Cabernet Sauvignon

2013
Cabernet Sauvignon

Ripe plum skin, black currants and a sweet and smoky spice. With some air the wine picks up some weight, adding black cherries and spice. The palate is thick but weightless, with great composure and sweet, silky tannins.

Vintages

Varietal(s)

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot

Vinification

Fermented in 100% concrete tanks. Aged in 85% new French oak for 21 months.

Alcohol

14.8%

Cases Produced

319

Vintage Notes

The Matthews Cabernet is a Washington-born shout out to the classic left bank blends of Bordeaux and Medoc. An incredibly selective blending process produces a wine that is big on show but remarkably composed. Think of it as a wine that looks flawless in a tux, but isn’t afraid to loosen the tie, roll up the sleeves, and throw down on the dance floor. We let Cabernet lead the way, with Cab Franc and then a touch of Merlot filling in the gaps and smoothing any rough edges. Beautiful, explosive aromatics announce the wine before you even pour it, and that opulence is replicated in the dense, vibrant mouthfeel. This is a really fun wine to drink, but it won’t beat you up with too much tannin. Bordeaux-style blends are famously terroir driven, and ours is no exception. Cabernet loves to grow in Washington, where our arid climate, large temperature swings and long seasons give us the powerful ripe fruit you’d expect from California, with more of the balance, complexity and freshness you’d expect from a French blend. Matthews Cabernet in particular is characterized by its intense spice, silky texture and excellent transitions.

Expert Reviews & Scores

  • Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate

    94 / 100

    Reviewed last year as the Tenor Wines 1:1, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon was moved to the Mathews line to maintain Tenor’s single varietal mission. Don’t let any of that stop you from checking out this fabulous wine though. Made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc and 4% Merlot that spent 21 months in 85% French oak, its healthy ruby/purple color is followed by an incredibly polished, silky, seamless Cabernet that has lots of crème de cassis, sweet oak, crushed flower, and graphite aromas and flavors. Made in a relatively forward, elegant and charming style, it still has the density, balance and tannin to drink well for 10-15 years.

    Tim Fish, Wine Spectator

    91 / 100

    Well-defined and gracefully complex, with plum and bay leaf aromas and sleek flavors of black cherry and mineral, all framed by refined tannins. Drink now through 2027. 319 cases made.

    Stephen Tanzer, Vinous

    90 / 100

    Bright ruby-red. Inviting aromas of cassis, redcurrant and dark chocolate. Sweet, savory and densely packed, with its intense dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and violet nuances. Conveys an impression of energy that belies its 3.89 pH. Finishes suave and long, with gentle tannins. Winemaker Aryn Morell told me that this wine was sterile-filtered through the gentlest micro flex filter available on the market, and the only one of its kind in the Northwest.

  • Sean Sullivan, Wine Enthusiast

    90 / 100

    The aromas lean a bit into the green but not in an untoward way, with notes of parsley and other green herbs in front of pencil lead and black fruit. The dark-fruit flavors bring a sense of restraint and polish that carries throughout the finish.

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