99-Point Napa KNOCKOUT from Steve Matthiasson!
In their 2022 Napa Valley Cabernet Vintage Report, Decanter Magazine lists eleven bottlings as their Wines of the Vintage. It is a knockout lineup!
2022 Matthiasson Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California
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Wow! A throwback to the wonderful Napa Cabs of years gone by, we were wowed by the elegance, beauty and sheer deliciousness when we tasted this gem with Steve Matthiasson last week at our Elston Avenue store.
Texturally sophisticated, high-pitched, complex and continuously expanding, its expressive flavors of cassis and wild black fruits earn it a gigglingly good 95+ points on our conservative scale. These 99-point tasting notes from Decanter are spot on!
“The first 2022 Napa Cabernet I've tasted that avoids the warm, juicy ripeness often associated with the vintage. Instead, it stays true to its character, showcasing beautifully pure black cherry and blue fruit aromatics, with a cooling menthol note and coiled energy. Framed by crisp, crunchy tannins and gorgeous, lacy acidity, leading to an impressively long finish of violets and fragrant bay laurel. Precise and focused. The blend contains 4% each of Petit Verdot and Merlot. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2045.”
- 99 Points, Decanter (3/19/2025)
A profound Napa beauty here at a price that defies the market. While the other wines on Decanter's list have a median release price of $351, this stunner from Matthiasson is under a quarter of that amount. And, our price is even better. Load up now to enjoy over the coming decade or two. This stuff is going to fly!
Vin Chicago Price: 73.99
Plus Steve's Rare Phoenix Vineyard Cabernet!
“The soils are some of the most unique in the entire Napa Valley. The east-facing steep hillside of the Phoenix Vineyard sits on an undisturbed ridge of ancient marine shale soils. The rock content and sea minerals of these soils create unique and haunting wines with high-toned red fruits, perfumed and exotic, and a lightness in the mid-palate that is contrasted by a long, firm, and structured finish.” - Steve Matthiasson
2022 Matthiasson"Phoenix Vineyard" Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley, California
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The Phoenix Vineyard is a steep hillside site featuring vines planted in the early 1980s. Fermented with wild yeasts and raised in elusive Stockinger oak casks, this nuanced and complex red is still quite young. The wonderful combination of pure fruit and earth that's here now is just a glimpse of what’s to come.
“Complex aromatics lead with a high-toned, seductive Calabrian chilli oil note and vibrant bay laurel, interwoven with blue and red-toned fruits and subtle white pepper nuances. Hints of tobacco and sandalwood add further intrigue. Medium-bodied, the wine features assertive, grippy tannins with a pixelated texture and a pure fruit character that is bright and juicy on the palate—exceptionally fresh, inviting, and ideally suited for long-term cellaring or pairing with a meal. The finish is long and layered, offering the finest dark chocolate notes, a touch of sea salt, wet slate, crushed graphite, and an electric sense of energy and tension. A dazzling and remarkable wine for the vintage. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2050.”
- 99 Points, Decanter (12/18/2024)
Steve bottled a mere 444 cases of this sizzler. We were able to get our hands on two of them. When Steve poured it last week at our Elston Avenue store, we and our customers were in awe. This is not your average Napa Cab!
Vin Chicago Price: 145.99
