Chardonnay
2016
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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Six different clones of Chardonnay were artfully blended to create this wine. All the grapes were picked at night and delivered to the winery before sunrise to ensure the fruit was crushed when cool. Clone 809 (the most exotic clone) was fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain the honeysuckle and orange blossom characters. The other clones were barrel fermented and received 100% aging in a combination of French, hybrid American, and Hungarian oak barrels. We used yeast “cocktails” (a mixture of our winemaker’s favorite compatible yeasts) on all lots to allow complex fermentation characters to evolve in the wine. We stirred the lees weekly for eight months to enhance texture and flavor.
Six different clones of Chardonnay were artfully blended to create this wine. All the grapes were picked at night and delivered to the winery before sunrise to ensure the fruit was crushed when cool. Clone 809 (the most exotic clone) was fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain the honeysuckle and orange blossom characters. The other clones were barrel fermented and received 100% aging in a combination of French, hybrid American and Hungarian oak barrels. Yeast “cocktails” (a mixture of our winemaker’s favorite compatible yeasts) were used on all lots to allow complex fermentation characters to evolve in the wine. The lees were stirred twice a month for eight months to enhance texture and flavor.
Luscious with rich tropical fruit characters, the 2016 Estate Bottled Old Head Chardonnay is a showcase wine for the Dunnigan Hills terroir. This straw colored Chardonnay has tropical aromas of mango and melon complemented by hints of toasty oak. Flavours of crème brûlée are mellowed by pineapple, pear and ripe melon. An opulent Chardonnay that is balanced by a lingering fruit driven finish with lovely notes of butter and toasted marshmallow.
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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