Each autumn, as the temperature dips, Cabernet Sauvignon falls into wine glasses like an old friend.   Napa Valley typically has warm weather throughout October but just as Halloween approaches, there is always the possibility of a serious rain storm, heavy fog in the morning, chilly temperatures at night or an early chance of frost.   What may seem like standard autumnal weather in other parts of the country are mere flirtations in Napa Valley during October.   Yet with their unexpected arrival, these fleeting weather patterns are celebrated and welcomed.   Yellow, red, and orange leaves adorn the grape vines now, some have fallen to the ground and as morning ground fog hinders visibility, the shorter daylight evening hours are bathed in warm yellow-orange sunsets for commutes home after work.  Once home the sun quickly disappears and the night becomes crystal clear with crisp cool air and twinkling stars above.  Many rush to visit Napa Valley during the height of the summer or early autumn, but I have always advised that the valley holds unspeakable beauty no matter the time of year if you slow down long enough to take it in.

Should you venture on a drive up one of Napa Valley’s mountains famed for wine grapes, you will sense the presence of autumn moreso and with an increased sense of place and immediacy.   Spring Mountain is a cooler climate, located up valley in St. Helena and on the western side of the valley.   Leading west out of town, Spring Mountain is its own wine district in Napa Valley and as you wind and climb the driving route of Spring Mountain, the air becomes cooler and fragrant with various trees and forest growth.   Roll the windows down a bit, pop the sun roof and take a moment to breath in as you drive onward.   This is a sense of place.   Smell the damp soil in the air and the hint of redwood and madrone trees?   All of this influences the grapes here.   Within a handful of moments of leaving downtown St. Helena, you feel like you are a world away and for the estate grapes grown at the inhabiting wineries, something special awaits your wine glass.   At this point, if your windows are still down on the car, you are correct to feel a chill in the air for Spring Mountain is a cooler climate.

Smith-Madrone Vineyards and Winery (“Smith-Madrone”) is a lucky resident to be tucked away on Spring Mountain.   Call first and then wander down a long unpretentious road to park and find yourself with a breath taking view of Napa Valley and surrounded by quiet trees of madrone.   A grove of olive trees older than 120 years await ahead of you but in that big barn sits dry-farmed, estate made wine that is one of the best representatives of the very place upon which you stand.

A bottle of the 2004 Spring Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon from Smith-Madrone is as poetic as the winery’s estate.  Yielding a bouquet of black cherry and rich with anise, the mouth is greeted by a lovely, soft, elegant wine of similar flavors that slips past the palate.   The finish delights with soft chocolate covered cherries.   The descriptor “elegant” keeps coming back to mind over and over as the wine lingers gently on the palate, reminding one of the subtle traditional sense of elegance and style that is representative of Napa Valley.   The cool climate of Spring Mountain is poetic in and of itself, triggering sensations of peaceful quiet,  herbaceous air and wooded acres as far as the eye can see.   Its Cabernet Sauvignons are elegant and gentle.  They are readily accessible in all aspects but do not let that fool you into thinking that the wine lacks sophistication:  far from it.

Despite the hype that Cabernet Sauvignon toutes, I like to pair it readily with a burger.   Yes, this Cabernet Sauvignon would pair fabulously with lamb . . . or perhaps filet mignon . . . or if you were in the entertaining vein, a hot pot of seared quality thin slices of grass-fed beef among guests.   But for you, at home on a Wednesday, open a bottle and linger.   When a Cabernet Sauvignon is softer, it can pair with a leaner cut of beef.  In the case that I paired, a lean ground top sirloin was used.   To the beef, minced shallot, lemon thyme, rosemary, worchestershire and a dash of balsamic vinegar were added.  Herbs invoke the forest floor, shallot mirrors the softness of the wine and once the burger is topped with a slice of smoked provolone, the grill is quickly brought to the plate.  Sauteed porcini mushrooms in savory, lemon thyme, chives, butter, white wine and a dash of Dijon mustard adorn the top of the burger once again bringing you closer to the autumn mountain forest.  Balsamic vinegar in a burger feigns sweetness of catsup and the Dijon mustard in the mushrooms eliminates the need for mustard.

Place this ensemble atop a bed of sautéed spinach drizzled with balsamic vinegar to once again tie the dish to the mountain forest floor and suddenly the burger is transformed into a rich mouthful of flavors, simultaneously entertwining with the ripe rich fruit and spice of the wine.  To finish the plate, garnish the burger a bit with some fresh chopped chives.

This seemingly simple plate mirrors fine dining in a casual, immediate way.   The impressiveness of this is debatable as to where the meal lands:  the rich depth of interchanging flavors between food and wine; the simplicity of the meal’s preparation; or the overriding, indisputable elegance of the 2004 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon.

Revisiting the dish, the sautéed spinach really ties the bite together with a bow.  Its classic bitterness wilts beneath the warm burger to embrace the balsamic drizzle and creates an intrinsic degree of flavor depth.   It ties the bite together, bringing out memories of a wooded forest floor, a stone outdoor hearth yielding the glow of a steady fire… smoking … a cloud hanging intermittently among the surrounding madrone tree.   With one sip of the 2004 Smith-Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon, you are right at home on Spring Mountain.