2021 Matthiasson Dead Fred Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville, USA

A single vineyard wine should have its own story to tell, a unique personality, and an innate balance and completeness. The Dead Fred Vineyard fits this bill. Planted in 2001 by our dear friends Lisa Cort and David Goldman, we leased it in 2012 and started farming it ourselves, using organic practices to bring out the best from the special soil. The Dead Fred Vineyard is a core component of our Napa Valley Cabernet blend, but for our single vineyard offering we select a small amount of the wine that we feel best describes the terroir.

2021 was a record drought year, and the drought truly defined the vintage. The year was similar to 2013, but even more extreme, in that unlike the sudden dryness of 2013, 2021 was part of a multi-year drought, so the vines were even more impacted. Vines adapt to dry conditions by producing smaller berries with more tannin structure and concentration. The dry conditions told us that we were going to have some of the most structured and age-worthy wines we had ever made, so we focused on supporting the vines and helping them make it to harvest.

As a major stroke of luck, other than the dry weather, the growing season was nice and consistent, with no major weather extremes. And with a record early vintage, we were able to harvest a mostly full crop of incredible fruit.