The 2022 Matthews Reserve Claret is comprised of several vineyard parcels within the greater Columbia Valley. Key sites are from Royal Slope (Solaksen, Scarline), Red Mountain (Quintessence, Red Mountain Vineyard, Canyons, Angela’s Vineyard), and Horse Heaven Hills (Phinny Hill, Milt’s Vineyard) allowing this wine to truly represent the broad flavor and aromatic expression of a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend from the diverse terroir of the Columbia Valley AVA.
The winemaking team worked with our vineyard managers to restrict yields, creating small, concentrated berries. Cool fall nights preserved freshness in the wine while continuing to develop flavor. Hand-harvesting took place in the early mornings in mid-October, and lasted into early November (a record for us).
At the winery, the fruit was destemmed and berry-sorted. Prior to fermentation, nearly 30% of volume was saignéed from tank to ensure maximum concentration across all varietals. Fermentations were kept even throughout primary, lasting an average of 14-17 days. Afterward, the wine spent an extra 2-3 weeks in tank for extended maceration, before being barreled down into 100% new French oak (Darnajou, Taransaud, Gamba, Sylvain, Quintessence). The wine was cellared for 21 months with 38 barrels selected and carefully blended, resulting in only 953 cases. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve purity, vibrancy, and intensity.
