2006 MATTHIASSON Napa Valley Red Wine
The blend is 52 percent Merlot, 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 5 percent Cabernet franc, and 3 percent Petit verdot.
The fruit is from two vineyards against the hills on the far west side of the Oak Knoll District, against the hills, at the base of Mt. Veeder. They are both right on Dry Creek; the Cabernet is in the mouth of the cool, breezy canyon, while the Merlot is on a warm gravel bar right as the creek spills out into the valley. The warm rocky Merlot vineyard, with its rich, ripe, aromatic fruit, and the cooler Cabernet vineyard, with its tannic structure and firm acidity, comprise the blend every year.
The fruit was fermented at low temperatures in small, open-top tanks (outside, next to the vineyards), and punched down by hand one to three times a day, depending on taste during the fermentations. The wine was blended immediately after the lots were pressed, so that the wine could marry from the very beginning.
The wine was aged in 50% new French oak, and 50% neutral barrels. After 18 months of elevage, with only one racking when it was blended, the wine was bottled, unfined and unfiltered. 240 cases were made.
This vintage gave a freshness and minerality that can be very elusive in the Napa Valley. The vineyards provided their full spectrum of aromas and flavors, from dried herbs and mint to chocolate and rich ripe fruit. The wine has weight and length, but is balanced with cleansing acidity (our goal is “weight without heaviness”). The pH is 3.58, the TA is 6.19, and the alcohol is 14.6 %.
2008 MATTHIASSON Napa Valley White Wine
This wine is a new-world conception of a our mythical ideal old-world wine…a California wine with a spiritual connection to Friuli, Italy and Graves, France.
The wine is a blend of Sauvignon blanc, Ribolla gialla, Semillon, and Tocai friulano. The Sauvignon blanc brings a clean fresh citrusy acidity. The Ribolla gialla gives a unique minerality, nuttiness, and structure to the blend. The Semillon contributes viscosity and the ripe fig and beeswax character that adds gravity and weight. The Tocai friulano adds spicy aromatic notes.
The acidity and fruit expression is balanced by the rich lees character and the sweetness of the oak. There is interplay in the wine between lightness and richness, and focus and complexity. The Ribolla gialla, with its weight and slight tannic grip, ties the wine together and brings a dimension of length and interest.
The fruit was very lightly whole-cluster-pressed. The wine was barrel-fermented in 50% new Boutes barrels, and left on its lees, with occasional stirring, until bottling—never racked. Three of the ten barrels went through natural malolactic fermentation. After nine months of elevage, sur lees, the wine was filtered, to prevent further malolactic fermentation, and then bottled. The blend is 47% Sauvignon blanc, 31% Ribolla gialla, 19% Semillon, and 3% Tocai friulano. The pH is 3.32, the TA is 6.34, and the alcohol is 13.4%. 290 cases were made.