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2018Reserve Claret

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2018Reserve Claret

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The 2018 Matthews Reserve Claret was crafted from several small vineyard parcels across four AVAs in Washington State: Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, Royal Slope and Walla Walla Valley. Farmed using sustainable practices, the vines were primarily limited to one cluster per shoot or three clusters per spur to create maximum concentration in each cluster. They were hand-harvested in the early morning between September 12th, 2018 – November 1st, 2018. Upon arriving in the winery, each cluster was hand-sorted, berry-sorted, and then fermented in either stainless steel (61%) or concrete (39%) tanks. Using only the free-run wine, it was then moved to 100% custom French oak barrels for 26 months of cellaring with over 40 individual evaluations by our winemaking team. The resulting 18 barrels were bottled, without fining or filtration, on February 2, 2021, producing only 421 cases.

Tasting Notes

Cassis, currants, plum skin, bloomed baking spices with a whiff of dark fruit, graphite and crème brûlée. Swirling adds some dried herbs and perfumed sweetness. This wine is dense and opulent with unfolding layers of fruit and spice. The palate is composed with dark smoldering black fruit, black tea and additional lingering spices. The texture and tannins are layered and persistent. As a flagship wine, we are thrilled with this new vintage, as we feel it’s one of our finest examples of Reserve Claret to date.

Food Pairing Recommendations

Hearty beef stew with root vegetables

Varietal Composition

71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot

Alcohol

14.5%

Cases Produced

421

Drinkability

Now - 2036

Awards & Accolades

"The 2018 Claret Reserve combines mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (71%) with smaller portions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Extracted and brooding in the glass, this well-structured bottling unveils layers of creosote, leather, black currant jelly and suggestions of black tea on the palate. Finishing long, it has the stability and viscosity to cellar well over the next 15-plus years."

- 92 points, Owen Bargreen, Vinous

AVAs

Red Mountain

Map Red Mountain 3 2
Designated
2001
Vineyards
2,382 acres (963 hectares)
Top Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Average Annual Precipitation
5 inches
Soil
Silt, sand, volcanic basalt
Average vine age
22yrs
Learn More

Royal Slope

Designated: 2020Vineyards: 1,900 acres (768 hectares)Top Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon BlancAverage Annual Precipitation: 6-8 inchesSoil: Sandy loam, soilAverage Vine Age: 14yrs

Past VintagesExplore the Reserve Claret Vintages

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