Tasting with Mike Smith Sunday August 16th in Napa.

I had the sense to invite Mike and Leah Smith to the Beserker Fest and set up a tasting of Mike’s great wines for the group on Sunday. They had been in New York and Boston for the week and were returning home from the San Francisco Airport, stopped in to see us at The Bowman’s lovely Store and brought with them about two pounds of fabulous hand cut Blue Fin Toro that was insane and about twelve pounds of insane fresh Blue Fin Tuna that I cooked for the crew on one of the barbecues that I had to Pirate from Tex The Meat Cooking God.
On Sunday a small group including Charlie the Future Lawyer, Food blogging Fu his friend Dan, Samatha Sheehan, me and Paul Hiyake and his friend had the pleasure of sitting at the gorgeous Tamber Bey Winery in Oakville/Younville AVA districts (it sits in both). Mike had opened and decanted his entire lineups of the Myriad, Quivet Cellers and Tamber Bey wines.
First we tried the 07 Quivet Las Madres Syrah a cool Bay vineyard in Carneros. The wine was not a Syrah fruit bomb but quite restrained with cherry, bright red non obtrusive fruit and subtle tannins.
Next we tried the Myriad version that was from the same vineyard but as we discovered given different oak treatment and 10 % whole stem cluster treatment that contrasted it from the Quivet resulting in an even more restrained and less bright but lovely syrah more like a Northen Rhone than California version of the grape.
Next we tried the Cabs. The 07 Quivet Kenefick Ranch was a very solid version of that fine vineyard with a chocolate infused palate of dark fruits
and a lovely finish with great smooth tannins that lasted over 30 seconds.
The Myriad Dr. Crane from Beckstoffer’s famed vineyard was a terrific but more structured 07. The wine although decanted did not show as much early accessible potential but the complexity, tannin structure and complete palate presense made me both encouraged and pleased to have previously purchased it.
Next we went to the Spring Mountains. The 07 Quivet Cellers was an eye popping wine to me. Of all the vineyards and wines I visited over the weekend at this point my palate has preferred the Spring Mountain AVA. I also loved the 07 Pride Cab Franc and Merlot from Spring Mountain and the Pott Spring Mountain wines. Not all will agree, but my palate is clearly aligned with that AVA from 07.
The 07 Quivet Spring Mountain presents a lush, ripe and very accessible cab with both red and dark fruit, cocoa powder that continues through the palate and finsih including the feel of the presence of the powder (almost Rutherford Dust). It is already an alluring wine but due to its cooperage treatment will not likely be an ager. Whereas the 07 Myriad Spring Mountain Cab, again from the same vineyard as the Quivet is more presently restrained, different cooperage treatment has resulted in less lush fruit driven, less open and accessible wine with a different mouth feel. I have purchased this wine and will give it some time (5-7 years). I did not purchase the Quivet since I am not on that list but I hope that some senseless pleading by me will result in Mike digging up a few bottles for me for earlier enjoyment than the Myriad, although the Quivet wine is already sold out.
Last and as a surprise we got the tast the portfolio of Tamber Bey the host winery. I was honestly unfamiliar with this vineyard. We learned a lot about the history of the winery and its owner a very friendly dog and horse loving gentleman who greeted and joined us for the tasting. The vineyards are young, less than 10 years old but the merlot is already terrific and the Chardonnay top notch.
I will report on the cabs to be consistent here. All wines made by Mike Smith our host.
The 06 Deux Chevaux Vineyard is a lovely open wine with red fruit, slight complexity and nice mouth feel. It sells for $35.00 a bottle making it a very good value.
The 05 Cabernet Oakville is a terrific wine. Wonderful complexity, 80% Cab about 20 % Merlot. The wine is made by the Merlot that is more structured at this stage than the Cabernet from this vineyard. It has a wonderful balance very nice palate and finish. It is a complete wine that will be even better in 5-7 years.
The 06 Cabernet Oakville is more tannic in keeping with the vintage, has the same merlot presence and although showing quite well is not my palate preference as much as was the 05.
Last we were treated to the 07 Deux Chervaux Chardonnay, very young vines but a wonderful wine with pear, fresh ripe fruit and a terrific mouth presence. No oak was sensed in the wine at all. The only white I tried at a tasting all weekend and it was killer. Mike Smith can make all varietals and is a talented warm, insightful and wonderful person as is his wife Leah the fisherwoman.
Last, Mike insisted upon bring the entire group on his dime to Ad Hoc where we were treated to their World Famous Buttermilk Fried Chicken and assorted sauted mushrooms with cabbage. Killer morning that led to killer afternoon. I had to leave to catch my 5 o’clock flight.
Thank you Mike Smith the man and Wine Maker. Kids, buy from his lists, he is the real deal and although trained with Thomas Rivers Brown, his own naturalist style in winemaking overtly shines through. Great, great stuff.

Wow, sorry I missed this one…

I’m not. I would have been wrecked on the ride home and barfed on the Air Marshall sitting next to me.

Tex, if I am able to get a few of the Quivet Spring Mountains, I will save you one to try with me. It had your name written all over it.

Jack,

It was great meeting you and the other Berserkers on Sunday morning. Mike was certainly very generous in pouring his entire lineup of 2007 wines, including the 12C cab, which you missed in your notes. The 12C was the most forward and flashy of the cabs, almost too sweet for my tastes. Similar to you, both of Mike’s Spring Mountain cabs really hit the spot for me.

Cheers
Paul

Paul I did not take notes and did not remember the 12C obviously because it was not as memorable to me as the others. Great meeting you as well.

I agree with Jack’s notes on the wine. The 06 Deux Chevaux Vineyard stood out to me as one of the best QPR’s in Napa that I’ve tried in a long while (QPR @ $35…).

The same as the wines I tasted throughout this visit, the Myriad wines had a beautiful structure, they are still very young and but have a dark core ready to explode. The Quivet to me was more forward drinking and the burghounds next to me couldn’t get enough of his Tamber Bey Chard which was quite spectacular.

I had the opportunity to talk to Mike on the way to lunch and had a great conversation with him. He was truly a “rags to riches” wine guy. He started out working with Thomas Brown at $12 a hour, moved his whole family from Oregon and now is the head winemaker at 4 projects (if not more) and making high quality cabernet. He spent 5+ hours of his day, after flying in from the East Coast the day before, to taste his wines with us and treat us to lunch.

A+++. I know my boy dan left with some wine goodies from Mike. And if you’re into great examples of Napa Cab you should get some too!

Great notes Jack. Mike and Leah are as nice as they come. Hope to catch up with them when we visit in October.

Jack, nice report. Thanks.

My least favorite AVA is Spring Mountain…
I’m just sayin’.

Mike probably because it is the left side of Napa.
At least we both like Howell Mtn. that is the right side.