I sold Rombauer for many years at Table Wine, and this is no lambast about the quality of that wine. I just got really ticked off one day when I saw it on the shelf at Walmart. Later that week, I was at Target, and saw it there too. I'm serious folks, this is a brand that went from being reserved for fine dining restaurants and small, independent retail to one that you can find all over the place these days. It's just not that special anymore, especially at $40 to $50.
I've got the fix for that, and it's the 2019 Matias Chardonnay. This hails from the same region as Rombauer, the winemakers trained at Williams Selyem and Robert Sinskey, and the style is quite similar. The only difference is the price, which crushes Rombauer....and you won't find this at any big box stores in town. Just 300 or so cases of the 2019 were produced, and we're offering this up at roughly half the price of Rombauer.
2019 Matias Chardonnay Carneros
Rich, stylish, balanced California Chardonnay at a way-too-low price!
ORDER NOW in our online store.
The Brack Mountain Wine Company produces some of the California's best values, and their Matias Chardonnay is a prime example. I am very familiar with this operation's wines, as we've been stocking the Bench wines for years, and Lynn and I had a very memorable stay at their guest house, just outside of Healdsburg, back in early 2013. The team sources grapes from top sites throughout California, but Sonoma and Napa are where they do their best work. One sniff and sip of this marvelous Chardonnay, and you'll know exactly what I mean.
Carneros is an optimal spot to grow Chardonnay, as you get warm/hot days and cool nights. This allows the vines to ripen perfectly during the day, giving us all of those ripe, tropical fruit notes we look for in Carneros Chardonnay. At night, however, the temperatures can easily drop 25+ degrees, giving the grapes "a break" and preserving acidity. There are some pretty famous Chardonnay vineyards in Carneros; Hyde and Hudson come to mind. I can't guarantee this wine contains fruit from those two esteemed sites, but damn, it sure tastes like it does.
This pours a lovely greenish/gold color, and right out of the gate, the aromas are stunning. Caramelized peach and pineapple, buttered citrus, white flowers, roasted nuts, and toast are all present in the bouquet. The palate is also quite expressive and not at all shy. Rich, concentrated, and incredibly polished, this could go toe to toe with a lot of California Chardonnays with bigger names and bigger price tags.
An ideal autumnal white to enjoy with or without food, you won't find a better domestic Chardonnay value in the marketplace. With the bounty of fall root veggies easily available to us in WNC, I recommend you try this with your favorite "sheet pan" roasted veggie recipe....and a rotisserie chicken, just for good measure.
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville