Sourced from a micro-parcel of gravelly river-wash loam right in the warm heart of Rutherford, the 2021 Matthiasson "Circa Vineyard" is an extraordinary library time machine back to the 1970s and 1980s golden era of Napa Valley.While modern valley-floor Cabernets routinely chase over-extraction and 15%+ alcohol, Steve and Jill Matthiasson craft this single-vineyard bottling with absolute restraint—picking across multiple passes for electric aromatic tension and aging predominantly in neutral Austrian Stockinger foudres. With only 266 cases produced, it delivers the aristocratic balance and pedigree that André Tchelistcheff made legendary at BV Georges de Latour, Inglenook, and Heitz Bella Oaks, yet stands completely unavailable on the winery’s public store.

Clocking in at an astonishingly lithe 12.5% ABV, this captures the true, unvarnished soul of Rutherford benchland dirt.The glass erupts with pure red cherries, red currants, wild pine needle, and cedar, framed by the signature, powdery cocoa grip of authentic "Rutherford dust." Taut natural acidity and a tightly coiled mid-palate give it the structural poise of serious Left Bank Bordeaux, delivering an ageworthy Napa masterpiece that will cruise effortlessly in the cellar for the next 15 to 20 years at a price point that shames three-digit cult wines.

Why You’ll Love It

• Direct Library Provenance: Released straight from Steve and Jill Matthiasson's personal library cellar, completely absent from public retail channels.

• Old-School Napa Framework: At a nimble 12.5% ABV and raised primarily in large neutral foudres, it prioritizes freshness, savory complexity, and tension over high alcohol and heavy new oak.

• Benchmark Rutherford Dirt: True single-site expression packed with the iconic cedar, wild red fruit, and fine-grained "Rutherford dust" tannins reminiscent of 1970s cellar icons.

How to Serve It

• Optimal Cellar Temperature: Serve at cool cellar temperature, around 60°F–65°F (15°C–18°C), to spotlight its crisp red fruit, forest aromatics, and savory minerals.

• Gentle Decanting: Give it 30 to 45 minutes in a decanter to allow its tightly wound, youthful structure and tertiary complexities to fully emerge.

• Classic Culinary Pairings: Exceptional alongside rosemary-garlic roasted leg of lamb, dry-aged ribeye with shallot butter, or earthy chanterelle mushroom tartlets.