2021 Smith-Madrone Vineyards Riesling – Perfection of a Varietal
Photo from Wikipedia & Lamborghini
This picture of a Lamborghini Revuelto may seem a bit off to start a wine story, yet the quality, elegance, craftmanship and rarity of this car is tantamount to the 2021 Smith-Madrone Riesling. And as a bonus the wine cost $40/bottle as opposed to a starting cost of $612,858!
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A quick background on Riesling shows it is the 20th most grown variety and in “terms of importance for quality wines, it is usually included in the “top three” white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc planted worldwide” per Wikipedia. Riesling is adaptable to grow in both warm and cool climates with the flavors varying per temperature respectively of citrus and peach notes for warm, apple and tree fruit for cooler temperature regions.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
In the California Dept of Food & Agriculture Grape Crush white wine harvest in 2024 was 1,401,048 tons. The top four wines by tonnage were Chardonnay, French Colombard, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc representing 80% of the harvest tonnage. Riesling did not show up as a separate category in 2024! Why? Perhaps it is the “bum rap” that Riesling wines are “sweet”? This is the furthest from the truth with Smith-Madrone with residual sugar coming in at .021%.
The 2021 Riesling is extremely aromatic with floral notes and green apple on the nose. The aromatics were so intense they hit the olfactory senses after the cork was popped, and I was carrying the bottle to the table! A deeper golden yellow color than previous vintages with medium viscosity. On the palate, hints of lemon zest, mixed with stone fruits (white peach and apricots) tame the secondary flavors of lime citrus. A modicum of beeswax making it extremely mouth filling can be found. On the finish, the minerality comes through strong and pure from either the volcanic soil, or sandstone, limestone or the general rocky soil found on the property. The minerality and acidity is counterbalanced with the delicious fruit bounty. Coming in at 13.2% alcohol, Smith-Madrone Vineyards produced 1,258 cases. The current release is their 2021 and listed on their website for $40/bottle.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This vintage will make my annual Best Wines Tasted during the calendar year. This list is reserved for approximately 2-3% of the roughly 1800 wines tasted annually. It should be noted that Smith-Madrone Riesling has made this list for the last five years with various vintages!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Duck, Pork, Bacon, Chicken, Shrimp, and Crab are suggested foods for Riesling. Previously the 2019 vintage of Riesling was paired with one of my favorite dishes, chicken Pad Thai. This evening the dish was lemon garlic and shrimp pasta. It was prepared with fettuccine pasta and jumbo shrimp. Ingredients included olive oil, unsalted butter, minced garlic, Himalayan sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, baby spinach, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and lemon juice. The meal was accompanied by a fresh Cesar salad.
Rather than add typical red chili flakes, substituted Flatiron Pepper Company Calabrian Chile Pepper.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Calabrian chile peppers are from Calabria, Italy and are vibrant and spicy. Known for being moderately spicy and yet bright and with a fruit undertone. Calabrian chiles are often preserved in oil which tends to mellow out their heat a bit, adding a noted “kick” without overwhelming the dish. This was the first time using this sample packet with seafood and now I am convinced of the value of these flavorful chile flakes. These Chile flakes come from New Mexico and are spelled with an “e”!
Riesling, especially a dry one, is excellent with light and just slightly spicy pasta. The wine with its acidity and fruit, both complement and counterbalance the natural sweetness of the shrimp and cut through the butter and garlic. The acidity in the Riesling brightens the meal and refreshes the palate. The fruit notes (lemon, lime, stone fruits) enhance the flavors of the shrimp. The fruits also provided a refreshing and noted contrast with the red pepper flakes.
This was an excellent food and wine pairing this evening!
The Winery
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Smith-Madrone Vineyards are located on 200 acres on top of Spring Mountain west of St. Helena with 38 acres planted in vineyards. The vineyard elevation ranges from 1,300 to 2,000 feet.
On the left Stuart and Charles on the right Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Founder, managing partner and enologist is Stuart Smith, Charles Smith is the winemaker, and the associate winemaker is François Bugué. Truly a family affair! All the wines are estate and dry-farmed on top of the mountain. Currently their production is approximately 6,000 cases a year. They produce Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and their iconic Cooks Flat (blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc).
Sláinte,
Michael