Matthiasson Linda Vista Chardonnay

For Steve and Jill Matthiasson, winemaking is a natural extension of farming. Their efforts are concentrated in the vineyards they own and lease, rather than in the winery, and their values are all about sustainability, organics, minimal intervention, a pursuit of balance, food-friendliness, freshness and lower alcohol levels. The irony of the ‘New Californians’ is that this is exactly how many of California’s wines used to be!

Linda Vista is the vineyard right behind Jill and Steve’s house in West Oak Knoll on the Napa Valley floor. The cool winds and clay soils here preserve zesty acidity and freshness, while the Napa sun provides some richness and ripeness – prime Chardonnay territory.

Golden Delicious apples, peach, Cantaloupe melon, and honey on the nose and through to the palate. The moderate alcohol and mouth-watering acidity is a trademark of this vineyard, balanced by a luscious creaminess and minerality.

Refreshing, this wine is all about pleasure, begging to be drunk up, with some oysters or a roast chicken and a big smile.