Smith-Madrone and a Lesson in Seduction

Has old-school become the new new-school? Perhaps that doesn’t make any sense, but it’s something I realized on a tour of Smith-Madrone yesterday.

The Vineyards

A winding ascent from Santa Rosa (or St Helena) leads to the Spring Mountain District of Napa Valley. The hillside provides a commanding view of the valley, along with good wine. It is here that Smith-Madrone is located – a small old winery in the midst of its own vineyard. The winery was founded in 1971, well before Spring Mountain became an AVA in 1993.

Upon arrival, I was greeted with a tour of the beautiful grounds and an energetic pup. Vineyards and madrone trees sit side-by-side in harmony on the hillside, and I became very excited to find out what these hillside vineyards are capable of producing. As much as I’d love to have roamed the vineyards, it is the fruits of their labors which brought me here, and no time was wasted in discovering them.

Looking down the valley

The Wines

In the winery the brothers Stuart and Charles Smith (not the “rockstar”) poured generous amounts of their current releases and a couple of tank samples. We tasted the 2007 and 2009 Chardonnay, both made in a classic oaked style, which I am slowly growing fond of as the rest of the world slowly becomes entranced with stainless chardonnay (boring!). The 2009 was in tank and ready for bottling, but the 2007 was clearly in a better stage at the moment, which is why it’s the current release I suppose. It is here that we got into a philosophical discussion that still has me thinking.

A few ounces of 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon was poured into my glass, and over the next few minutes I began to understand why people go berserk over Napa cabernet. Mondovino became the subject at hand, in a manner of which I don’t recall. There is a scene in Burgundy where an old vigneron is bashing high alcohol, “new world” wines — claiming they seduce immediately but don’t leave a lasting impression, much like topless dancers (that part isn’t in the movie).

The Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon is not one of those wines. The alcohol reads 13.9%, and the wine is beautifully balanced and exactly what cabernet should be. I don’t know what the professionals have scored this wine, but it doesn’t matter; it’s not a fruit bomb, but it is fully ripe and highly seducing, just not immediately. They sent me out with a bottle which I was looking forward to cellaring, but to make a long story short it was consumed that night at a restaurant in St Helena and very much enjoyed by all. R.I.P., sexy Cabernet; you are already missed.

A Fish Out of Water

Riesling and Napa Valley are two words I never expect to hear in the same sentence (like complex and pinot grigio), but alas, there does exist at least one tasty Napa Valley Riesling. I wouldn’t venture to place it quite on the pedestal with Poet’s Leap or Tantalus and the rest of the best of the Northwest, but it could be placed on a slightly shorter, rounder pedestal. They did mention that at one point in their careers they used some skin contact on the Riesling. I’m tempted to seek out a bottle of this, because we all know about my unhealthy obsession with skin contact.

The Rest of the Story

Stuart and Charlie have been making wine significantly longer than I’ve been drinking it, and I think they know what they’re doing at this point. It’s somewhat ironic that there exists a significant wave of young winemakers who insist on all-but-eliminating technology and everything California has taught us about winemaking from the process. I can’t argue with the wines nor with their experience level, but I am in this wave, so all I can really say is that they have a point. But old-school is the new new-school, and I’m sticking to it.

Cabernet’s Character Flaw

There are a few things about the world, and the United States in particular, that are hard to understand. Chardonnay is the top selling varietal wine in the country – this isn’t surprising. Its name rolls off the tongue even for an English speaker, and it’s a low acid grape; we like it big, round, smooth, and sometimes buttery. The top red grape in the country is slightly harder to understand and much harder to pronounce.

Drop the Sauvignon in Cabernet Sauvignon and the name is compelling and simple; perhaps this explains its success. It also doesn’t hurt that California seems to do especially well with the grape – I can’t say the same about Merlot (although Washington is another story). Besides the long name, the main reason the fact that the United States’ drinking public has chosen Cabernet Sauvignon as its go-to red bewilders me is its varietal character.

Cabernet Sauvignon hails from France

The classic Cabernet Sauvignon aroma descriptors (at least to me) are mint, eucalyptus, black current, and green bell pepper. I would say this sounds like a great combination, but it seems more and more than any hint of herbaceous or “veggie” character in a wine is called a flaw. We’ve become a fruit-forward society; and this isn’t limited to San Francisco, but it’s all around us. While a wine which smells and tastes like fruit can be delicious, it’s the non-fruit qualities of wine which I find so interesting.

This bell pepper smell is caused by a group of compounds collectively referred to as pyrazines, and it’s not only Cabernet Sauvignon which possesses these. There are plenty of grapes, however, which tend toward the fruity side even when under-ripe (Syrah comes to mind). Pyrazine levels can be lowered by tricks such as early leaf stripping and fermenting in the presence of oak, but maybe instead of manipulating the vine or the wine to strip its varietal character we should be celebrating the presence of one of Cabernet’s defining qualities.

This weekend I propose anyone who reads this to find a Cabernet Sauvignon and seek out the bell pepper. Once it hits the nostrils one must bask in its glory. Alternatively, anyone in Sonoma County is welcome to stop by my apartment and try the 1987 Domaine Michel Cabernet Sauvignon, which I picked up a case of for $40 a few nights ago. Mint, bell pepper, and bliss. It doesn’t hurt that it’s my birth year, either.

What Can Browne do for You?

Today is Wine Wednesday. This is insignificant, other than being an annoyance on my Twitter feed. However, in the world of the Terroirists, wine was consumed this Wednesday. In fact, this Council of Variable Members meeting proved to be the first conducted in the absence of electricity, due to a freak wind storm which descended upon Walla Walla. Luckily we still had the iPhone to surf pointless internet videos dealing with socially adept unicorns.

2006 Browne Family Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley

Armed with our candles, we set out to rate this wine. During this process we discussed the writing of our manifesto, which is expected to be published within a week. We also decided that for this and future CoVM’s everyone should be required to drink a glass before submitting a score. There is no need to rush in the wine world… would you meet a dude and judge his entire life in 2 minutes? Probably, but that’s not fair when it comes to wine. We figure 10 minutes gives a much better snapshot.

This cab is made by the same peeps who create Waterbrook, one of Walla Walla’s oldest and largest wineries, founded in 1984. Might as well Jump. Coming in at $50, it certainly stands above the rest of the crowd at Precept brands, who now owns Waterbrook. The wine is tasty, and in fact it is the first wine ever to score 90 points in a Council meeting. I was not alone in feeling that the wine is over-oaked, and it wouldn’t surprise me nor Eric if at least one of those barrels was American. Coconut abounds, and the mid-palate leaves more to be desired, but I would not want it any other way.

Mike’s score: 91
Eric’s score:90
Steven’s score: 89 (unblind)

Council of Variable Members score: 90

Constant over-stimulation numbs my palate, and that is the case with this wine. It should be noted that it was more popular than the other unlabeled wine which was occupying a strikingly similar position on the table, and if this were the case quite often one would not be surprised so much as complacent.

The Terroirists Show: Old World Winery tasting third and final part!

Sonoma Spring Break: Part 3 – Scribe

Overlooking the Vineyard

Not often in a young man’s life does one have the opportunity to accidentally eat a caterpillar. This happened to me at Scribe, and I loved every minute of it. Scribe is a new Sonoma winery which was featured in this month’s Food and Wine magazine. My experience at Scribe is something that wine bloggers and politicians alike could only conceive under the most powerful of hallucinogenics.

The experience started out well with greens freshly picked from the organic garden to accompany amazing olive oil and Cow Girl Creamery triple cream cheese with bread from Petaluma. This lunch was great on its own, but combined with the view of the vineyard and surrounding mountains it took on stellar proportions.

Chardonnay and Salad

This land is believed to be the first in the United States to be planted to Riesling back in 1858 – and in recognition of this the Scribe crew have planted Riesling and Sylvaner as a homage to Alsace. Currently 40 acres are planted and being farmed organically, and at sometime between 1858 and now the land was host to large chicken coupes. (or maybe turkey – I forget)

The rest of the land is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but the first crop is still over a year in the future. These guys might be young, but winemaker Andrew Mariani knows what he is doing. Not only is his Chard top notch, but his Pinot could win Eric over. The Syrah isn’t too shabby either, and their Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is exactly what a California cab should be – herbaceous, fruity, and full of goodness.

The Hacienda

After tasting through the wines and saving the life of a caterpillar, Andrew showed me the grounds. There exists a 100 year old house which is pretty much completely empty, but would be and is currently a killer location for awesome wine parties. I now realize that my next Sonoma trip will have to coincide with a Scribe party, and if anyone gives them a visit they would likely say the same thing. I can live with a caterpillar in my salad, but I can’t live without Scribe.