Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

This was our red to pair with a Christmas surf n'turf feast of crab, lobster, and filet. Off the charts incredible wine with pronounced tertiary notes (tobacco, eucalyptus, mint, leather, even bacon) and a silky-smooth palate. It still has a compact frame with soft yet juicy acidity. Tannins are mellowing which makes the lengthy finish outstanding. Bravo! Drink 2025-2028. Technical score: 95. Enjoyment score: 95.

2003 vintage

Second bottle of three purchased, with the same experience as back in February (including a cork that disintegrates on opening - watch out for this). This wine is absolutely stunning, for it age, it's balance, it's texture, the incredible nose, and the 90-sec+ finish. If tasted blind I would guess this would be 8-12 years old - this is how fresh and vibrant this wine is at 20+ years. Enjoyed today on our son's birthday and will save last bottle …

2003 vintage

Opened and crushed the cork, so had to decant through coffee filter. Was accessible within 20-min. Dark garnet color with an orange-brown hue. Intense nose brings cherry blossoms, eucalyptus, spearmint, dark chocolate, coffee, pipe tobacco, dried leather, and forest floor. The palate is large, round, and textured, bringing a nice core of blueberries, blackberries, and high-toned raspberries followed by pronounced sweet and savory tertiary notes of milk chocolate, caramel, soy, olives, and wild herbs into a smooth, 60-sec+ finish. I …

2003 vintage

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim. Beautiful nose of black fruits, cedar, chocolates, herbs, tobacco leaf and cola. Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity. Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, mint, vanilla, spices, licorice, espresso, cola, light herbs, eucalyptus, light earth, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and peppercorn. Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries. This 20 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley is drinking beautifully now. Showing a …

2003 vintage

Wow, did not expect this wine to have so much life. While tertiary flavors dominate the palate, beautiful hints of fruit balance out the experience.

2003 vintage

Similar to last bottle - fresh, with bright red and black fruit. Medium tannin. Some bitterness on the back of the palate on day two - probably better paired with food. 91-ish.

2003 vintage

Decanted about an hour. Fresher than past bottles. Red fruit, good acid, herbs.

2003 vintage

Definitely shows better with some air. A little green to start. Similar score to last bottle

2003 vintage

Still lively, with some celar funk and a touch of mocha flavor in addition to the other elements mentioned in my 2012 note. Would prefer less rustic, charred oak flavor.

2003 vintage

From memory. Stood up for 2 days and decanted for 1h and then back into bottle for dinner with Joshi, Dave, and Wei. Interesting that there wasn't that much sediment. Shy aromas of tart blackberries, cassis, herbs and earth. Palate added blueberry fruit to the blackberries, some cassis, and accents of earth, herbs and leather with moderate tannins on the mid-palate. Still tasted of primary fruit and surprised that it has not evolved much even after 15 years. Still tasty …

2003 vintage

Upon first opening was concerned it might be past peak, as flavors were somewhat muted. But it opened up nicely with air. Definitely has many years left. Next time, need to decant. 90-91.

2003 vintage

Pretty much popped and poured and drank over about four hours. Last glass was the best. Too hold. Shows some really dark fruit, probably not to hold that much longer. Meaning I think the drink window is starting soon.

2003 vintage

Corked

2003 vintage

Wow! This is coming into its own all of a sudden. Opening up nicely and releasing lots of dark chewy fruit while keeping the nice tannic backbone.

2003 vintage

Not as in the pocket as the 2002, yet still coming around. And a great wine. And incredibly cheap for what is in the bottle.

2003 vintage

First cabernet from the Zalto Universal. Very pronounced on the nose, wild and constantly changing too. Must be from just opening. Hopefully it will calm down.

2003 vintage

Pungent spice, oak, kirsch and sweet berry scent. Full, red cherry and currant, mint, ash and mineral flavor with full, grippy tannins and a long finish. Somewhat tight mid palate and on the finish. Four years since the last tasting did not subdue the powerful tannins. That said, it was quite enjoyable. This wine has the structure to age many more years.

2003 vintage

This was a pleasant surprise. A long, complex finish with tannic grip to age for another 10 years. Cassis, black cherry, chocolate, truffle, and an iron/mineral/rock component. Stylistically, I'd say this is mostly New World with Old World restraint. Definitely recommended.

2003 vintage

We drank this the night after opening a 2002 Smith Madrone Cab and it seemed more open and giving with bright fruit and a perfect assemblage of secondary mountain cab flavors. The wine became progressively more closed over the three hours it lasted. Delicious and gratifyingly food friendly and restrained.

2003 vintage

Here I am, stuck with my two day old Smith-Madrone Cabernet. And loving it. And deciding that I should WSET just to feel productive like I am getting some level of studying done. Color is turbis, medium, purple. Nose is clean, medium + intensity, developing with floral, red currants, herbal, anise. Complex. Palate is dry with no noticeable alcohol, so medium. Palate has high sinewy tannins with medium + acidity (although its the tannins that are probably raising my perception …

2003 vintage

I first opened a bottle of this wine a few months ago and posted an unflattering review questioning whether there might be something wrong with the bottle. Two days later, I got an e-mail from the creator of CellarTracker: the publicist for Smith-Madrone winery in Napa was trying to get ahold of me because of my CT review and wanted to replace my bottle! Right after Christmas a new bottle of Smith Madrone 2003 Napa Cab was couriered to my …

2003 vintage

I so rarely drink cabernet for pleasure I had forgotten what a structured effort from Napa was like. Here, in that very Smith Madrone way, beautiful pronouced aromatics of Franc right off the cork pull. And then, three minutes later, a grippy, intense palate. The fruit is there but the tannins ride it out. The wine is in balance, and perfectly so for it remains refreshing throughout the meal. I pounded down the bottle easily which I normally just can't …

2003 vintage

I was very disappointed in this wine, although it's possible something with the bottle was slightly off. The fruit seemed faded and dull and there was none of the brightness or life I would expect from Napa Cab. I didn't sense any clear notes of cork taint, but something was going on.

2003 vintage

Decanted for 2 hours. Color was deep garnet. Nose had a lot going on. Aroma's of licorice, black cherry, cedar, vanilla. The palate was balanced, silky smooth, with flavors of tobacco and cedar. Finish nice and smooth, like velvet. 50,5,13,16,7=91

2003 vintage

Dense beyond dense. Wood splinters. And yet, something memorable in a good way.

2003 vintage

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Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain District

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