Today we share of the really up and coming estates out of Woodinville. I’ve been tasting Matthews wines for more than twenty years. This outpost began way back in 1992 and after floundering for several years the Otis family took over ownership of the winery and have completely transformed this program. Matthews proprietor Bryan Otis formerly studied communications in college and had previous stints in tech as well as banking prior to taking over for his family winery. In 2021 he made national news, taking a huge splash by hiring the winemaking team from Quilceda Creek. This has been a total game-changer for the Matthews program as the wines are now clearly in the upper-echelon on Washington wine.
Winemakers Alex Stewart and Hal Iverson guide this program and craft beautifully textured, dense and decadent wines that really speak to the varietal. These wines are heady, well-structured and intense — definitely not for the weary. As with the 2021 wines, the 2022 wines are without a doubt the finest that Matthews has yet produced. The best wine I tasted was the 2022 Matthews ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 99) which flirts with perfection and is a massive, dense treat to consume now. Learn more about these amazing new wines at http://www.matthewswinery.com/ Here are the great future releases by Matthews.
2023 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc- The totally stunning 2023 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Sauvignon Blanc is an outstanding wine that shows off the warmth of the vintage. The wine was stored in mainly new French oak (mostly cigar-shaped and large format barrels) and saw some battonage. Ripe peach and honeysuckle notes combine with shades of nutmeg dusted brioche on the nose. The palate is deep and concentrated with serious texture. Enjoy this beautiful, mouth-watering Sauvignon Blanc now and over the next six to eight years. Drink 2024-2031- 95
2022 Matthews ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Merlot- The 2022 ‘Columbia Valley’ Merlot has a small amount of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. It is inky in the glass, offering dark chocolate shavings, Turkish coffee, anise and shades of creme de violette with freshly tilled soils that all take shape in the glass. The palate is heady and intense with serious texture and underlying verve. A very pleasurable drinking experience in its core of dense dark fruits alongside tar and graphite accents, enjoy this beautiful wine now and over the next ten to fifteen years. Drink 2024-2040- 97
2022 Matthews ‘Reserve Cuvee’ Red Wine- The 2022 ‘Reserve Cuvee’ is a compelling blend of mainly Merlot (61%) with smaller portions Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. Stored in all new French oak this delivers violets and creosote tones on the nose alongside shades of cuban cigar and suggestions of freshly tilled soils. The palate is beautifully structured and dense with heady black and blue fruits alongside shades of black licorice, pencil lead and firm tannins. A head-turning red blend, this really needs another year of age before consuming. Drink 2025-2042- 97
2022 Matthews ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- 100% varietal, the 2022 ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a knockout wine that comes from several sites in Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills and Royal Slope AVAs. On the nose this takes on Black Forest cake alongside mocha, tar and espresso grounds. The palate is a total knockout in terms of weight, finesse, and flavor density. A stunning wine to consume now, enjoy over the next fifteen plus years. This is the finest yet coming from Matthews. Drink 2024-2042- 99
2022 Matthews ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Claret Red Wine- The world-class 2022 ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Claret combines 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc with 6% Malbec. It comes off extremely dark and extracted in the glass, loaded with roasted figs and coffee grounds alongside shades of black licorice and blackberry compote. The palate is pillowy and soft with gorgeous weight and underlying acidity. Dense and heady, this is going to drink beautifully over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2024-2042- 97
2022 Matthews ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Franc- The brilliant 2022 ‘Columbia Valley Reserve’ Cabernet Franc has a small portion of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blended in. Beautiful red and dark florals combine with milk chocolate, graphite, espresso grounds and shades of lavender on the nose. The stunning aromatics bring you back to the glass for more. The palate is deep and layered with a seamless texture, giving this a weightless profile. Very opulent and pillowy on the mouth, this is up there with the finest Cabernet Francs you will taste in Washington State. Savor this stunner now and over the next fifteen to twenty years. Drink 2024-2042- 98