Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2022
2022, Napa Valley, California, USA
Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2022
Cabernet Sauvignon
Matthiasson
Glass
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Profile & Story
Founded in 2003 by Jill and Steve Matthiasson after years of work in sustainable agriculture and the local food movement, Matthiasson Wines remains a small, independent family winery in Napa Valley's Oak Knoll District, farming organically and pioneering regenerative practices in pursuit of purity, a sense of place, and food-friendly, moderate-alcohol wines. This 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend built from estate-farmed, CCOF Certified Organic vineyards across the valley's AVAs: Rutherford contributes classic Napa character and red fruit, Calistoga brings dark fruit, Coombsville lends structure and minerality, Mt. Veeder adds fresh herbs and tannin structure, and Oak Knoll provides softness, with small additions of Merlot and Petit Verdot filling out the mid-palate. The blend is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot, fermented with native yeast and aged twenty months in mostly used barrels (less than 20% new French oak); 2022 was, in the winery's own words, a "Goldilocks" vintage — not too hot, not too cool — yielding a wine that tastes of place rather than of extreme vintage conditions. The wine has earned 99 points from Decanter magazine.
Tasting Notes
The nose shows an abundance of dark and red fruit — cherry, blackberry, cranberry, and mulberry — framed by mineral and herbal notes of graphite, cedar, and pencil shavings. The palate is vibrant and fresh, carrying age-worthy tannin structure and bright acidity. It's approachable now, but built for the cellar too; the winery recommends an hour of decanting to let it open fully, noting that it shows bright, energetic fruit in its first three to ten years before taking on more aged character from year eleven onward.
Pairing Recommendation
Grilled steak, grilled or roasted mushrooms, braised lamb shoulder, or black bean and roasted poblano soup.