Matthiasson, Sauvignon Blanc "Village" Napa Valley, California 2023

Sometimes the occasion calls for a wine that is meant simply for pleasure and not for overanalyzing or pontificating. Matthiasson's “Village” label has served as a sort of bistro wine by way of Napa Valley. The goal for these wines is approachability and enjoyment while maintaining the quality inherit in Matthiasson wines. In 2023, they produced their first Sauvignon Blanc for the Village label.

The fruit for the 2023 Village Sauvignon Blanc comes from Ryan’s Vineyard, the same vineyard in theOak Knoll District that is sourced for the Matthiasson White Wine blend. Ryan’s vineyard sits on a streak of alluvial gravel in the center of the valley floor in the south part of Napa. It is right in the path of the daily wind current that pulls up through the valley from the San Francisco Bay towards Calistoga. Native grasses are planted under the vines to compete for moisture and nutrients and encourage the roots to forage down deep in the gravelly soil.

The wine was fermented in neutral French oak barrels without any battonage and aged sur lies for sevenmonths. Malolactic fermentation is blocked. The sur lies aging gives the wine just enough flesh and texture to balance the bright acidity without detracting from the citrus high tones and bracing minerality. This wine works equally well with grand plateau seafood towers as it does with impromptu picnics and simple, weekday dinners.