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  • Studio shot of a 2018 Cuvee bottle with a creme background

The 2018 Cuvée

Meet the newest member of our wine family.

Starting in 2017, Matthews added a new Bordeaux-style blend to our wine portfolio: the Matthews Cuvée (pronounced "coo-vey").

The Cuvée sits directly next to the Claret as a signature blend for Matthews. We take as much time crafting this wine as we do with our more well-known Claret.

To understand why we added another signature blend to our portfolio, we looked to Bordeaux for the blueprint. Over the course of many decades, the vintners in Bordeaux realized that the soil and weather on either side of the Garonne River produced very different styles of wine, and that Cabernet Sauvignon was healthier on the left side of the bank while Merlot was healthier on the right side of the bank.

The winemakers on the left side of the bank began selecting Cabernet Sauvignon as the dominant grape for their blends and the winemakers on the right side used Merlot. Over time, these wines gave way to the terms “left bank” and "right bank”, essentially meaning the wine was either Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant or Merlot-dominant.

Matthews pays homage to the winemakers in Bordeaux for their persistence in creating a global awareness for these two types of blends. We followed in Bordeaux’s footsteps by crafting the Claret as our Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend, and starting in 2017, the Cuvée as our Merlot-dominant blend.

Both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot thrive here in Washington State. Over the past 16 years, our family has searched for vineyards that showcase the best of these varietals. Many of these vineyards are located in small parcels along the Royal Slope, Red Mountain, Radar Hill, Horse Heaven Hills, and other select growing areas in the Columbia Valley; further, some of these vineyards range between 20-40 years old, meaning the vines are entering their peak growing window.

It has been a joy to start a new blend from scratch, knowing how perfectly suited Washington is to ripen Merlot. We have been patiently waiting to announce two exiting updates;

First, the 2018 Cuvée is now available in our Tasting Room and on our online store here.

Second, we are thrilled to release our first Reserve Cuvée in December. Only 230 cases were made, and will be offered to Wine Club Members first, with Wine Club pre-release pricing. Look for an email in November to reserve an allocation of the 2018 Reserve Cuvée.

Please welcome the Cuvée, now complimenting the Claret as the other signature blend for Matthews. We are so grateful to our fans for your support. We love making our wines for you, and we hope every sip fosters a greater connection to the food on your plate and the people by your side.

Cheers, 
The Otis Family

Gentleman in denim shirt and beige hat swirling a glass of red wine at a table next to a bottle of 2018 Cuvee
Looking down on a bottle and glass of 2018 Cuvee
Upwards view of vines with many red grape clusters hanging
Looking down vineyard rows during a golden dusk
Red grape clusters hanging from old green vines
Looking down the center of a gravel road surrounded by vineyards
Red grapes in large bin with stacked barrels in the background
Looking down a sorting table with red grape clusters in focus and with hands sorting unwanted material
Male employee holding up a cluster of red grapes
Looking down a row of cement tanks with an employee filling the farthest thank with a large hose
Looking into a cement tank full of crushed red grapes and an employee filling the top via a hose
Winemaker Aryn Morell pulling a red wine sample out of a barrel and filling a glass
Winemaker Aryn Morell swirling a glass of red wine with a row of barrels in the background
Looking down on the floor of the productions facility with a row of cement tanks, rows of barrels and winemaker Aryn and owner Bryan Otis tasting
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