Matthews Winery - Merlot Reserve 2021 (750ml)
Matthews Winery - Merlot Reserve 2021 (750ml)
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The 2021 Matthews Reserve Merlot is comprised of several vineyard parcels within the greater Columbia Valley. Key sites are from Conner Lee vineyard and Red Mountain AVA as well as Royal Slope AVA, allowing this wine to truly represent the broad flavor and aromatic expressions of Merlot from the diverse terroirs of Washington State.
The winemaking team worked with vineyard managers to restrict yields, creating small, concentrated berries. Cool fall nights preserved a sense of freshness in the wine while continuing flavor development. Hand-harvesting took place in the early mornings in October.
At the winery, the fruit was cluster sorted, destemmed and berry sorted. The wine spent 30+ days on skins for extended maceration before being barreled down into varying formats of 100% new French oak. The wine was cellared for 21 months with 16 barrels selected and carefully blended. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to ensure the wine in bottle is pure, vibrant, and intense. The following clones were included in the final wine: Merlot 3, Cabernet Sauvignon 8, and Cabernet Franc 1, producing only 394 cases.
Tasting Notes
The 2021 Matthews Reserve Merlot shines a vibrant garnet in the glass and begins with aromas of graphite, cherry pie, spiced plum and flowers. The medium-full bodied palate is rich yet elegant with flavors of pomegranate, tobacco, Mexican coffee, and currants. The finish is seductive and long as the ripe tannins dissolve into juicy black cherry, chocolate, and earthy notes. This is everything you want in a classy Merlot.
Labeled Appellation
Columbia Valley
Varietal Composition
75% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol
14.9%
Cases Produced
394
Drinkability
Now-2040
Awards & Accolades
"The enchanting 2021 Reserve Merlot from Matthews merges 75% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 6% Cabernet Franc for a total of 21 months in 100% new French oak. A brooding dark purple core with a light red rim in the glass delivers a more elegant and polished tone over the tongue. Mountain blueberries, red cherries, mountain sage, vanilla, scorched herbs, and wet earth, with hints of tobacco leaf, jump on the nose and on the palate. Sweet, silky tannins, a rounded mouthfeel, and lemony acidity complete the wine. 394 cases made. Highly recommended."
- 96 points, Jeremy Young, International Wine Report
"One of the finest wines of its kind in the state, the incredible new 2021 Matthews ‘Reserve’ Merlot is soft and refined on the mouth with a seamless texture. This weightless beauty displays great elegance and weight, with mouth-watering acidity holding everything neatly together. Light tannins combine with shades of Turkish coffee, freshly tilled salty soils, violets and lighter green herbal nuances on the palate. This quite literally glides throughout the drinking experience as it is already showing beautifully — and is sure to live on for at least another fifteen years. Give this an hour in the decanter if enjoying in its bold youth. Drink 2023-2038."
- 96 points, Owen Bargreen, owenbargreen.com
"The woodland-inspired 2021 Merlot Reserve wafts up with a blend of wild berries, rubbed sage and cedary spice. This is pure elegance - seamlessly silky and polished, with depths of dark red fruit underscored by saline minerals and a savory herbal thrust. This tapers off with a dark floral perfume and hints of steeped plum, leaving a saturation of fine tannins, while maintaining a lovely freshness. The 2021 needs time to come fully into focus, but I believe it will be worth the wait."
- 94 points, Eric Guido, Vinous Media
"Wild mountain blue fruits mingle with ripe blackberry and concentrated five-spice aromas. This wine is built to age with ample structure, pushing dark fruit forward with less florality, per head winemaker Alex Stewart. Spicy blue and black fruits open the palate; there's richness with finesse, chicory spice, black liquorice, and black pepper, which play well with the acidity to finish. Drinking Window: 2024 – 2035"
- 94 points, Clive Pursehouse, Decanter
"Dark raspberry and black currant aromas drifting into cassis territory unite with interesting bursts of chocolate ganache and paprika. The wine’s black cherry sorbet and clove flavors explode on the palate, with a touch of black coffee hiding in the background. A massive wall of tannins dwarfs the wine’s modest acidity."
- 92 points, Michael Alberty, Wine Enthusiast
Shipping & Delivery Policy
Shipping & Delivery Policy
Our Shipping & Delivery Policy
Yiannis Wine ships orders through FedEx. The shipping fees vary depending on where in the U.S your shipment is going. For any questions or concerns regarding shipment pricing and restrictions please feel free to contact us directly. We are able to ship to all but the following states: Utah, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Delaware, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. With some of these states, for example Alabama, we are able to ship to an ABC store nearest to you.
It is rare to have a shipment damaged during shipping, however, in the event you do receive a damaged delivery, please let us know. We will need pictures and proof of damage so that we can resolve your claim. Damaged claims will not be accepted without proof. We will replace the wine or issue a credit. The choice is yours!
Deliveries that contain alcohol REQUIRE AN ADULT SIGNATURE. You must be 21 or older to purchase and accept said deliveries.
We cannot ship to PO Boxes, APO/FPO addresses, or internationally.
Shipping fees are not refundable under any circumstances.
There is an additional charge to re-route orders already in transit.
Some items are removed from original packaging, and placed in protective shipping containers to ensure safe delivery.
While most orders are shipped the day they are placed. The demand for limited supplies will occasionally deplete our stock of a paticular product, in this case it will generally take an additional 1 - 2 business days to receive the product and fufill the order.
Although it is rare, if there was a packing error, we would like to resolve it for you! In the event that we shipped an incorrect item, we may ask you to hold on to those items and the exsisting packaging so that we can arrange for a return pick up. If you find that items are missing from your order, we are happy to assist you in reshipping the missing items or processing a credit for the missing item/items. We will provide a return label for incorrect items and credit will be processd upon the return of the item to the warehouse. Reshipment of the correct items will be at no extra charge.
Occasionally a chosen vintage of a wine may sell out or be replaced by a new release after your order is placed. Bottles of wine that are under $20, will not hold up an order and we will simply automatically substitute the wine with the comparable vintage. Please be assured that we will only substitute with a vintage for the same wine. Wine that is valued more than $20 per bottle, we will attempt to contact the customer. After two attempts, the available vintage will be automatically shipped out. (The return policy of $15 return shipping costs, and 15% restocking fee will be enforced.)
Yiannis Wine will not be held liable for damages to orders due to weather conditions during shipping. Potential exposure to extreme heat or cold may damage items during shipping. As we can not be held responsible for products damaged due to weather, we suggest you choose FedEx Express to ship your items and/or add ice packs to your order (during extreme heat) to help prevent damages. We can also place your orders on weather hold until weather conditions improve. Wine is usually fine if it is exposed to some heat (as that is the way wine is made.....Heated so the yeast is activated). If your wine is warm, please place them in a cool, dark room so the wine can "settle."
Most returns will be accepted, but ALL bottles must be returned to get credit. A half bottle or empty bottle of something that did not taste GOOD is fine to return, but the customer will not receive full credit if the bottle is not included.
Sometimes an order is returned to our warehouse after several delivery attempts at the address provided by the customer. We are happy to reship the order however, reshipment fees will apply. Please contact us and we will assist you with the reshipment arrangements.
We are happy to assist with any returns for items purchased that you no longer want or need. Please let us know and we will arrange for the return and issue a credit or refund for your returned items, less the return shipping and handling charges.
We offer some of the most diverse wines in the business, and we are happy to help you choose wines and provide recommendations by our sommeliers if you desire. Everyone has different tastes and Yiannis Wine will not be held responsible for customer choice. While ratings, testimonials, and reviews may influence your decision, the ultimate judgement is yours.
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