Synopsis, Our Opinion: A good value Napa Cabernet
Producer/Winery: Matthiasson Family Vineyards; Napa, California.
Grape Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon.
Geographic Appellation,, Region, Country: Napa Valley, California.
Vintage: 2017
Price: $67.50 (with a 10% mixed case discount)
Purchased From: The Caviste Wine Shop; Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Paired With: Beef tenderloin En Croute. Herb marinated beef tenderloin topped with seared mushrooms, wrapped in puff pastry served with Bordelaise sauce; with: mushroom-heirloom rice strudel; roasted garlic whipped potatoes; French beans and honey glazed carrots; and parsley-garlic cauliflower.
Tasting:
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Prologue: This year for our Christmas Eve dinner we had an Undercurrent Restaurant “Pick-up and Heat” holiday dinner for two that included appetizers, bread, salad, main entrée, several sides and dessert. The dinner did not include wine so we asked Russ Anderson, owner of The Caviste wine shop to select two bottles for us to pair with the Undercurrent dinner. This is the review of the Cabernet Sauvignon Russ selected and we paired with the Beef Tenderloin En Croute entrée and sides. (See also our review of the other wine paired with the appetizers and salad).
Opened 90-minutes before drinking. Opaque, purple/garnet color with a light purple rim. Fresh and light aromas of smoke, cherry and fresh ground coffee beans. Silky smooth entry, dusty and substantial mouthfeel, full body and a 150-grit texture. Prominent current, cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with noticeable nutmeg and dark chocolate in the background. Well integrated fresh acidity, firm tannins that did show some grip in the medium length fruit finish. Although we were not jumping up and down this was a very delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, there was quite a lot of “Old World” character in the bottle and it pared perfectly with the “melt in your mouth” beef. We don’t drink many Napa Cabernets because we think they are overpriced; however we thought this one was a good value Napa Cabernet considering the quality/price variables. We did comment that the beef was so good it helped the wine much more than the wine helped the beef!!
Note: We were going to pair the Cabernet with the dessert too; however, in the end we decided to pair the Maple Cheese Cake, graham cracker crust, cranberry compote, orange glace with some Dow’s 1994 Vintage Porto we had in the cellar…and it was heavenly!!!
Photo from Matthiasson Family Vineyards.
See our reviews of other Matthiasson wines.
Alcohol Content: 13%
Closure: Uncovered 50mm Natural cork.
UPC Code: Not available.
Imported by: Not applicable.