Cabernet Sauvignon Reviews

JamesSuckling.com July 2015

90 points

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon

Lots of subtle mint and currant character here. Full body, velvety tannins and a soft, juicy finish. A stylish, almost traditional Napa cabernet.

Virginie Boone, The Wine Enthusiast, June 2015

91 points

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

From the producer’s dry-farmed estate vineyard, and supported by small amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, this wine is elegant in sage and black cherry, silky on the palate in satisfying ways. Savory tea and an element of chocolate truffle give it additional complexity around a core of silky tannin.

http://buyingguide.winemag.com/catalog/smith-madrone-2011-cabernet-sauvignon-napa-spring-mountain

WineChic blog by Katie Curley-Katzman, June 7, 2015

Silken with elegant finish

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

This one had me hooked right away. Beautiful aroma of humidor and mocha. On the palate the wine is silken with elegant finish. Flavors of blackberry and cocoa, beautiful balance. Like the baby Jesus wearing velvet pantaloons. I only use that saying for my very favorites.

https://thewinechic.wordpress.com/2015/06/07/smith-madrone-wines-of-the-gods/

Robert Neralich blog, June 1, 2015

Powerful and elegant

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Blended from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc, this complex wine is both powerful and elegant. Its impressive flavor profile includes dark cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and plum, with notes of mocha, spice, raspberry, and vanilla lingering in the background. These perfectly integrated flavors are supported by firm but supple tannins and close in a long, resonant finish.

http://www.robertneralich.com/category/food-and-wine/

Examiner.com by Melissa Vogt, May 28, 2015

Elegant, expredssive, intricate

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Planted at 1,800 feet elevation on steep (up to 35% gradient) slopes with southern and western sun exposures—exhibits lively aromatics and a true Bordeaux-style palate. This isn’t a big, jammy-fruit Napa Cab by any means. This is elegant, expressive and intricate with layers of complexity and texture. The nose is stunning with lively aromatics of mint, tobacco leaf, anise, wet rocks, pencil lead, black currant and black cherry. The palate shows incredibly complex flavors and textures with a very long finish. A medium body with integrated tannins and silky, dry texture is surrounded by subtle fruit flavors of red and black cherry, dried raspberry and a hint of blueberry in the background. These gentle fruit characteristics are beautifully poised against bittersweet dark chocolate, cocoa, rocky minerality, pencil lead and a touch of smoke. You can taste the varietal characteristics, the earth of the vineyard site and the delicate approach in the cellar. Nineteen months in French oak with a final blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot make this one of the most finessed and balanced Cabernet Sauvignons of the difficult 2011 vintage that I have tasted. Certainly a wine that is enjoyable now, but also built for long-term cellar aging.

http://www.examiner.com/list/smith-madrone-vineyards-winery-stunning-new-releases

The Fermented Fruit blog, Ryan O'Hara, May 29, 2015

91 points

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

91 points: A dark ruby red in the glass with aromas of bell pepper, cherries and currants framed by hints of menthol and cedar. In the mouth it’s a medium-bodied with a silky texture. A savory and herbal expression of Napa Cabernet revealing a focused core of sour cherry, blackberry and black currant is further nuanced by bell pepper, sage, wood smoke, minty tobacco and spice notes livened by vibrant acidity. It finishes with fine powdery tannin. This boutique Spring Mountain winery is producing stylish wines of substance that emphasize balance and restraint over sheer power.

http://thefermentedfruit.com/smith-madrone-vineyards-a-spring-mountain-must/

San Jose Mercury News, Laurie Daniel, April 20, 2015

Savory and structured

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Another good hillside cab is the 2011 Smith-Madrone Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon ($48), which is a relative bargain among Napa cabs. It's savory and structured, with concentrated black fruit, notes of olive and anise and firm tannins.

http://www.mercurynews.com/eat-drink-play/ci_27919777/wine-re-evaluating-napas-2011-cabs

Enofylz Wine Blog, by Martin Redmond, April 16, 2015

Outstanding, 92-95 points

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark Ruby color with exuberant cassis, tobacco, cedar, plum, spiced black cherry, and a bit of eucalyptus aromas. On the palate it’s medium-bodied and well-structured with ample cassis, black cherry, tobacco, and a bit of mineral flavors. Medium-Long finish. Outstanding; 92-95 points.

http://enofylzwineblog.com/2015/04/16/no-reservations-wine-tasting-smith-madrone-vineyard-winery/

Mary Ewing-Mulligan, WineReviewOnLine, March 31, 2015

91 points

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

91 points: As a fan of Smith-Madrone’s Cabernet Sauvignon, I looked forward to tasting the 2011 to learn how the winery fared in a vintage that was challenging in Napa Valley. I was not disappointed. Typically, I find elegance and restraint in Smith-Madrone’s mountain-grown Cabs, and those are also characteristics that I’ve enjoyed in other 2011 Napa Cabs that I have liked. The Smith-Madrone 2011 is beautifully made, with sleek, soft tannins, smooth-as-silk texture, and precise, concentrated flavors of small, dark berries and tangy minerals. Although it is still young, this wine does not require any particular aging to enjoy. I will not hesitate to order it in a restaurant as soon as I see it.

http://www.winereviewonline.com/wine_reviews.cfm

Terroirist.com, Isaac Baker, March 31, 2015

93 points

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

93 points: Deep but bright purple color. A concentrated nose but it unwraps wonderfully with bright currants and plums, some intense notes of cedar, menthol, anise, smoke and paved road. Firm structure, the tannins are grippy but showing a coarse, dusty presence, and the acid comes in balances it out perfectly. Tart red and black currants, lots of them, with some spiced cranberry sauce. Such complex earth and herbal notes that I could ramble on about them for quite a while. Suffice it say this is very complex. The spice and cedar elements are woven in perfectly with the earth tones. Hints of eucalyptus and mint on the finish, which is long and pure. Delicious now, but will be a beauty once cellared for four or five years

http://www.terroirist.com/2015/04/wine-reviews-california-cabernet-3/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Terroirist+%28Terroirist%2

The Washington Post, Dave McIntyre, March 10, 2015

Exceptional: a top-notch elegant Cabernet

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

Exeptional: In 2011 Smith-Madrone produced a top-notch, elegant cabernet that features Bordeaux-like characteristics of blackberry fruit with that graphite/pencil character wine lovers will recognize, plus lip-smacking, refreshing acidity. And if you can restrain from gulping the bottle, it’s even better the second night.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/5-wines-to-try-this-week/2015/03/09/9aa774de-c384-11e4-9271-610273846239_story.html

Palate Press, by David Honig, February 17, 2015

94 points, Highly Recommended

2011 Cabernet Sauvignon

94 points: Highly Recommended. The color is dark, almost opaque at the center. On the nose, black currant and unsweetened chocolate take the lead. The real action is on the palate. Huge black fruits, deep, but not jammy, erupt, followed by unsweetened chocolate, espresso, mint, cedar, and a meaty umami. It’s chewy and fat, a big mouth-full but not a brute. Tannins are dusty, grippy, and acids offer a good counter-balance. Together, they suggest great reward for cellar patience. Hints of violet and herbs underneath all the fruit promise evolution into a high-toned floral delight after a decade or more. Drink it today, with a big ribeye or as a snack. Or cellar it until 2023 or later and drink with lamb chops or a fine filet.

http://palatepress.com/2015/02/wine/drinking-smith-madrone-cabernet-sauvignon/

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

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