History
Smith-Madrone is a family-run estate-bottled winery dedicated to
producing fine wines wines exclusively from its own vineyards. The
winery was founded in 1971 with the purchase of 200 acres high atop
Spring Mountain west of St. Helena in the northern Napa Valley.
One of the least-known and most scenic appellations of the Napa Valley, the Spring Mountain District was recognized by the B.A.T.F. in May of 1993.
The
winery enjoys dramatic views of the floor of the Napa Valley and the
Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance, as well as of its own steep
dry-farmed vineyards. Smith-Madrone is located at elevations between
1,600 and 1,800 feet. The vines flourish in vividly red and rocky volcanic
soil known as Aiken loam, which is well-drained and friable. The property
is bordered by Stony Hill Vineyard to the east, Keenan Vineyard to
the south, Bothe State Park to the north, west and south; Barnett Vineyard
on the western border.
In exploring the property before purchasing it, Stuart Smith discovered old grape stakes interspersed with the tall trees, evidence of a vineyard planted in the 1880s and abandoned with the onset of Prohibition. Douglas fir, oak, redwood and madrone trees were cleared, and the vineyards planted. The name for the winery has two sources: as a tribute to the Smiths who pursued their dream and to the madrone trees which distinguish the property.
As
the estate was developed, traces of its intriguing history emerged.
Chinese workers had cleared the land in the mid-nineteenth century
and left behind meticulous rock piles, stone walls and underground
caves. The remains of a covered wagon sit on an old road between Santa
Rosa and the floor of the Napa Valley: today this road is barely passable
and is used only for access by foot between Smith-Madrone and Stony
Hill Vineyard to the east.
Another striking historical and visual note is the dramatic corridor of 22 olive trees which descend the slope beneath the winery into the vineyards. More than a hundred and twenty years old, these trees were carefully preserved when the vineyards were planted. Their huge proportions (some stretch as tall as 35 feet) are a testament to their struggle for precious mountain sunlight.
A walk around this ranch means panoramas of vineyard, mountain and forest, thriving with wildlife and the natural world, since the forest encloses all of the vineyards. Deer, fox, rabbits, porcupines, coyotes and the occasional bear and cougar are visible. The largest recorded bear in the history of the state of California was killed nearby in 1967. The bird population includes red-tailed hawks, golden eagles, turkey vultures, piliated woodpeckers and spotted owls. Three rare thorny nutmeg trees sit on a knoll; the stump of an oak tree was chosen by the woodpeckers as a whimsical warehouse, loaded with acorns for winter sustenance.
