Smith Madrone Estate Cook's Flat Reserve 2019

100% Estate Grown am Spring Mountain, Napa Valley 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc 18 month in 100% new French oak.
- Notizen des Weinguts: „Very dark in color with a deep, dark aroma to match. The aromatics are dominated by a firm core of black cherry, blackcurrant and black pepper. The 10% Cabernet Franc is making a very positive contribution to a sublime complexity. Why do we need perfume when wine smells like this? On the palate the wine is full, rich and creamy. The mid-palate is lush and crammed with dark fruit. There is some evidence of tannin and acid but beautifully controlled and nicely integrated into an impressive organic whole. This is a splendid wine, filled with riches that can only add luster to the wonderful achievements of Smith-Madrone’s Cook Flat Reserve line-up. Cook’s Flat Reserve represents our uncompromising pursuit 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.“

- 97 Punkte THE DRUNKEN CYCLIST, Jeff Kralik (01/2024): „This was my first time tasting the Cook’s Flat Reserve and it was certainly memorable but by the time it was in my glass, Charlie was going full-on Smith Brother and was recounting a story about making wine “back in the day” in Napa Valley. Thus, I do not have a more “professional” assessment other than: Whoa. Really fantastic. Off the charts in flavor and richness. Extraordinary.“

- Sultan Khalid, Yahoo Finance (01/2024): „Very dark in color with a deep, dark aroma to match, this 2019 vintage is a high quality blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in 100% new French Oak barrels. This is a splendid wine, filled with riches that can only add luster to the wonderful achievements of Smith-Madrone’s Cook’s Flat Reserve line-up. Cook’s Flat Reserve represents the family-owned Napa Valley winery’s uncompromising pursuit 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. This name was picked in tribute to George Cook, the first owner of the property and the person who originally planted the vines there in the 1880s. This wine is a Great Value Wine for the Money.“

- 96 Punkte International Wine Review, Don Winkler: „Dark red. Unusually elegant for a mountain Cabernet but with fine tannic grip and a deep palate that suggests a long and interesting life. If only I were a rock musician with a bank account that would allow me to purchase a case and open one bottle every 18 months! It opens with an emphatic nose of dark cassis, black pepper and minerals. Silky and pure with a gorgeous, full mouth feel this wine isn’t shy on flavor, but it’s more about elegance than power. I would suggest aging in cellar a couple of years, but if you must drink it now, be sure to decant. Dry-farmed 90% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc sourced from a mountaintop parcel planted in 1972 [originally planted by George Cook in the 1880s], matured 18 months in 100% new French oak. pH 3.61, 14.6% alc.“