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The Smith-Madrone 2002 Riesling is everything a great wine should be: beautiful
to look at, wonderful aromas of fruit to smell and pure pleasure on the palate---true
wine hedonism. We describe our Rieslings as dry even though there is a small
amount of residual sugar in the wine. While the wine industry is legendary
for making exaggerated claims of wine quality, we have 27 vintages to refer
to when we state that this wine is not only beautiful now, but if you age it
for another five to ten years it will blossom into a truly great wine.
Beginning with our 1983 Riesling vintage we boldly went where no other American
winery would go for the next 17 years---we changed our label from Johannisberg
Riesling to the true and correct name---Riesling. White Riesling is wrong and
redundant: when was the last time you had a red Riesling? This is just one example
of our commitment to this wonderful and no-longer-overlooked varietal.
Balance is one of the hallmarks of great winemaking. With our Riesling we strive
for a balance not only between sugar and acid, but for a balance between two
great continents--Europe as represented by Germany's Rheingau and Alsace and
America as represented by us. We love the minerally middle of Alsatian rieslings
but not their sharp finish; the Rheingau offers the beautiful soft floral finish,
but with too much sugar. We try to make our Riesling in a decidedly American
style: a minerally middle palate with a soft floral finish with just a hint of
sweetness.
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AGE OF VINES:
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31 years |
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APPELLATION:
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Napa Valley |
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SUB-APPELLATION:
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Spring Mountain District |
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FARMING:
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dry-farmed mountain
vineyards |
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VARIETAL CONTENT:
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100% Riesling |
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ALCOHOL:
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12.7% |
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RESIDUAL SUGAR:
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dry, 0.7% |
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CASES:
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750 cases |
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WINEMAKERS & WINEGROWERS:
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CHARLES SMITH & STUART SMITH
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