Smith Madrone Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

14,3 % vol; 100% Estate Grown am Spring Mountain, Napa Valley; gepflanzt an bis zu 35 % steilen Hängen, „red Aiken soil“; keine Bewässerung, Cabernet Sauvignon mit etwas Cabernet Franc und Merlot; Ausbau in französicher Eiche für 18 Monate, 55% neue Barriques; 1523 Kisten produziert.
Empfehlungen: Zalto Bordeaux-Glas; unbedingt ausgiebig Dekantieren; bei 16-18 ° C; hält sich geöffnet, bis zu einer Woche ohne Probleme, verändert sich ständig. Ich persönlich lege mir von jedem Jahrgang 1-2 Kisten in den Privatkeller. Der Wein kostet kein Vermögen und in 20 Jahren werde ich sehr viel Freude damit haben!

- Notizen des Weinguts: „The aroma of the 2019 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon immediately hits you with a luxurious combination of blue/black fruit. Cassis, black cherry, marionberry and black plums dominate. Dig in a little deeper and you will find subtle hints of black pepper, graphite, black olives and a range of spices. An experienced taster should also be able to identify the signature quality that 12% Cabernet Franc lends to this wine’s seductive nose. Medium weight on the palate, this is an exceptionally lively and elegant wine, loaded with delicious dark fruit. While not as tightly structured as the 2018, the 2019 Cab is more forthcoming and forward. It is bright, creamy and plush at mid-palate, then slowly tapers off to a long, lingering finish that is both succulent and zingy. It is a completely lovely wine that qualifies as serious fun in a glass. Our Spring Mountain pedigree insures deliciously integrated tannins and a long life-span. For fifty years our wines have been sourced from the same vineyards, pruned, cultivated and harvested in the same manner, creating artisanal wines which are distinctive and complex. Our goal is to produce wines which bring pleasure to all the senses.“

-  97 Punkte Tasting Panel Magazin, Michael Franz (09/2024): „nearing five years of age as this winery’s current release, this has settled into a sweet spot where oak, primary fruit and tannin are all singing in harmony. Savory undertones emerge to lend enduringly intriguing complexities as this warms and breathes in one’s glass. Neither pushy nor reticent, heavy nor light, this is one of Napa’s classiest Cabernets in a vintage that shows it in peak form.“  One of Napa’s classiest Cabernets in a vintage that shows it in peak form 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

- 95 Punkte DECANTER, Clive Pursehouse (04/2024) im Artikel „VALUE NAPA CABERNET 2019: THE TOP BUYS“: „The classic Cabernet from Smith-Madrone may be the best value in the entire Napa Valley at $65. Old World elegance is ever present, along with a generosity of fruit balanced with great savoury herbs and streaking graphite minerality. Aromas of wild anise, pine bough and dried sage rise in the glass, framing dark mountain blueberries and a touch of pomegranate pulp. The palate is classically cool, medium-weight, and lively with an old-school Napa authenticity. Alpine berry fruits, spearmint and earthen umami elements combine with smoky clove and wild mountain scrub, framing a sense of place and mountain terroir from the dry-farmed vines at Smith-Madrone. Drinking Window: 2024-2044“

- 94 Punkte Wine Review Online, Vince Simmon (März 2023):: „Every now and then you find a wine that fills the room with a beautiful bouquet of aromas immediately after being poured. Maybe it’s the scenery or maybe the time of day but Smith-Madrone’s Cabernet did just that for me, with red and black cherry, hard cheese rind, marionberry, and subtle leather notes. The body is all business with rich, complex blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry, black currant, cedar, and tobacco notes. Much of the complexity of this wine comes from the vineyard where Stu Smith has put in countless hours. No detail goes unconsidered from his duty as a sustainable farmer, row direction and spacing impacts on sunlight for each grape, to his own trellising system that manages canopy sunlight. His vineyard management is both scientific and ephemerally artful. This Cabernet Sauvignon can be aged further but I can also see why many Napa wine lovers would want to enjoy its raw power just the way it is.“

- Steve McIntosh, Imbiber's Journal: „Signs of summer are spreading across much of the country, which means a swapping out of cuisines in favor of summer fare. For whites, this means porch quaffers that won't weigh you down; sauvignon blanc, Alsatian whites, pinot grigio, and so on. For reds, a shift towards more fruit forward wines that will stand up to the char flavors of grilled food; zinfandels, grenaches, shiraz, etc. But there's still time to sneak in a few more meals in this springtime shoulder season where a more nuanced approach to cabernet will fit nicely. The 2019 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain ($65) is one wine that can do the trick, and which remains remarkably consistent year to year, and is an anomalous value in the context of Napa Valley. Pair it with a marinated cut of lean beef and a lightly-dressed, hearty salad with some crunch to it. Alchemy. This wine has terrific clarity despite its very deep burgundy color. Classic Spring Mountain aromas emerge, including dark fruit, pencil graphite, forest floor, and a whisper of conifer needles. The texture strikes the mouth first: fine tailoring around a poised structure of blue-tinged fruit, subtle oak, and regal acidity. Medium density and medium body, the restraint here allows grace and elegance to shine through more easily. Very enjoyable now, but would love to meet this wine again in 10, 20, and 30 years.“ 

- Napa Wine Project, Dave Thompson: „The 2019 Smith Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. It was aged for 18 months in 55% new French oak. It is dark ruby in color with purplish tinges along the rim of the glass; the bouquet immediately offers darker spices including of crushed peppercorn, a subtle green pepper note, more like Jalapeno (we have become intimately familiar this year with numerous types of peppers after frequent stops and purchases of such produce at Regusci farm stand in Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District), toasted oak and tobacco along with violets, dark plum and a mocha sweetness found deeper in the aromatics. The palate offers primarily red fruits (cherries and currants) anchored by a bright acidity. Unlike more robust contemporary mountain Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings, the tannins here are kept in check, are rounded, finer grained and are well-integrated into the seamless, dark, and savory finish (menthol, dried tobacco leaf and light notes of pepper). Smith Madrone crafts their wines to be enjoyable to drink in their youth but have all the characteristics to age for quite some time. And they want their wines to have a fun aspect, to continue to beg another sip. And this bottling in particular, Charlie simply calls, “goofy delicious.”

- 94 Punkte International Wine Review: „Dark red. Terrific bouquet with notes of cassis and dark berries and with nuances of cedar and spice. Elegant on the nose and palate with an attack of pure fruit complemented by minerals and tangy acidity. There’s excellent depth of flavor on a broad, albeit nicely focused, palate. Finishes with lingering freshness and a repeat note of bright acidity. OVERALL, ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS AND A BARGAIN FOR A NAPA CAB OF THIS QUALITY. A blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc matured 18 months in 55% new French oak. pH 3.56, 14.3% alc.“

- PullThatCork, Nancy Brazil (Juni 2024): „Dark ruby with generous aromas of plums, cedar, blackberries and hints of roasted red peppers. Flavors include blackberries, red plums, dried tobacco and cedar. The body is medium with juicy acidity. This is a Cabernet with energy, fresh flavors and lively acidity. It’s complex without being heavy or too ripe. It is a pleasure to sip. The blend, 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, is aged for 18 months in 55% new French oak. Sip this Cabernet with a meal, regardless of the season. This is a Cab I would sip even in summer.“