Matchbook Estate Bottled Red Gravel Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Dunnigan Hills, California

Matchbook celebrates the varietals that thrive out in the warm Dunnigan Hills climate. “Our wines are always fruit first, with oak flavors a supporting element.” The best barrel lots were chosen for the final blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 13% Petit Verdot, 2% Petite Sirah. 2020 Matchbook Cabernet is a showcase of the quality fruit grown in the red gravel soils of Dunnigan Hills. The wine opens with classic Cabernet aromas of chocolate, tobacco, violets and leather. Plush flavors of blackberry, black cherry and mocha are backed with sweet oak and vanilla. The juicy texture is mouth filling and mingles with the fine, dusty tannins in the finish. The estate grown grapes were gently crushed and fermented in small temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks. A portion of the Cabernet grapes were co-fermented with Petite Sirah and another with Petit Verdot to intensify texture, body and structure. We used a combination of specially selected yeast to enhance color and flavor extraction without harsh tannins. We pumped the tanks over several times a day until nearly dry, then pressed and aged the wine in a combination of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 12 months. ‘ – winery