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Matthiasson Dinner
FMIII in the OC
Tasted January 30, 2017 by brigcampbell with 413 views
Introduction
Another terrific winemaker dinner organized by FMIII. Jill Matthianson came to town and talked about the wines but the real story is around their passion. I would really like to meet Steve Matthiason, he seems incredibly interesting. Stories of Steve working Fruili, Italy and falling for their white wines would make a great book, I am sure. Here's a blub from their website.
Winemaking for us is a natural extension of farming, and most of our grapes come from the seven vineyards that we farm in Napa and Sonoma. We love to explore classical expressions of different varieties, some well-known like Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, and some rare like Ribolla Gialla or Refosco Dal Peduncula Rosso. In all cases we try to respect the purity of the variety and the individuality of the site. Our wines are refreshing, complement food, and are moderate in alcohol. By using our site-specific farming methods to grow intense fruit, coupled with careful restraint in the cellar, we strive to produce wine that is full flavored but impeccably balanced.
Here is Chef Alex working her magic.
And the Gang
Flight 1 - Snapper crudité, smoked salmon on a dill crepe with crème fresh, crab salad canapés and a seared tuna on a cucumber (3 notes)
White - Sparkling
2008 A. R. Lenoble Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Millésimé
Very light bread note on the nose. There is crabapple and lemon/lime-aid flavors. Shows very dry for a brut, clean palate, with melba toast at the finish.
White
2011 Matthiasson Chardonnay Linda Vista Vineyard
Smells like a white burgundy, some fresh green peas too. Bright gold color with even brighter acidity and fruit. Lemons and yellow apples. Barrel fermented and no malo. Second time around with this vintage and I really like this wine.
White
2015 Matthiasson Chardonnay Linda Vista Vineyard
Light yellow in color. Yellow apple and waxy paraffin nose. Soft mouthfeel and low tannins. Good wine but I preferred the '11 which I thought was exceptional.
Flight 2 - Kale and Asian pear salad (2 notes)
White
2012 Matthiasson White Wine
This was a top 5 wine for me in a past falltacullar and it showed very well again tonight. It's low alcohol with a light, dainty mouthfeel. Nose is yellow apple but the palate adds a lime twist. This is a blend of lots of interesting grapes and put Matthiasson on the map. Cool stuff.
White
2014 Matthiasson Sauvignon Blanc Ryan's Vineyard
Grassy nose with a complex "weeds" thing, very nice. Delicious palate of tart green apple with medium plus acidity and bright grapefruit at the finish. What's not to like here?
Flight 3 - Seared scallop, charred carrot pure with blood orange and quail egg (2 notes)
White
2012 Matthiasson Ribolla Gialla
As the other cellartracker tasting nose clearly spell out, this is a very interesting, intriguing, and complex white wine. Some funk on the nose, like a green moss, I guess. There's apple and some spice I just couldn't put my finger on. Good long finish. Well balanced. This note is not very reflective of wine. I really struggled with capturing it's nuances in descriptors.
White
2012 Matthiasson Sémillon Ryan's Vineyard
This don't really sell this wine much, I think Jill mentioned they keep it mostly around the house for themselves. The juice is blended into the flagship white blend. Light acidity and light yellow tree fruit. Very smooth and soft.
Flight 4 - Pan-seared trout with ruby chard and beet sauce (2 notes)
Red
2003 Matthiasson Red Wine
First vintage, thanks for sharing. Dark crimson color. Ripe plum fruit, reminds me a bit of a zin. Fine smooth tannins and chalk dust. Like a ripe European merlot.
Red
2012 Matthiasson Red Wine
Lots of concentrated color. Dark fruit profile, cassis and blackberry with some cherry at the finish. Good acid. I can taste the petit verdict hiding in here, it's terrific. Nice California take on a Bordeaux blend.
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Flight 5 - Cheese course with a cherry compote, honey and dark chocolate (2 notes)
Red
2013 Matthiasson Refosco Matthiasson Vineyard
Never had this variety before. Muted nose. Medium/- depth of color. Taste like a light barbera. Easy drinking food wine.
Red
2014 Matthiasson Zinfandel Limerick Lane
This is very good. Maybe very very good. LOL Red berries, fine dry tannins and absolutely delicious. Funny story, Rob and I were talking about Limerick Lane zinfandel as we heard good things about it, and then we started the dinner and look what's the last wine! Good Karma.
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