About this winery

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...

See the MATCHBOOK WINES detail page for more information on this brand

Production notes

The grapes were gently crushed 20 minutes after harvest, then fermented in small temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. We used a combination of specially selected yeast to enhance color and flavor extraction without harsh tannins. We pumped the tanks over multiple times a day until nearly dry, then pressed and aged the wine in a variety of French, Hungarian and American oak barrels for 16 months. Barrel lots of Petit Verdot, Teroldego and Malbec were selected to enhance the Petite Sirah’s robust structure and intense flavor.

Tasting notes

Petite Sirah grown in the Dunnigan Hills produces the full-bodied, well-structured wine expected from this distinct varietal. This deeply colored red wine delivers on the aromatics: lots of fresh fruit and pepper spice. The flavors are an intense mix of raspberry preserve, violets, rhubarb and char. The finish has a refined vanilla note from oak aging and a juiciness that begs for another sip.