2004 Smith-Madrone Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

This Spring Mountain cabernet is in a really good place right now, with vibrant core of fruit, resolved, fine tannins and smooth, medium+ body. Great drinking.

Believe or not there are still a handful of Cabernet producers in California, and specifically in Napa Valley, that produce Cabernet the way it used to be made back in the 1950s, `60s, `70s, and `80s; wines with structure, backbone, balance, complexity, reasonable alcohol levels and that can age gracefully for a decade or more. And, it is obvious that this small lot of traditional producers couldn’t care less how many 90+ points are given by certain wine critics or publications. The Smith-Madrone Winery and Vineyard, located three quarters the way up Spring Mountain overlooking Saint Helena, is among this tiny handful of traditionalist. Their 2004 Estate Cabernet is deeply colored with opulent, powerful aromas of cassis, currants, blackberries, and violets, highlighted by cedar and a stone-y minerality. All this carries over, nicely, in the mouth with the added feature of silky integrated, fine tannins, excellent acid structure, wonderful complexity and layers of fruit, and a finish that lingers and lingers and… Anderson and I have had a case and half of this excellent Gem in our cellar for the past two years and, occasionally, uncork a bottle to have with a special dinner, and it keeps getting better and better. And, it is under 14% alcohol. (Jim Barr)

This is a great California Spring Mountain Cabernet, wonderful layers and great mature fruit, rich and ripe dark fruit very luscious and silky finish. Pull the cork and you are good to go!

This is a great example of how dynamic the wines of Napa Valley can be! Composed of all dry-farmed fruit from Spring Mountain, it displays notes of dark fruit, cacao nib, cedar and violets. All though drinking well now, this wine has plenty of structure to spend a bit of time in the cellar.

My favorite California Cabernets all come from fruit grown at high elevation with Howel mountain and Spring mountain being two of my favorites. This bottling comes from Estate planting high up on Spring Mountain and it shows in the depth of the fruit and the intensity of the structure. With several years of bottle age this 2004 is drinking well now but could easily go another decade in a cool cellar. This is half the price you would expect to pay for a bottle from the Spring Mountain District and a flat out outstanding wine.

This wine exhibits a very particular style: old school, mountain fruit, heavy cedar from the oak, and classic terroir from their Spring Mountain vineyard: eucalyptus, cranberries, leather, touch of tobacco, and forest floor. Decant and pair with anything off the grill or out of the broiler. My favorite wine right now, stocked up on a few cases.