2016 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

The Reserve is a blend of fruit from Boushey Vineyard in Yakima Valley and Stillwater Creek Vineyard on the Royal Slope. Boushey provides the freshness, with lower sugar levels and terrific aromatic complexity. Stillwater brings a more viscous mouthfeel with a tropical burst of green guava and passionfruit. Together, they deliver a multi-layered wine that balances fresh fruit and bright acidity, delivering a crisper, greener profile.

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"Bright light yellow. Cool aromas of grass, flowers and white pepper are youthfully compressed today but convey an impression of incipient complexity. Offers more texture and depth than the entry-level Sauvignon Blanc, with its concentrated but tight lemon drop and grass flavors in need of another 6 to 12 months in bottle to expand. Finishes very long and fresh, with a hint of jalapeño and a firm mineral underpinning. A serious if backward white wine with noteworthy intensity and sophistication."

91 points - Stephen Tanzer, Vinous

Tasting Notes

Dense and penetrating with white flowers, lychee, guava, pineapple rind and under-ripe apricot. Swirling brings up sweet fruit, wet slate, complex herbs, gooseberry and key lime pie. The palate is fresh, firm and beautifully textured. It is much more generous than the Columbia Valley and exudes class and refinement. This is a baby and will be worth trying over the next five years.

Scores & Reviews

"This 100% varietal wine brings lightly styled aromas of green grass, herb, snap pea and whiffs of green pepper. The palate is full bodied and textured, bringing a sense of richness but never losing its balance. It lingers on the finish."
90 points - Sean Sullivan, Wine Enthusiast

Wine Facts

Appellation:

Columbia Valley

Vineyard(s):

Stillwater Creek, Boushey Vineyard

Varietal Composition:

100% Sauvignon Blanc

Alcohol:

13.9%

Cases Produced:

196

Drinkability:

Now-2023

Trade Materials

Download:

2016 Matthews Reserve Sauv Blanc - Market Tech Sheet

Additional Information about this vintage

Vineyard Philosophy: The sauvignon blanc lots at Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley are picked primarily at first light or at night when temps are lower. The Stillwater fruit is from a very small spot in our block that is picked earlier than any other to provide us with hints of green Guava and Passion Fruit rather than the typical Pineapple and melon tones that come from our later picks. The grapes from both sources are hand sorted at the vineyard and then shipped to the winery in refrigerated trucks.

Winemaking Philosophy: Fruit arrives at the winery, still cold, around 8:30am. The wine is pressed with a bladder press in a static environment, then settled for 48 hours before being transferred to fermentation vessels (85% concrete, 15% stainless). After aging, we carefully evaluate the aromatic profile of each egg and stainless-steel barrel and then the palate presentation. Only the barrels that most embody our house style are selected to be blended and bottled as our Reserve vintages.