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Wine Talk - December 27, 2004
By Robert Whitley

Having logged hundreds of thousands of miles tasting wines around the world over the past year, I am left with a handful of impressions that leap out from the hundreds of winery visits and tastings I've conducted here and abroad.

It's never easy to narrow the many great wineries of the world to a select few, but I can't bring myself to let the year pass without acknowledging those wineries that clearly linger on my mind as well as my palate.

At the risk of leaving out many deserving producers, the following are the wineries that had the greatest impact on me over the course of 2004.

Smith-Madrone Vineyard & Winery, Napa Valley Stuart and Charlie Smith were busy in 2004 doing what they've done best for the past quarter-century, working their vineyards on Spring Mountain and creating distinctive wines that they feel compelled to see at a reasonable price. The Smith brothers make but three wines – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling. All three consistently claim awards at the nation’s most prestigious wine competitions, and it was no surprise when either the Cab and Chard took the top honor at different competitions. Yet the cab at $35 is Smith-Madrone's most expensive wine, and the Riesling at $18 is probably one of America's most underrated values. You simply can't go wrong with Smith-Madrone wine, either on the wine or the price.

The Atlanta Wine Report Winter 2004-5: Top 50 Wines in 2004

#3: 2001 Smith-Madrone Riesling “Such a complex wine for 15 bucks!” praised one picnicker. This wine had a clean, medium-gold color with aromas of lemon, peach, pear, melon, white flowers, and light petroleum. Tasters raved about this wine’s flavors that follow its aroma with additional spicy notes. It had a long, pleasing finish and was mistaken for a high-priced German wine.