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Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

$220.00 inc. GST

Accolades:
94/100 – James Suckling
94/100 – Decanter (2014 vintage)

“Beautiful, aromatic and balanced, this relatively light Napa cab harkens back to the early 1980s with its medium body, great acid balance and moderate tannins. Fragrant in red currants and cherries, with hints of toast, sage and cedar, it’s full on the palate and long on the finish. Drink or hold.” – James Suckling

“Matthiasson is always among my favorite representations of über-classic, elegantly crafted Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2017 is poised to make deafening noise on a global scale. This is one of the most sought-after, tried-and-true labels in America for a reason.” – Ian Cauble, Master Sommelier

Tasting Note: 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 our Cab is composed of fruit from six vineyards throughout the Napa Valley. The three AVAs are Coombsville for structure and black fruit, Rutherford for savory Cabernet characters and bright fruit, 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. 2020 was a drought year, which for us can be a very positive thing, because vines adapt to dry conditions by producing less fruit with more structure and concentration. The dry conditions told us that we were going to have a lower crop of very powerful wines, so we focused in the vineyards on supporting the vines and taking advantage of a golden opportunity to make a special age-worthy vintage. 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 a good amount of age-worthy tannin and beautiful acidity. Decanting is highly recommended.

Winemaking Notes: 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 ML, and aged for 20 months in a combination of mostly used and a few new barrels (<20% new French oak). The blend is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4 % Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Alcohol is 13.5%, TA is 5.77 g/l, pH is
3.8. 1926 cases produced.

Certification: Organic

Alcohol: 13.5%

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Coombsville, Rutherford and Oak Knoll AVAs, Napa, California

In stock