, this harks back to an age before hangtime was a buzzword, when green herb flavors and firm tannins were in fashion. It’s restrained, linear, astringent in both oak and fruit tannins, earthy at its core. There’s a delicacy to the lasting red currant fruit. Taut and demanding as a young wine, this is built for patient cellaring.

Waka Waka Wine Reviews by Elaine Brown, October 21, 2014

Ultra mouth-watering length

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Of 6 Napa Valley Cabernets presented at Wine & Spirits Magazine’s Sommelier Scavenger Hunt, the most distinctive of the cabernets selected was the 2011 Smith-Madrone: it shows refreshing bell pepper aromatics, and ultra mouth-watering length.

http://wakawakawinereviews.com/2014/10/21/wine-spirits-inaugural-sommelier-scavenger-hunt-tasting/

The Gray Report, by Blake Gray, November 3, 2014

Terrific example of 2011 Napa Cabernet

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

The Smith Madrone was one of the most impressive wines of the day, with garrigue-like notes of the native California flora on the rugged forests on Spring Mountain. The 2011 vintage in Napa will never score well with Parker et al, but I believe great Napa wines from 2011 will be the best wines in those wineries' cellars two decades from now, and this is a terrific example.

http://blog.wblakegray.com/2014/11/terroir-fight-napa-vs-anderson-valley.html

The Sommelier Files by Christopher Sawyer, October 29, 2011

A pure balanced wine

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Fresh-evergreen infused aromas of red and blue fruits, tar, tobacco, and earth. Deep flavors of ripe plum, blueberry, black raspberry, dark chocolate nibs, wild mountain herbs and forest floor; vibrant acidity; generous finish. Overall, a pure, balanced wine, and a testament to the natural splendor, rugged soils, high elevation, and steep slopes that are trademarks of the Spring Mountain District.

http://sawyersomm.com/?p=476

Wine & Spirits Magazine, October 2014

92 points, Best Buy

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

A traditional style of Napa Valley Cabernet, this harks back to an age before hangtime was a buzzword, when green herb flavors and firm tannins were in fashion. It’s restrained, linear, astringent in both oak and fruit tannins, earthy at its core. There’s a delicacy to the lasting red currant fruit. Taut and demanding as a young wine, this is built for patient cellaring.

Jancis Robinson, October 2014

Very delicate and lively - lots of freshness

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

From a steep reclaimed hillside on Spring Mountain with volcanic underpinning. Estate bottled. Healthy and herbal. Very delicate and lively. Lots of freshness. Still quite youthful. Tense and light as a feather. Very unlike the Napa norm. It was even better after 24 hours – a good sign.

American Winery Guide, Martin Redmond, August 2014

One of the best values in Napa Valley Cab

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark ruby color with promising black cherry, cassis, blackberry, cedarwood, and a hint of cacao aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, and vibrant harmonious with penetrating black cherry, cassis, mixed black and blueberry flavors, and sweet, well-integrated tannins and a long finish. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon 84%, Merlot 8% & Cabernet franc 8%. Aged 22 months in new American white oak barrels. One of the best values you'll find in Napa Valley Cab at $45!

http://www.americanwineryguide.com/winery_reviews/smith-madrone-vineyards-and-winery/739/

St. Helena Star by Catherine Bogue, August 7, 2014

Wine of the Week

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Throw a steak on the grill or braise short ribs, for this cab has plenty of blackberry, sage brush, and spice flavors. But the wine only clocks in at 13.9 percent alcohol; a flavorful option to the higher octane beasts still out there, despite the turning tide.

http://napavalleyregister.com/star/business/wine-of-the-week/article_99459706-dbef-50b4-8cfc-7818410e8757.html

The Fifty Best Tasting, July 2014

Lovely wood and opulent on the palate

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Silver Medal

Aroma: Grassy, green bell pepper, peppery, jalapeño, fruity, berries, vanilla, mixed flowers, spice, hay, leather, lovely oak.
Palate: Plums, mushroom, leather, tobacco, oak, creamy, lovely wood, opulent.
Finish: Cocoa, light white pepper, leather, tart, medium.

http://www.thefiftybest.com/wine/best_napa_valley_cabernet_sauvignon/

Adam Lechmere's blog Rot, May 2014

Superb

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

A classic nose, blackcurrant and mint vibrating in the glass, then flavours that can only be described as Bordeaux-like, cassis and coffee, but with an additional layer of perfumed fruit that stamps it indelibly as Napa. High vineyards, long hot days and cool nights bring sharp acidity to the structure. Superb.

http://adamlechmere.blogspot.com/2014/05/scaffolding-and-bare-brickwork.html

Wine & Spirits Magazine, August 2014

90 points and Best Buy

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

A substantial wine with mountain-grown intensity in its meaty, cherry-scented fruit, this is dominated by oak for now. The fruit grows more fragrant with air, but needs bottle age to supersede the wood. Powerful and gracious, this should develop well.

Foxlow Restaurant

Plush and seductive

2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Foxlow is a restaurant in London. Zeren Wilson describes the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon on the wine list: Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a wonderful thing, but the opportunities to taste at the elegant end of the scale are rare. Hallelujah for the Smith brothers, whose estate in the prestigious Spring Mountain is planted on very steep slopes on the top of the mountain: the resulting grapes retain freshness which gives this wine’s great balance. Plush and seductive on the palate, dominated by cassis and black cherry, this is a great example of a restrained wine from a region better known for fruit bombs.

http://www.foxlow.co.uk/

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