2004 Smith-Madrone, Napa Valley – Spring Mountain District, Cabernet Sauvignon

After my terrible September 2nd experience in China, my hopeless and fruitless search for a #Cabernet worth drinking, I was exceptionally exited to be home, knowing that I had many options for good red wine drinking.  I recently received a sample set from a winery in St. Helena including a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Chardonnay.  Now, I have had  a recent change of opinion on Napa Valley Cab and was super stoked to be provided a cab for sample, needless to say one of the better samples I’ve yet to receive in my wine blogging experiment.  I hope (yet am open to admit) this cab can only be better than the screwed up wine I had in China.

Let us begin:

2004 Smith-Madrone, Napa Valley – Spring Mountain District, Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Smith-Madrone, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvigon

The Nose: Cassis and Black Licorice are all over this nose!  Cedar and spice are hanging around and making themselves known.

The Taste: The taste is not disappointing.  Everything represented in the nose is represented with some extras.  Black Cherry and more spice are present; mostly black pepper.

The Mouth Feel: Velvety kick off (it is football season now) with big chewy tannins kicking in mid-palate and following through all the way down to the finish.

The Color: Inky and deep dark ruby-garnet, looks very youthful for a 20o4!

The Nitty Gritty:
Varietal Content: Cabernet Sauvignon 82%,
Merlot 8% & Cabernet franc 11%
Time in oak: 22 months in new American
oak barrels
Alcohol: 13.9% Unfined and unfiltered
$45 per 750Ml Bottle, discounts for multi-bottle purchase on Smith-Madrone website http://www.smithmadrone.com/order.htm
90.7 Avg. Score on Cellar Tracker

The Verdict: This is exactly the wine I needed on September 2nd for #Cabernet day.  Alas, it was here in California and I was 6000 Miles away in China.  I have to say though, this Cabernet Sauvigon really reminds me more of a Sonoma County Cab, rather than a Napa wine.  This has great “old world style” not that big Napa fruit bomb, it has great structure and complexity.

This wine was good with my filet mignon but I would say is better on its own, with nothing but glass to pair with!  Go find this wine and get some, its a value at the price point (for a Napa Cab).

2004 Smith-Madrone, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvigon

In Vino Veritas:  This wine was provided as a sample

Nitty Gritty details obtained from”http://www.smithmadrone.com/downloads/combo_winesheet/cab04_final2.pdf“