As you can see from the long list of staff reviews, this wine is exactly what we love to drink here at K&L—wines with balance, poise, purity, and precision. Steve Matthiasson crafts exactly that: wines rooted in elegance, varietal typicity, and a profound sense of place—first and foremost, gastronomic wines meant to be enjoyed at the table. A farmer above all else, much of Steve’s magic happens in the vineyard, where the vines are meticulously hand-tended with an uncompromising focus on quality. He aims for modest yields and true physiological (flavor and phenolic) ripeness at lower sugar levels. Farming organically and regeneratively, Steve sources from both his estate vineyards and select parcels up and down the valley that he farms with the same loving care and attention. Our team (myself included) absolutely fell in love with this wine’s old-school sensibility. At just 13% alcohol, it offers plenty of savory, lifted aromatics—tobacco, wintergreen, bay laurel, and freshly turned earth—woven seamlessly with pure mulberry, dark cherry, and black raspberry fruit. All that classic Cabernet character is beautifully interlaced with freshness and clarity. The wine is alive on the palate, buoyed by vibrant acidity and framed by fine yet tactile tannins. It’s youthful and already open and delicious, yet with its electric freshness, I have no doubt it will age gracefully for 10 years or more. It will be fascinating to watch those classic varietal notes evolve as bottle age begins to shape the wine. A singularly brilliant Cabernet, confidently charting its own course through the modern era of Napa Valley. And an exceptional value in its own right.

New world fruit meets old world philosophy! This is California Cabernet, but picked on the less ripe side, with the overt tension of less alcohol and ripeness. The result is a restrained wine of elegance and purity. This is a less heavy wine than most California cab, providing a freshness and acidity to counter-balance the rich fruit. The tannins are polished and well integrated, resulting in a balanced, crunchy Cabernet you won't be able to put down.

The 2022 Napa Valley vintage was "legit tough" because of a terroir-turning heat wave that divided the wines into those made with grapes picked before the heat wave and those that were picked during and after. Before, resulted in bright, fresh, and crunchy reds that are easy on the palate, but lack some of the complexity that more time on the vine may have developed. After, are big, plush, wines pressed from grapes bursting with sugar. The 2002 Matthiasson Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon falls into the first category, and the result is a beautifully complex, classic, old-school, Napa Cab coming in at a delectable 13% ABV. Layered with dusty black fruit, bell pepper, eucalyptus, baking spices, herbs, and subtle notes of vanilla, clove, and cedar. Ready to drink and will evolve for years to come!