Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Smith Devereux (formerly J.W. Thomas Wines) utilizes over 60 years of family winemaking experience to produce sustainably farmed, limited production wines.
With a strong belief in every bottle of wine telling a story, Smith Devereux farms only the highest quality grapes to create their award winning portfolio of wines. Their first wine, Verse & Chorus was selected by Whole Foods as a Top 10 Holiday Pick and Wine Club Selection, and won Best in Class and a Gold Medal at the West Coast Wine Competition.
On the heels of this success, Smith Devereux launched critically acclaimed brands: Weather (2x Gold Medal Winner), Hanaiali'i (2x Double Gold, Best in Class, West Coast Wine Competition and 90pts Wine Spectator) and Dennen (91pts Wine Spectator) as well as the flagship Smith Devereux line of wines.
One of the most prestigious wines of the world capable of great power and grace, Napa Valley Cabernet is a leading force in the world of fine, famous, collectible red wine. Today the Napa Valley and Cabernet Sauvignon are so intrinsically linked that it is difficult to discuss one without the other. But it wasn’t until the 1970s that this marriage came to light; sudden international recognition rained upon Napa with the victory of the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1976 Judgement of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon undoubtedly dominates Napa Valley today, covering half of the land under vine, commanding the highest prices per ton and earning the most critical acclaim. Cabernet Sauvignon’s structure, acidity, capacity to thrive in multiple environs and ability to express nuances of vintage make it perfect for Napa Valley where incredible soil and geographical diversity are found and the climate is perfect for grape growing. Within the Napa Valley lie many smaller sub-AVAs that express specific characteristics based on situation, slope and soil—as a perfect example, Rutherford’s famous dust or Stags Leap District's tart cherry flavors.