Phoenix Vineyard
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon
Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
The mostly volcanic Napa Valley only has one small section of ancient seabed shale soils. The wine crafted from fruit grown on our shale hillside expresses its power in the aromatics and length rather than in the mid-palate, which is why we age our organically farmed Phoenix Vineyard in large oak foudres rather than in small oak barrels, treating it like Barolo in Napa Valley. It is a unique wine of place that truly embodies “weight without heaviness.”
Winemaker, Matthiasson
Years of working with different wineries on the vineyard side of the business has helped me understand the relationship between viticulture and wine. After a decade of exploring making wine from different grape varieties, vineyard sites, and farming techniques I started making our Matthiasson wines in 2003. I strive to make wines that are ripe and powerful yet food friendly and moderate in alcohol. We grow traditional Napa varieties like Cabernet and Chardonnay as well as less common varieties such as Ribolla Gialla and Cabernet Franc.
Country born: United States
Education: B.S. Philosophy, Whittier College
M.S. Horticulture, University of California, Davis
Years in the wine industry: 20-30 years
Honors / Awards:
Winemaker of the Year, Food & Wine Magazine and San Francisco Chronicle; Six-Time James Beard Award Nominee, Slow Wine Snail.
Winemaking Philosophy:
Our philosophy is to focus entirely on the vineyard, growing grapes that naturally make balanced age-worthy wines which complement food and require a minimum of intervention in the cellar.
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