Smith Madrone Estate Cook's Flat Reserve 2013

2450 individually numbered bottles

- 94 Punkte DECANTER, Elin McCoy: „Only 194 cases of this Cabernet Franc-dominant blend were made. Black cherries, tobacco and herbs dominate the tantalising aromas, which spill out of the glass. Generous and open, it’s not as floral or dense as the 2016 and shows a kind of savoury, briary style. Unlike the Estate Cabernet, it’s aged in 100% new French oak.Drinking Window 2019 - 2038.“

- 94 Punkte INTERNATIONAL WINEREVIEW: „Named after George Cook, who planted this 8 acre parcel on the top of Spring Mountain in the 1880s, this is a singular, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. Showing dark cassis and slate like minerals on the nose, it’s refined and light on its feet in the mouth, yet packed with flavor. An elegant expression of mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Made from a mountain top parcel replanted in 1972. It’s a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.“

-TalkAVino, Anatoly Levine, (12/2019): „This might be how you spell “PHENOMENAL”. This wine was a pure pleasure. Pure, hedonistic, unadulterated pleasure. This is the wine at the level of magic – you take a sip, you whisper “wow”, you quietly reflect on what is happening, immersing into the moment. Then you take another sip and repeat. YES, MAGIC.“

-Advinetures, Allison & Chris Wallace (5/2020): „Cook’s Flat is what the locals used to call the 8 acre plot planted in 1972 and used to grow the grapes for this red blend. This vintage the cuvée was 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, with roughly equal parts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Many Napa proprietary blends or luxury cuvées are distinguished by their power. The Smiths, always marching to the beat of their own drum, have focused on elegance in this wine. More toward the black fruit end of the spectrum than their regular Cabernet, this wine showed great intensity without any heaviness. The tannins are medium+, but they are ripe and polished. A rich mouthfeel makes it a pleasure to drink now but Stu assured us this has a long future in the cellar. With such precise balance, we have no reason to doubt him.“- Blog The Syrah Queen, Rupal Shankar, am 28. August 2019: „The Cook’s Flat Reserve is one of my all-time favorite Napa Valley wine. I have had the honor to taste the 2012 and the 2013. Charlie very generously opened a bottle of 2013 for me, and I had the opportunity to try the 2012 last year with a group of fellow wine writers. The Cook’s Flat Reserve is a wine that will appeal to all Bordeaux lovers.  

The 2013 that Charlie poured in my glass, is a blend of 46% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot. It is an exceptional wine with rich red fruit and spice. There are hints of blackberry, currants, black pepper, dark chocolate, nutmeg, leather, and tobacco. The wine is powerful with silky tannins. Its precise balance is reminiscent of an old-world style wine.

My time with Charlie at Smith-Madrone Vineyards was very humbling and grounding; he epitomized what all winemaking should be like. The wines are world-class in every way – real, authentic and beautiful. The vineyards atop Spring Mountain are magical, an untouched part of Napa Valley. A bit off the beaten path, Smith-Madrone is definitely a winery that needs to be explored by all Napa Valley wine lovers.“

- Notizen des Weinguts: „This is a limited production wine of 194 cases created by the careful selection and blending of a small group of the best barrels the vintage had to offer. In 2013, this means the wine is 46% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Merlot, aged for19 months in 100% new French oak from the forests of Tronçais, Nevers and Allier. Following barrel aging, the wine rested for two and a half years in the bottle before its release on November 13, 2018. Cook’s Flat Reserve represents our uncompromisingpursuit of perfection in winemaking. Each bottle is numbered and tissue wrapped with a copy of the U.S. Land Office patent which was signed by President Chester A. Arthur, granting ownership of the land to George Cook. That original document hangs in the winery and is an important part of our history. We chose this name in tribute to George Cook, the first owner of the property and the person who originally planted the vines here in the 1880s.The 2013 Cook’s Flat Reserve is a text-­-book example of the wonderful complexities available in fine wine to those who are willing to slow down and savor the moment. Aromatically fascinating, this wine is a nearly inexhaustible cornucopia of alluring fragrances. It leads with a deep black/red core of fruit surrounded by grace notes of leather, tobacco, nutmeg, violets and cedar. There is even a hint, a mere suggestion, perhaps something like orange zest sprinkled on a dab of brown sugar. An aroma of this complexity is so haunting as to be an end in itself. Happily, after such a glorious start the wine has terrific follow-­-through on the palate. The black/red fruit that forms the core of the aroma happily repeats itself as it wells up deliciously in the mid-­-palate with sumptuous portions of black currants and blackberries. A sleek and creamy texture overlays an under-­-current of light acidity and graceful tannins that promise a long and happy life for those inclined to wait. All in all, the wine is generous without being over-­-the-­-top, beautifully composed, harmonious, complete and lingering.“