SOLD OUT! I have a confession to make — I don’t drink much California Chardonnay. But after tasting the 2018 Matthiasson Linda Vista Chardonnay, that’s about to change.
This beautifully pure, single vineyard Chardonnay reminds me of Stony Hill and Montelena. But it comes to you at a fraction of the price!
2018 Matthiasson Linda Vista Chardonnay
“Cut from the same cloth as a Stony Hill Chardonnay — bright, pure, and delightful.” – Josh Spurling – 93 points
SOLD OUT
Jill and Steve Matthiasson are two of the most down to earth “wine characters” I’ve ever had the chance to drink with. Their house is in a neighborhood in the Western Oak Knoll district, one of the classic Chardonnay spots in Napa, and the Linda Vista Chardonnay is literally right behind their place. Lynn and I very much enjoyed an afternoon of sipping, snacking, and chatting with Steve and Jill around their picnic table in their back yard a few years back. They are as humble and as kind as they come.
And when you look at Steve’s resume, he could easily be one of those arrogant Napa winemakers you hear about. Named Food and Wine’s Winemaker of the Year in 2012 and the San Francisco Chronicle’s winemaker of the year in 2014, he’s got the touch in the cellar, but he’s not just a winemaker. He’s also one of Napa’s top viticulturists, consulting for the likes of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Spottswoode, Araujo, and Dalla Valle to name a few. Despite his lengthy resume, he is soft spoken and easy going, kind of like me.
And when you give Steve such an incredible vineyard to work with, it’s no surprise that this wine is absolutely stunning. The Linda Vista Vineyard was planted back in 1989 by Beringer — today, Steve and Jill lease this historic site and it is now certified organic. The combination of old vines and, cool winds, clay soils, and Napa sunshine results in a Chardonnays with a wonderful harmony of zesty acidity/freshness and ripeness/richness.
To attain the balance that has become a hallmark of this wine, Steve and Jill harvest their grapes at different times. This is a traditional way to achieve a diversity of ripeness in their grapes, and it’s what gives this wine its complexity and completeness. The earlier
harvests contribute acidity and minerality, and the later harvests contribute flesh and richness. The wine is whole-cluster pressed, then fermented and aged in seasoned French oak barrels with native yeasts. 40% of the barrels to through malolactic fermentation.
Enough with the technical mumbo-jumbo, what’s it taste like? There’s a lot going on here — notes of golden delicious apples, yellow peach, bosc pear, honey, and spice all make an appearance. The refreshing acidity is balanced by a pleasant fleshiness, finishing clean with a hint of stony minerality. At just 12.2% alcohol, this is a delightful porch, pool, or beach sipper, and it’s equally delicious with oysters or a roast chicken dinner.
We bought every bottle of this our distributor had. When you taste it, you’ll understand why. With such aggressive pricing in place, this one will be gone in no time and there’s no more to get once it’s gone. So get some!
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville