Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon NAPA VALLEY 2021

2021 was an incredible year in Napa and our Cabernet Sauvignon perfectly captures the concentration, depth and structure of the vintage. It is one of the most age-worthy wines we have ever made.
95 points, Decanter Magazine
TASTING NOTES
The nose shows abundant dark and red fruits, lots of cherry along with blackberry, cranberry, mulberry, and framed with hints of mineral/herbal characters, such as graphite, cedar, and pencil shavings. The palate is vibrant and fresh, with lots of age-worthy tannin and beautiful acidity. Though ready to drink now, this is also one for the cellar, and decanting is highly recommended.
RECOMMENDED PAIRINGS
Grilled steak
Grilled or roasted mushrooms
Rich, meaty dishes
STORY
In the tradition of Cabernet Sauvignon, ours is a blended wine and includes a small amount of other Bordeaux varieties to complete the wine. For complexity and balance it is composed of fruit from eight estate-farmed vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The five AVAs are Coombsville for structure and black fruit, Rutherford for savory Cabernet characters and bright fruit, Calistoga for richness, Mt. Veeder for freshness and herbal lift, and Oak Knoll for soft fruit. It is a Napa Cab of the old school: age-worthy, complex, and begging for a steak off the grill.
2021 was a record drought year, and the drought truly defined the vintage. It was similar to 2013, but even more extreme in that unlike 2013, 2021 was part of a multi-year drought, so the vines were even more impacted. Vines adapt to dry conditions by producing smaller berries with more tannin structure and concentration. The dry conditions told us that we were going to have some of the most structured and age-worthy wines we ever made, so we focused in the vineyard on supporting the vines and helping them make it to harvest.
As a major stroke of luck, other than the dry weather, the growing season was nice and consistent, with no major weather extremes. And with a record early vintage, we were able to harvest a mostly full crop of incredible fruit.
FARMING & WINEMAKING
The Estate-Farmed Vineyards that Comprise the Blend (all are CCOF Certified Organic):
The Dead Fred Vineyard in Coombsville sits on rocky volcanic soil. Its south-western exposure causes it to pick up heat during the day, and the proximity to the mouth of the Napa Valley keeps the nights cool.
The York Vineyard is in the heart of Rutherford, on the classic gravelly alluvium known to create the famous “Rutherford Dust” character.
The Helen’s Gate Vineyard is the home of Arthur Berliner and Marian Lever. It sits on an east-facing hill along Whitehall Lane in the Rutherford District of Napa Valley.
The Circa Vineyard is on gravelly loam down the street from York in Rutherford. Cool breezes and dry rocky soil combine to create refined structure and ripe fruits.
The Bengier Vineyard (formerly Vare) is also on Dry Creek, in the Oak Knoll District, but on gravelly soils in the mouth of the canyon. The cool air drainage down the canyon results in light aromatic wine.
The Gray Vineyard is on rocky alluvium down the road from our winery, in the Oak Knoll District. Cool breezes and dry rocky soil combine to create structure and ripe fruits.
The Stardust Vineyard is on young rocky volcanic soil in Franz Valley west of Calistoga. The vineyard is flanked by the cooling influence of Knight’s Valley (from the Russian River Valley) and the heat of Calistoga. The fruit is super intense and dense, adding gravitas to the Napa Cab blend.
The Papa’s Perch Vineyard is up on the top of Mt. Veeder on marine shale and sits in a pocket of conifers and bay trees. The fruit is rustic, wild, and intense, structured and explosive with aromas of muddled cane berries and minty herbs.
The fruit was fermented in small tanks and either punched down or pumped over twice per day, depending on flavor; we don’t strive for a high rate of extraction, instead choosing to preserve the freshness and high-toned aromatics. Fermentation temperatures are cool, so the fermentations were long and slow, mostly lasting around two weeks. The wine was pressed at dryness, blended immediately after malolactic fermentation, and aged for 20 months in a combination of mostly used and a few new barrels (<20% new French oak, mostly Taransaud and Bossuet).
TECHNICAL DETAILS
The blend is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3 % Petit Verdot, 1% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc.
Alcohol is 12.5%, TA is 5.70 g/l, pH is 3.79. 2210 cases produced.