Smith Madrone Estate Riesling 2017

- 95 Punkte THE DRUNKEN CYCLIST, Geoff Kralik (12/2021): „Outstanding. I try to avoid hyperbole. Nor do I ever (OK, rarely) suggest that one should buy a particular wine. But. What I have in my chubby, sausage-fingered hands (OK, I really have delicate, piano-player-like hands even though the only musical instrument I play is the car radio) is quite possibly the best American Riesling.... And it comes from, wait for it… Napa Valley. Yowza. All cards on the table? My Riesling chops were sown (grown?) in an odd combination of Alsace (where I studied), Germany (where I was a bicycle tour guide), and the Willamette Valley (where my spirit animal resides). And yes, this wine rates right up there with all of them. Crisp, “varietally correct” (which is a stupid notion, but nonetheless…), light straw in the glass, bright citrus, a healthy dose of minerality, and the omni-present(?) petrol component that defines Riesling (at least for me)–this wine has it all and then some. Simply put, if you don’t like, nay, love this wine? You will never enjoy Riesling.“

- 94 Punkte WINE ENTHUSIAST, Virginie Boone: „This atypical variety for the area shines from the producer's steep, dry-farmed estate vineyard. Light, complex and silky on the waxy palate, it offers flavors of green apple, apricot and grapefruit alongside touches of honey and wet stone.“

- WINE OF THE WEEK in the April 21 Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Peg Melnik:  "It’s a gorgeous riesling with aromas and flavors of honeysuckle, mineral and grapefruit. It’s intense yet nimble and light on its feet, and it finishes crisp. It’s striking. As for the Smith-Madrone riesling, Smith said he prides himself in his hands-off winemaking.
“The amazing thing about riesling is that it’s the only varietal where you get the purest expression of the grape in a great wine,” he said. “If there’s ever such a thing as terroir, this is the wine. And there’s no other varietal that’s at its best with this absolute minimalist intervention. Here, the grapes speak loudest, and it’s truly a case of the winemaker shepherding the wine and its flavor.”
What’s surprising about riesling, Smith said, is that the vast majority of Americans don’t know what a compelling grape it is.
"They don’t understand that there’s such a thing as a dry-style riesling, and I’ll be bold to say our 2017 vintage represents a great wine at a very affordable price," he said. “Riesling is also one of the most versatile wines. It’s the most versatile varietal when matching food and wine together.
"The other interesting thing about riesling is that it ages every bit as well, if not better than, the best cabernets at half the price.""

- 9/10 Punkte VINOGRAPHY: "Pale gold with a hint of green, this wine smells of melted candle wax, tangerine pith, and a touch of white flowers. In the mouth, that paraffin quality continues, along with flavors of Asian pear, mandarin oranges, grapefruit, and white flowers. Wonderfully balanced, with just the barest hint of sweetness amidst the racy, mouthwatering acidity. Quite delicious, as usual, with great aging potential."

- NITTANY EPICUREAN, Michael Chelus: "The wine showed a bright yellow color. Pear, apple, lemon, petrol and citron all arrived on the nose. Pear, lemon curd, peach, citron and hints of dried apricot followed on a palate that began with pear and citrus and meandered its way to just a hint of dried stone fruit. The wine exhibited good acidity and balance. It was light-bodied and demonstrated good length. This wine would do as well as an aperitif as it would alongside a classic dim sum dish - Har Gow (shrimp dumplings)."

- 94 Punkte THE TASTING PANEL MAGAZINE, Meredith May: "Grapes grown on steep mountain vineyards continue to create one of our favorite California Rieslings year after year. Aromas of beeswax, buttercup and wet stone are enticing, and flavors of passion fruit are accentuated by fine acidity and a remarkable mouthfeel. Daisy, lemon blossom and freshly sliced Anjou pear feel serene as saltiness refreshes the palate, urging another sip."

- 94 Punkte TERROIRIST.COM, Issac Baker: "Smith-Madrone’s Spring Mountain Riesling does it again; it is consistently one of the most exciting California Rieslings I’ve come across. Light yellow color. Aromas of gorgeous limes, orange peels, exquisite fruit mixed with white flowers, new tennis balls, wild mint, with chalky and saline tones. Pristine acidity, zesty, a chalky and salty appeal with white flowers, white pepper and wild green onion tones. Lime, orange and kiwi fruit provide generous support for this intense but refined wine. Perfume, focused, dry yet ripe, this is complex and age-worthy, and a consistently spectacular California Riesling."

- MY RED WINE GUYS: "Wow, what a surprise! All of us were anticipating a sweet wine that we would try to move quickly beyond. Not the case here! Stu’s passion for this varietal is strong as he speaks about this Alsace style wine. A beautiful dry wine with a floral and peachy bouquet. Smith-Madrone is one of the last wineries in Napa to grow this grape. If you gravitate towards red wines, then this white wine might be an OMG moment for you. Truly an exceptional wine."

- 94 Punkte JAMES SUCKLING: "A show-stopper! The lovely candied-orange and orange-cream nose leads you into the succulent palate, which has a wonderful combination of vibrancy and concentration, the kind of which you don’t expect from a Californian riesling. The hint of tannin is as well integrated as the racy acidity, and all this pulls together on the powerful, mineral finish. Drink or hold."

- DRINKHACKER, Christopher Null: "Fruity and floral but mostly dry, this riesling is a crowd pleaser with an exuberance on the palate that features lemons, figs, gooseberry, and melon notes. Lots of honey on the palate as the wine develops, sweetening up and showing more fruit and just a hint of oxidation. There’s also some saline minerality here, which is effective at brightening up the wine and giving it a sunny and satisfying sense of balance on the finish"

- 95 Punkte WINE REVIEW ONLINE, Rich Cook: „I generally reserve scores above 94 points for wines that have the capacity to not only be delightful at present but also have the structure to age gracefully over several years.  To see this number on a white wine is fairly rare in my backlog, but it’s there when it fits, as it certainly does here.  The numbers help tell the story of this beautiful Riesling – 3.05 pH, .898 TA (!) – numbers typically seen only in sparkling wines due to early harvesting for high acidity.  The 2017 is barely perceptibly sweeter than many of the previous vintages that I’ve had the opportunity to taste, but the impeccable balance will have you at the bottom of the bottle in no time.  Tart apple, bright citrus, stony minerality and incredible finish push are the hallmarks here, and they promise to reward well into the future, which of course means that a case or two are in order.  I’m sure that operators are standing by….

- Leslie Sbrocco, KQED Check Please: “Riesling is one of the world’s greatest grape varieties. It’s farmed in Germany and France, but the globe is dotted with areas of Riesling production from Australia to Washington state to California. One of this country’s top producers of Riesling is Smith-Madrone. Located high atop Napa Valley’s Spring Mountain, the winery founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith, is a heralded Napa classic. Their Riesling is a small-production, unique white that captures the essence of the variety with floral aromas, elegant earthiness, and vibrant acidity. Treat yourself to a night of sushi and Smith-Madrone Riesling. Perfection.”

- 92 Punkte Robert Parkers WINE ADVOCATE: “Opening with scents of petrol and cut grass, the 2017 Riesling is something of an oddity for Napa, where Riesling has largely been replaced by other varieties. Notes of paraffin, green apple and lime also appear on the nose, while the almost-dry, medium-bodied palate is cool, refreshing and stony, with a long, tangy finish and hints of beeswax and honey. It's already drinkable, but like many Rieslings, it should have a decently long drinking window.”

- 4* Peg Melnik, Santa Rosa Press Democrat: “A complex riesling that rides on crisp acid. Layered notes of grapefruit, mineral and honeysuckle. Nice length. Impressive.”