Masters of old-school Napa Cabernet Sauvignon love to get their hands on a vintage like 2011, where the fruit really shows a sense of its time as well as its place. With so many California winemakers quick to jump on trends having to do with riper fruit, heavier oak loads and so on, Charlie and Stu Smith have taken a tack focused on stewardship of the land and the weather, so that when you open one of their wines you can taste those elements. This wine is green and tart at present, but shows real stuffing for long term aging, and ten to twenty years down the road the elegant mix of classic Cabernet fruit, herb and spice will make you wonder why there was a period in Napa’s history when grapes were allowed to get over ripe. At the price, it’s a real bargain in Napa, and that bargain will seem even more unbelieveable when you open it alongside a cult status wine from the same vintage years from now.
Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain District (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2011
By Rich Cook