[Pre-Arrival] Matthiasson Phoenix Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

SPECIAL PRE-ARRIVAL OFFER:
Case of 6+ bottles: $339.00/bottle
Stock due to land late October 2025; orders will be dispatched on arrival

Accolades:
99/100 – Decanter
96/100 – James Suckling

“This is a single-vineyard expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Phoenix Vineyard surrounding the Matthiasson winery, situated on an east-facing steep hillside at the base of Mt. Veeder, on a promontory of rare ancient marine shale soils overlooking the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. Texturally and aromatically, it is so different from the Dead Fred Cabernet. This is super light and floral-driven and more like a Nebbiolo. It’s aged in foudre to preserve the fresh fruit quality. Multiple picks ensure ripeness and some are whole cluster pressed. It’s so pretty and pure it’s almost like mineral water that’s been flavoured. The wine has a natural grip and is laser-focused and linear. It is the epitome of elegance and a classy wine in a class of its own. During my tasting with Steve, he added some colour to the Phoenix Vineyard, explaining that it was planted in 1982, with more vines added in the late 1980s. The Cabernet Sauvignon is an old field selection massale from Mt. Veeder, with the oldest vines on AXR rootstock (sadly susceptible to Phylloxera) and next to those grapes, the same selection is grafted to 5BB, a slightly more drought-tolerant rootstock, which handles the hillside. Matthiasson bought the site in 2017, and the farms it organically and without irrigation. A delicious wine that will last for half a century.” – Decanter

“A technically light-bodied wine with delicious ripe fruit, great acid balance and moderate tannins to preserve it for many years while more complexity develops. Red cherries, blackcurrants, bay leaves and baked earth nuances build on the palate and linger on the finish. Best from 2028.” – 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. 2021 was a drought year, and the vineyard pond stayed empty throughout the winter, leaving us completely without irrigation water. This caused the vineyard to be fully dry-farmed in our driest year in decades — amazingly the deep roots of the vines worked their magic, and the vines hung in there all season. The result was small yields of wine with incredible depth, along with an early harvest that led to beautiful elegance.

Winemaking Notes: Vine by vine selections are made at harvest. We make multiple picks and our crew is meticulous in only harvesting vines at the ideal ripeness. The wine will see delastages and extended pumpovers during peak fermentation to ensure we capture all the flavor and texture the fruit has to offer. We press the wine at dryness to maintain freshness and the rich, red fruit notes. In 2021, we incorporate the Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Phoenix Vineyard into the blend. The merlot adds lushness and elegance while the Cabernet Franc accentuates the herbal notes. This wine was given 20 months of elevage in ~20% new French oak, a few older French oak barrels, two seasoned Demi-muids, and a large foudre (to preserve the aromatics, similar to Barolo-style aging). The wine will reward long aging or can be enjoyed young with a meal after a little decanting. The pH is 3.73, TA is 5.9 g/L, and alcohol is 12.0%. 349 cases produced. Certified Organic vineyard.

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: 12.0%

Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon

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