The 2021 Royal Slope Claret is a concentrated garnet in the glass with appealing aromatics of mountain blackberry, graphite, and ginger snaps. The medium to full bodied palate has coating ripe tannins and powerful flavors of dark cocoa, red and black cherries, and chaparral. The lengthy acidity finishes long with notes of dry cedar and aromatic bitters.
Buy Now $90Varietal(s)
54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Franc, 7% Malbec
Vinification
Each parcel was hand-sorted from the vineyard, with gentle fermentation and extended maceration culminating over 30+ days. Cellared in 100% new French oak for 21 months
Alcohol
15.0%
Cases Produced
315
Vintage Notes
The 2021 Matthews Royal Slope Claret is a meticulously crafted wine from several vineyard parcels within the Royal Slope AVA of the Columbia Valley. Key sites include Solaksen, Stillwater Creek, and Scarline Vineyards, allowing this Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend to showcase the diverse flavors and aromatic expressions of the region. The winemaking team collaborated with vineyard managers to limit yields, resulting in small, concentrated berries. Cool fall nights preserved freshness while enhancing flavor development. Hand-harvesting occurred in the early mornings of October.
At the winery, the fruit underwent cluster sorting, de-stemming, and berry-sorting. For maximum flavor extraction, the wine was fermented and kept in tank for 30+ days to extend the maceration time with the aim of encouraging deeper textural layering. After this extended maceration, the wine was cellared in various formats of new 100% new French oak. After 21 months of cellaring, 13 carefully blended barrels produced only 315 cases of this pure, vibrant, and intense Claret, which was bottled unfined and unfiltered. 8 different clones were used in the final blend: Cabernet Sauvignon clones 2, 4, 191, 337, Cabernet Franc clones 214, 327, Malbec clone 4, Merlot clone 15.
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