06/07/2026
Tonight’s wine feature is from Smith-Madrone, one of Spring Mountain’s most authentic and quietly legendary estate producers. Founded in 1971 by Stu Smith, who purchased a remote, forested piece of mountain land at just 22 years old, Smith-Madrone sits high above Napa Valley on steep slopes between roughly 1,300 and 2,000 feet. The property had once been vineyard land in the 1880s, and Stu, along with his brother Charles Smith, helped bring it back to life with a deep respect for mountain farming, dry farming, and old-school Napa craftsmanship. The name honors both the Smith brothers and the madrone trees that distinguish the estate. Today, the winery remains family-run, estate-grown, and estate-bottled, producing wines that speak clearly of Spring Mountain’s rocky volcanic soils, cooler exposures, and rugged hillside character.
Tonight's wine is the 2021 Smith-Madrone Estate Cabernet Sauvignon from the Spring Mountain District. Built from 81.9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.7% Cabernet Franc, and a touch of Merlot, this wine shows the elegance and structure that mountain Cabernet can deliver so beautifully. The nose opens with blue-black and red fruit, floral lift, pepper, and a lively mountain freshness. On the palate, it carries generous fruit with a creamy, mouth-filling mid-palate, balanced by firm, polished tannins and a long, grippy finish. Aged 18 months in 65% new French oak, this is a Cabernet with both immediate charm and serious cellar potential — a perfect bottle for steak night, sunset views, and a reminder of why Spring Mountain continues to produce some of Napa’s most distinctive wines.
~ Auto Vinography / 2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
*Our 2021 vintage is currently sold out. Our 2022 is available during tastings and online.
smithmadrone.com
