2020 was a year affected by wildfires, but the vineyards used for this wine are located south of the outbreak site, and the winds were blowing from the northeast at the time, so the grapes were not affected. After making wine in various places for 22 years since the establishment, we were finally able to purchase a building and vineyard that we could call our own winery in 2017. The environment is finally ready for us to call Mathiasson's wine "estate". This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay from "Phoenix Vineyard". The grapes are also certified organic. The grapes were planted by the previous owner in 1982 on the steep east-facing slopes at the foot of the Mayacamas Mountains. Old Heritage Selections of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot are planted. After purchasing the vineyard, we converted it to organic and planted new grapes.
Because the trees are planted very close together and the slope is steep, most of the work is done by hand, including spreading compost on the fields with wheelbarrows and shovels.
The vineyard is covered with marine shale, and the soil is very unique in Napa. The exotic red fruits and light yet heavy palette from this soil lead to a long and solid finish. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (about 20% new and old barrels), old demi-muids, and large fueder barrels (to protect the aromas like Barolo). It can be enjoyed young, but it can also withstand long-term aging. Owner and winemaker Steve Mathiasson is one of the leading vineyard consultants in Napa Valley. His clients include Eisley, Chapelle, Spottswoode, and others, and he is known for his balanced grape growing. Mathiasson is a small winery run entirely by family. Steve's white wines are modeled after those of the Friuli region of Italy, and his red wines are mainly Bordeaux style. He is a hands-on farmer who comes from the field (on-site), and does all the work in the field himself as much as possible. Steve has surprised the entire California wine industry by preferring to harvest 3-4 weeks earlier than usual, which is an important factor in determining the taste of the wine. In 2014, he was selected as "Winemaker of the Year" by the San Francisco Chronicle, a leading American newspaper, and is a talented young winemaker who is expected to have a bright future. For Steve Mathiasson, making wine is just an extension of working in the fields. The grapes used for Mathiasson are harvested from fields in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, and Steve himself manages the cultivation of all the fields throughout the growing season. Steve is a specialist in reflecting the original characteristics and aromas of grape varieties in wine. He is good at not only Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, which are common, but also varieties that are not often seen in Napa Valley, such as Ribolla Gialla and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. Whatever the variety, his job is to simply reflect the soil in which the grapes grow and the individuality of the variety in the wine. The characteristics of Mathiasson's wines are a refreshing taste that is meant to be paired with food, and a lower alcohol content than regular California wines. By using cultivation methods suited to each field, he grows grapes with a sense of concentration, suppresses his desire for self-expression as a winemaker, and respects the individuality of the grapes, which makes it possible to create well-balanced wines wrapped in aromatic aromas. He is a former member of "In Pursuit of Balance (IPOB)", an organization that once took the world by storm in California to explore well-balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and is known for making elegant and vivid wines reminiscent of Europe.