Claret

2009
Claret

Deep garnet in color, with notes of plums, currants and dried strawberries buffered by vanilla bean and smoky oak. Swirling brings up ripe, textured black fruit, with a beautiful nose that shows balance and purity. The palate is luscious and forward but balanced by great tannins and acidity. 2009 is a wonderful vintage showing both ripeness and freshness at the same time.

Vintages

Varietal(s)

47% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9%Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

Vinification

Fermented in45% new French oak and 55% once and twice used French Oak

Alcohol

15.0%

Cases Produced

1,643

Expert Reviews & Scores

Harvey Steinman, Wine Spectator

92 / 100

Focused, complex and deftly balanced, playing cherry and red plum fruit against ripples of cinnamon, smoke and red pepper. Comes together smoothly on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah and Malbec. Best from 2014 through 2019. 1,643 cases made.

Paul Gregutt, Wine Enthusiast

90 / 100

This blend from Matthews is 47% Merlot and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It's thoroughly New World in style: thick, smoky, tannic and concentrated, with notes of black cherry and cassis at the core.

Jeb Dunnuck, The Wine Advocate

90 / 100

Matthews Cellars’ 2009 Claret is 47% Merlot and 33% Cabernet, along with 9% each Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, plus 2% Malbec. In addition to Stillwater Creek, fruit comes from 2 Blondes and Pepper Bridge as well as – for the first time in this cellar – Dionysus. (The absence of any fruit from Red Mountain is unusual for a Matthews claret.) Resinous herbs, smoky black tea, moss, peat, citrus oils, and iodine tinge ripe, juicy dark berries in a complex, mineral-accented, athletically lean performance that preserves admirable primary juiciness and finishes with impressive grip. It should prove deliciously versatile for several more years.

Trade Materials