I don’t know how Matthiasson does it. He picked his Napa Chardonnay late in 2018, making a richly layered and nuanced wine, but still brought it in at only 12.2% alcohol. And it’s from a vineyard Beringer planted in 1989 for its blockbuster Chardonnay Reserve!
Wine & Spirits, which rated this Outstanding, noted this, too:
Steve and Jill Matthiasson lease this vineyard across the creek from their home in Oak Knoll. The vines were planted in 1989, the site certified organic, farmed by Matthiasson to produce this light chardonnay. The alcohol may only be 12.2 percent, but the wine feels rich and harmonious, melding its fruit into the influence of oak and malolactic fermentation, adding notes of baking spice and fresh cream.
Matthiasson is not alone these days in making Chardonnays like this…but I wish more California winemakers could do this, too.
This is a Napa Valley Chardonnay that’s both stunning and sophisticated – and one that you can actually drink.
