Smith Madrone Vineyards and Winery Spring Mountain District Chardonnay 2018, Napa Valley, California

Dark golden in color.

Nice nose of yellow apples, pears, light honey, spices, cedar, citrus, light vanilla and pineapples.

Full bodied and creamy with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with lemons, citrus, apples, limes, earth, minerals, white pepper and sea salt.

Tangy finish with limes.

This 5-year-old Chardonnay from Napa Valley is drinking very nicely now. Easy drinking and enjoyable. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Nicely balanced and well structured. A good quality wine that will continue to age nicely in the next 3 to 5 years.

Needs 20 minutes of airtime to come to its own.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. Tangy and interesting.

100% Chardonnay grapes from Spring Mountain District were aged in (55% new) French Oak barrels for 9 months.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$45.

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Smith-Madrone Vineyards Spring Mountain District Riesling 2018, Napa Valley, California

Pretty color of light gold.

Strong nose of citrus, lemons, yellow apples, pears, limes, light earth, diesel and minerals.

Full bodied and creamy with high acidity.

Dry on the palate with a touch of RS to balance it out.

Showing limes, lemons, green and red apples, minerals, light earth, light diesel, herbs and white pepper.

Long finish with light almonds and limes.

This 5-year-old Riesling from Napa Valley is drinking so nicely now. Elegant and rich.

I’ve had the 2017 some time ago, and this vintage drinks much better.

Well balanced with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Neither tart nor bitter, and I love that. Buttery and creamy. Soft and smooth.

Will be interesting to revisit it in 5 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after some air time. Better when not too cold. Good by itself as a sipping wine.

13.3% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$36.

Smith Madrone Vineyards Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2018, Napa Valley, California

This is an Interesting Cabernet from Spring Mountain.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing black fruits with cedar, earth, vanilla, spices, vegetables, bitter herbs, green pepper, tobacco leaf, coffee and black pepper.

This Napa Cabernet is still young, and shows lots of earthy notes. Feels like a left bank Bordeaux. The Cabernet franc is very dominant right now.

A good sipping wine with good structure and a nice mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with airtime. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food. Will pair nicely with BBQ Meats.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Aged for 21 months in French Oak barrels.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$60.

School House Vineyard Spring Mountain District Pinot Noir 2010, Napa Valley, California

Ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.

Pretty nose of black currants, black cherries, raspberries, spices, light earth, light oak, wild flowers, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Medium bodied and elegant with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, sweet raspberries, earth, light oak, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black pepper.

Long finish with very little tannins and sour cranberries.

This 12 year old Pinot Noir from Napa Valley is delicious now. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

Actually, it feels more like a Burgundy Pinot Noir. Interesting stuff.

Easy drinking and good right out of the bottle. Nicely balanced and good by itself.

This Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is peaking now. A great sipping wine.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

I had the 2014 a year ago, and this is even better. Delicious wine.

100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Unfiltered and unfined.

13.4% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$210. ($65 current vintage).

Barnett Vineyards Rattlesnake Spring Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Napa Valley, California

It’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark inky in color with a short purple rim.

Strong nose of blackberries, figs, raisins, vanilla, cedar, licorice, tobacco, spices and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with blackberries, black plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, spices, espresso, tobacco and herbs.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Fruit forward with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better with a few hours of airtime.

This 5 year old is still very young and would be better in 5 years. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

I had the 2013 a few years ago, and it was drinking better at a young age. This 2017 will be much better in 10 years.

Elegant and tasty. Rich and extracted.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were are aged for 22 months in new French oak barrels. 52 barrels produced.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$180.