I have been trying to get Stu Smith to come here to host a wine dinner for about ten years. He's a phenomenally nice guy and his wines are just screamingly delicious, age-worthy, mountain wines. I've had the great good fortune to speak with him at length many times, and each time, I have implored him to come meet you wonderful people. Stu is not a spotlight kind of guy though. He would rather farm and make wine than take center stage. Finally though...finally, he has agreed to come. What's more, he's bringing some back vintages from his library. Here are Cabernet, Chardonnay and Riesling to blow your doors off.
There is a commonality among wines from very high elevations that was not recognized or understood for a long long time. Mark and I have always sought these out and Stu's Smith-Madrone wines are just some of the most beautiful and powerful examples in the world. Smith-Madrone is directly above Stony Hill Winery, one of our other great favorites and hidden gems of age-worthy mountain wine.
[If you would like to read the most comprehensive article ever written on the topic of high-elevation wines in Napa, click here for a ground-breaking article by Christy Canterbury, our favorite Master of Wine. It costs £10 to read the article but it's worth every pence. We cannot recommend Ms. Canterbury's wine writing enough. It's brilliant.]
All Smith-Madrone wines are made entirely from the winery's dry-farmed estate vineyards surrounding the winery on top of Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley. The vineyards sit at elevations between 1,300 and 2,000 feet, on steep slopes which range up to 35%. Trust me, that's crazy!
Dinner with Stuart Smith
The Wines of Smith Madrone
Friday, June 19, 7 PM
Hors d’Oeuvres
Chardonnay 2012
Lobster Lasagna
Orange Peel
Riesling 2012
Riesling 2005
Chilled Duck Breast
Duck Terrine & Pistachio
Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Veal Braciole
Australian Black Truffles
Cabernet Sauvignon 2000
Fernet Branca Ice Cream Parfait Valrhona Chocolate, Malted Mint Milk Shake
Coffee
$129 plus tax and service
I do hope you can join us. Reserve a spot by calling 732-828-4444 or reservations@stageleft.com