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Matthiasson Phoenix Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

$329.00 $309.00 inc. GST

LIMITED OFFER:
Case of 6+ bottles: $285.00/bottle
Discounts applied in shopping cart

Accolades:
95/100 – James Suckling

“Aromas of redcurrants, raspberries, wildflowers, elderberries and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied with juicy, fine tannins. Lively and fresh on the palate. Bright acidity, with subtle, floral and herbal character. Delicate and long. From organically grown grapes. Best after 2024.” – James Suckling

“If you’re pining for the days of old Stag’s Leap, or some of the more historic Napa Cabernets, Steve Matthiasson has turned back time with this limited offering.” – Mission Wine & Spirits

“Thanks to the relatively high magnesium levels in the soils at Phoenix, the site naturally leans into the higher acid, brisk style that Steve wants to see in some Napa cabernet. Call it a resurrection of classic energy: Phoenix yields red-fruited, structured, highly aromatic cabernet without a lot of the fleshy mid-palate more common throughout the valley. “It’s the nebbiolo of cab,” he says. If you’ve had the chance to enjoy Napa cabernet from the early 1980s, then the Phoenix is your jam.” – Revel Wine

Tasting Note: The Phoenix vineyard sits on some of the most unusual soils in the Napa Valley. While most of Napa soils are of volcanic origin, the East-facing steep hillside Phoenix Vineyard sits on a ridge of ancient marine shale soils. The rock content and sea minerals of these soils create unique wines with high-toned red fruits, perfumed and exotic, with a lightness in the mid-palate yet a long, firm, and structured finish. Wine singular enough, yet complete enough, to be worthy of a single vineyard designation.

Winemaking Notes: After multiple small hand harvests to “cherry pick” individual vines as they become ripe, the fruit was fermented at low temperatures in small, open-top tanks and punched down by hand one to three times per day, depending on how the wine tasted during the fermentation. This wine was given 20 months of elevage in 20% new French oak, a few older French oak barrels, and a large foudre (to preserve the aromatics, similar to Barolo- style aging). The wine should reward long aging, or enjoyment young with a meal after a little decanting. The pH is 3.63, TA is 6.2, and alcohol is 13.0%. 233 cases produced.

Vineyard Notes: In 2017 we had an opportunity of a lifetime. After 14 years of making wine in other wineries, where we rented space, we had the chance to buy our own winery. The elderly owners of the vineyard and winery next door to a property we were farming could no longer manage the upkeep and needed help. We started farming their grapes for them, and later that same year purchased the property, granting them a lifetime estate; we gained our dream of a winery, and they secured their home for the rest of their lives. The Phoenix Vineyard was planted back in 1982 by that same family on the steep hillside above the winery. They used old heritage field selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot. With the help of their sons they lovingly cared for the vines themselves the entire time. When we took over, we converted to Organic Farming, planted new vines where some of the old vines had given up, and focused on rejuvenating the old vines with compost and pruning. The steep hillside and narrow rows require most work to be done by hand—even the compost is applied with shovels and wheelbarrows, that task alone takes two weeks. It’s a challenging vineyard to farm but it’s worth it.

Certification: Organic

Alcohol: 13.0%

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

Region: Mt Veeder, Oak Knoll AVA, Napa, California

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