Smith-Madrone Winery
Smith-Madrone Vineyards on Top of Spring Mountain, Napa Valley
Photo ©Michael Kelly
I have written about their wines often as their Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and most recently their Cabernet Sauvignon are not only in the upper tier of wines coming out of Napa but also reasonably priced as a solid value. I had contacted Stu Smith to do a quick visit not to taste the wines, but to update some photos for upcoming stories! I know passing on a tasting of great wines is not something I normally do but had my priorities. Stu still wanted to pour a glass of anything! Here are some recent stories on their wines:
Riesling
Cabernet Franc Story
Cabernet Sauvignon Story
Chardonnay Story
Left to Right: Charles, Stuart and François Photo ©Michael Kelly
The winery was founded in 1971 by Stuart Smith. Today the management of the winery/vineyards are comprised of him and his brother Charles Smith. Charles is also the winemaker along with François Bugué.
We hopped on the gator 4-wheel drive and headed out throughout the winery with Stu pointing out things of interest and asking him to stop so a picture or two could be photographed at various locations.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
When touring the vineyard, this is how close they came to losing their vineyard from the devasting Glass Fire just burning into their property. Recently Stu installed fire hydrants around both the winery and maintenance buildings. He also installed a sprinkler system on the roof of the winery. This was not a simple or inexpensive undertaking. He believes that this will help with “ember suppression” should another Glass fire with high winds occur.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Stu stopped to view how their Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were doing. These clusters when touched were as hard as marbles. In just a short time, they will progress to the next stage of their metamorphosis to get ready for the harvest.
Stay tuned for more pictures and stories that will be forthcoming.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly