Chardonnay
2011
Why Matchbook? As a farm kid growing up in the late 1950´s and early 1960´s John Giguiere was a confirmed pyromaniac starting various things on fire such as his father´s wheat field. At one point, fearing total ruin from his kids burning him out of the house and farm, his father took them to the city jail for an hour stay to impress upon his brother and him the futility of their fascination with fire. John and his brother answered at a later date by graduating from random fires to the...
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The 2011 growing season was much like the 2010 in the Dunnigan Hills AVA. Cooler than normal temperatures and very little wind allowed us to ripen our grapes slowly, allowing maximum flavor and intensity.
Six different clones of chardonnay were used in this wine and all were picked at night and delivered to the winery before sunrise to ensure that fresh cool grapes were crushed. Clone 809 (the most exotic clone) was cold tank fermented to enhance its Muscat character. The other lots were barrel fermented and periodically lees stirred. Yeast “cocktails” (a mixture of the winemaker’s favorite compatible yeasts) were used on all lots to ensure complex fermentation characters would evolve in the wine. Chardonnay from the Matchbook Vineyard was blended with a small percentage of Russian River Valley chardonnay to balance the acidity and add characters of intense pippin apples and floral spice.
Beautiful aromas of apple butter, sweet oak, mango and orange blossom are backed up by flavors of honeydew melon, crème brûlée, crisp apple and honey. All are balanced by a good dose of citrus zest and a crisp, mineral finish. Enjoy this Chardonnay with rotisserie chicken salad or Burrata with grilled peaches. Matchbook Chardonnay is always the Giguiere family choice for Thanksgiving dinner.
This wine from Matchbook has been improving steadily over recent vintages and now it's taken a big step toward more finesse and less flash. A very soothing mouthfeel and generous, but not overt, flavors make a great combination in this creamy, yummy and full-bodied wine. It has everything from toasty oak and lemon curd to mild marzipan nuances that interlace with good acidity for a balanced palate and a lingering finish.
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Luscious and creamy with mature fruit and notes of vanilla and oak, this is a surprisingly impressive wine for the price. It’s dense and flavorful but tangy and balanced.
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This medium-bodied wine is subtle on the nose, but opens up on the palate to rich fruit and spice flavours that coat the tongue. It is balanced toward the soft side, but with underling acidity to balance the richness.
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BEST BUY - This rich and oaky wine offers plenty of butterscotch, ginger and nutmeg flavors on a full body. It’s very concentrated in flavor and balanced to the soft side.
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