Chardonnay Reviews
WineAlign.com, June 2014, by Steve Thurlow
A beautiful, very fine California Chardonnay
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.winealign.com/wines/62911-Smith-Madrone-Chardonnay-2011This is a beautiful very fine Californian chardonnay with a lot of class. It has a complex nose of melon and pineapple fruit with well integrated oak plus nutty and caramel tones with some herbal hints. The palate is very smooth with the fruit well balanced by firm acidity and minerality. It is very understated with a chalky texture and herbal tone with excellent length. Try with sautéed seafood or roast poultry. Best 2014 to 2015.
WineAlign.com, June 2014, by David Lawrason
Excellent focus and length
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.winealign.com/wines/62911-Smith-Madrone-Chardonnay-2011From a mature vine site high on Spring Mountain, this maturing chardonnay presents complex aromas of dried earth/forest floor, pecan nuttiness and a touch of caramel. Not an exuberantly fruity style. It's medium full bodied, firm and dry - a wine with solid structure and some poise within a bigger style. I like how it hangs together and the excellent focus and length. Should drink well for another three to five years.
WineAlign.com, June 2014 by John Szabo, MS
Substantially savoury and saliva-inducing qualities
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.winealign.com/wines/62911-Smith-Madrone-Chardonnay-2011A wine of substantially savoury and saliva-inducing qualities - this has some genuine cut and class. This has more than sufficient acids and flavour stuffing to see it integrate over the next 1-3 years. I like the palpable chalky texture and the resinous herbs - much more than just fruit and oak, and a pleasure to drink. Decant if serving now.
Toronto Star, Gordon Stimmel, June 7, 2o014
A stunner
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.therecord.com/living-story/4563785-five-white-wines-that-shine-in-food-pairings-gord-on-grapes/A stunner. Lifted lemon, coconut, beeswax, melon, peach and baked bread aromas are amazing. Then the super silky flavours deliver citronella, vanilla, cling peach, golden apple and lime zest. Did I mention the undertones of limestone, such as a rain-lashed crushed gravel driveway?
Vinography, May 1, 2014
Excellent acidity and brightness
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.vinography.com/archives/2014/05/vinography_unboxed_week_of_may_1.htmlPale gold in color, this wine smells of cold cream, lemon curd, and melted butter. In the mouth, bright lemon zest and lemon curd flavors mix with wet stones and grapefruit pith. Excellent acidity and brightness, with a nice airy finish. Only the faintest hint of toasted oak wafts above the juicy fruit. Score: between 9 and 9.5.
Wine & Spirits Magazine, June 2014
93 points and Best Buy
2011 Chardonnay
A big Napa Valley chardonnay, this has enough power in its fruit to hold the toasty, leesy oak influence in check. There’s a broad feel of alcohol, with mineral freshness to keep it clean, focused on a range of fruit flavors, from yellow apple and nectarine to chamomile, marzipan and orange marmalade. Air brings out a refreshing character in the wine, as juicy as a Bartlett pear or a white peach. Decant this for meaty fish, like a seared albacore steak.
The Daily Meal, March 12, 2014, by Gabe Sasso
Impeccably proportionate
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.thedailymeal.com/smith-madrone-vineyards-and-winery/31214The Smith-Madrone 2011 Chardonnay was produced from mountain fruit. All of the chardonnay came from Smith-Madrone’s property. The chardonnay vines had 39 years of age on them at the time of harvest. The wine was fermented and aged in entirely new French oak over a period of eight months. They bottled 463 cases of the 2011 chardonnay and it has a suggested retail price of $30. Stone fruit, apple, and citrus zest aromas leap convincingly from the nose of this 2011 chardonnay. The sumptuous, focused, and driven palate is laced with apple, peach, and mineral characteristics galore. White melon, limestone, and spices such as clove and nutmeg emerge on the crisp, lengthy finish. This is a chardonnay rich in pure fruit flavors. What I love about this particular chardonnay is that it’s impeccably proportionate and laced with deeply layered, intense fruit flavors. Napa Valley turns out oodles of chardonnay, and the producers of those wines make all sorts of stylistic choices; this is easily one of best four or five chardonnays in Napa Valley every year. One vintage after another the Smith-Madrone chardonnay is simply one of a handful of best examples in Napa. It’s a complex, fruit driven wine that is enhanced rather than overwhelmed by the oak treatment it receives.
Isaac James Baker's blog, January 2014
92 points: ...A brave wine that challenges -- and rewards -- my palate.
2010 Chardonnay
http://isaacjamesbaker.blogspot.com/2014/01/5-california-wineries-that-wowed-me-in.html?spref=twIsaac James Baker chose Smith-Madrone as one of the wineries which 'wowed' him in 2013:
2013 was a great year, wasn't it? Over the course of the year I tasted a lot of amazing wines and toured many a beautiful California vineyard. As a writer for the daily wine blog Terroirist, I blind-tasted my way through a lot of samples in 2013, most of which hailed from CA. I found myself gravitating toward several producers who put out consistently awesome wines, regardless of vintage or grape variety.
Founded in 1971, Smith-Madrone's winery is located on Spring Mountain, west of St. Helena. The operation is run by brothers Stuart Smith, managing partner and vineyard manager, and Charles Smith III, winemaker. They dry farm their estate vineyards, which line steep slopes between 1,300 and 2,000 feet in elevation. Their mountain wines are dynamic, lively and they show a refreshing sense of purity and minerality.
92 points: The fruit smells honeyed and rich, yet these shaved lime peel, sea shell and peanut brittle notes demand attention as well. It all combines in a beautiful aromatic display. This Chardonnay introduces itself by barging through the door, with pineapple, melon, honey, and mixed nuts from the oak. (It spends 8 months in 100% new French oak). But it's still bright from the acid, which is crucial to have in wines with this kind of intensity. Orange peel, seashell, caramel and hazelnut linger long onto the finish. A brave wine that challenges — and rewards — my palate.
Isaac James Baker's blog, January 2014
Bold...toasty...tangy
2011 Chardonnay
http://isaacjamesbaker.blogspot.com/2014/01/5-california-wineries-that-wowed-me-in.html?spref=tw5 California Wineries That Wowed Me in 2013
2013 was a great year, wasn’t it? Over the course of the year I tasted a lot of amazing wines and toured many a beautiful California vineyard. As a writer for the daily wine blog Terroirist, I blind-tasted my way through a lot of samples in 2013, most of which hailed from CA. I found myself gravitating toward several producers who put out consistently awesome wines, regardless of vintage or grape variety.
Founded in 1971, Smith-Madrone’s winery is located on Spring Mountain, west of St. Helena. The operation is run by brothers Stuart Smith, managing partner and vineyard manager, and Charles Smith III, winemaker. They dry farm their estate vineyards, which line steep slopes between 1,300 and 2,000 feet in elevation. Their mountain wines are dynamic, lively and they show a refreshing sense of purity and minerality.
91 points: Gold-yellow color with viscous legs. Aromas of whipped honey, pear, apricot and nougat, mixed in with a hint of limestone or chalk. On the palate, the yellow apple and pear fruit is coated in nougat, peanut shell and a distinct macadamia nut flavor. There’s a nice kick to the acid, though, offering some balance. I like this lemon zest and chalk note as well. Bold, but not heavily creamy. Interesting because it’s toasty, but still tangy, and offering some mineral and rock accents. Long finish with notes of honeycomb and toffee. Barrel-fermented and aged 8 months in 100% new French oak.
Purely Domestic Wine Report, Doug Wilder, December 2013
Palate is clean, lean and crisp
2011 Chardonnay
A dry Chablis-like nose of gravel, grains, lemon and licorice. The palate is clean, lean and crisp with stone fruit pit and a very dry mid-palate and toasted lemon on the finish. Drink 2014 – 2020.
Bacchus and Beery wine blog, January 14, 2014
Another outstanding effort
2011 Chardonnay
http://wine-blog.bacchusandbeery.com/wine-blog/winereview/chardonnay-wine-reviews/smith-madrone-vineyard-winery-chardonnay-2011/91 points: Another outstanding effort, especially for those Chardonnay drinkers who prefer balanced oak and acidity. A subtle nose of mom’s apple pie. The red apple notes extend to the palate and round mouth-feel complemented with flavors of ripe pineapple and oaky vanilla. Again, red apple on the finish with hints of baking spice and cinnamon.
BiggerThanYourHead blog, Frederic Koeppel, January 7, 2014
Exceptional. One of Top 50 Great Wines of 2013.
2011 Chardonnay
http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2014/01/07/50-great-wines-of-2013/“50 Great Wines of [The Year]” is a post I look forward to, even though its production is fraught with anxiety. “Fraught with anxiety!” you exclaim. “FK, you get to taste and write about terrific wines all year long! This task should be easy!” Look, my apostrophe-addicted friend, I started with a list of 76 potentially great wines and had to eliminate 26 of them. It was painful; it hurt my brain and my spirit. Even now, going back over this post just before I click the PUBLISH button, I am wracked by indecision and regret. On the other hand, life is about choices, n’est-ce pas, and we all have to knuckle down and make those choices, difficult as the job may be.
I reviewed 624 wines in 2013. How did I choose, for “50 Great Wines of 2013,” the 22 examples to add to the 28 rated Exceptional? By reading again every review I wrote over the past year, by weighing the description and the language, by revisiting my memory of the wine, by looking for wines that possessed that indescribable quality of charisma, that combination of personality and character that distinguish a great wine.
NowandZin blog by Randy Fuller, January 2014
Palate is gorgeous
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.nowandzin.com/2014/01/smith-madrone-chardonnay-napa-valley.htmlFeaturing a petty yellow-green tint in the glass, this Chardonnay offers a nose of apples, peaches and a touch of vanilla spice. The palate is gorgeous, with nice oak flavors layered over lovely green apple and white peach notes. A little citrus - in the form of lime and tangerine - lingers on the finish. The wine is not big and buttery, but the oak definitely shows. Minerality - a hallmark of a cooler vintage – also makes itself known.
Creators.com by Robert Whitley, December 5, 2013
Uncompromising integrity
General Chard Comment
http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/wine/wine-talk/fab-five-holiday-values.htmlSmith-Madrone Vineyards is owned and operated by Stuart and Charlie Smith, who founded the winery 42 years ago on Spring Mountain, overlooking the Napa Valley village of St. Helena. They make three wines: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and riesling. The brothers have uncompromising integrity in the vineyards and the cellar, and they believe even great wine should be affordable. Hence, the Smith-Madrone wines are priced well below the market for estate-grown Napa Valley wines with so much history behind them.
Now and Zin blog by Randy Fuller
The palate is gorgeous
2011 Chardonnay
http://www.nowandzin.com/2014/01/smith-madrone-chardonnay-napa-valley.htmlFeaturing a petty yellow-green tint in the glass, this Chardonnay offers a nose of apples, peaches and a touch of vanilla spice. The palate is gorgeous, with nice oak flavors layered over lovely green apple and white peach notes. A little citrus - in the form of lime and tangerine - lingers on the finish. The wine is not big and buttery, but the oak definitely shows. Minerality - a hallmark of a cooler vintage – also makes itself known.
BiggerThanYourHead blog by Frederic Koeppel
Exceptional...a divine wine
2011 Chardonnay
http://biggerthanyourhead.net/2013/12/07/damn-this-was-good-no-31/Damn this was good! LL made pappardelle with chanterelles; I opened the Smith-Madrone 2011 Chardonnay. Ka-wham! Synergy. Meeting of true minds. Cosmic twins. Sublime dish with a divine wine. I could probably stop there, but you know I won't. The wine is made from a high-elevation dry-farmed - that means no irrigation - vineyard planted 39 years ago. What's remarkable is that the wines went through complete barrel-fermentation and aged in 100 percent new French oak barrels, yet it retains no sense of being woody or over-oaked or stridently spicy; those excellent mature grapes soaked up that oak and came out as a supple, subtly spicy and deeply nuanced chardonnay. The color is brilliant medium gold; aromas of pineapple, grapefruit and roasted lemon carry notes of jasmine and camellia, a hint of cloves, a bell-tone of mango. The wine is unusually dense and substantial without being heavy or viscous; it's quite dry, almost tannic in effect, but it feels permeated with light and grace and elegance, a lithe and resonant construct of stones and bones, which is to say, abandoning metaphor, that it's thoroughly enlivened by bright acidity and scintillating limestone minerality. The Smith brothers do it again. Ablout $30, a price more than fair for the quality.
Wines by Benito blog, Benjamin Carter
Round mouthfeel...a long finish
2011 Chardonnay
http://wine-by-benito.blogspot.com/2013/12/smith-madrone-wines.html100% fermentation in French oak gave this California Chardonnay a nose of buttered popcorn with a touch of vanilla. Beneath that are scents of warm roasted peaches. Mild acidity and a round mouthfeel lead to a long finish. I found that it was a great match for Dad's pecan-smoked turkey.
Food For The Spirit and the Soul, blog by Robert Neralich
Equal parts power and finesse
2010 Chardonnay
http://www.robertneralich.com/2013/12/17/its-in-the-name-three-wines-from-smith-madrone/Consequent to having been aged in 100% new French oak barrels, this has notes of vanilla and toast among its lively apple aromas, and these vanilla and toast notes complicate the wine's generous pear, apple, tropical fruit and spice flavors. Equal parts power and finesse, this richly-textured Chardonnay would be an ideal companion for meals featuring salmon, sea bass or poultry.
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Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery
P.O. Box 451/ 4022 Spring Mountain Road, St. Helena, CA 94574
Telephone: 707.963.2283
