Matthews Cellars Claret 2004

Wine & Spirits rating: 93

Wine Enthusiast rating: 91

Each vintage, winemaker Matthew Loso produces a limited - production, ageworthy blend named the Matthews Red Wine. In the Bordelaise tradition, he also makes a Claret, a wine assembled from declassified lots that do not meet the rigorous quality standards of the Red Wine and styled for more immediate consumption. For the 2004 vintage, none of the available lots met these high standards, so a difficult decision was made, and all 40 barrels of the 2004 Columbia Valley Red Wine were declassified to become the backbone blend of this spectacular wine. Very dark in color with intense fruit extraction read more...and a velvety long finish. Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec and 1% Syrah    (hide)

Winemakers in Bordeaux select lots for the 'Chateau Grand Cru' during and following fermentation. The leftover picks are often blended together and referred to as a Claret. These wines are typically aged in once or twice used French Oak barrels for a period of 12-14 months, rather than 22-24 months, as are premium 'Grand Cru' wines.
The lots chosen for the Matthews Claret resulted in a wine containing 52% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Blended in January of, the wine was then placed in French Oak barrels previously used for aging the read more...Yakima Valley Red Wine. Following the fourteen months in barrel, this wine was bottled unfiltered and lightly fined in order to soften any harsh tannin.    (hide)