Steve and Jill Matthiasson are leading voices for restraint, freshness, and organic farming in Napa Valley. Best known for their lean, lower-alcohol estate blends, they also make a series of single-vineyard Cabernets that explore individual Napa sub-appellations with real transparency. Rutherford, in the middle of the valley floor, is one of Napa's most famous Cabernet addresses, known for savory depth and the fine, dusty tannins often called "Rutherford dust."

"Circa Vineyard" is a historic, certified organic parcel on Rutherford's western benchlands, with well-drained gravelly alluvial soils, clay loam, and volcanic deposits. The 2021 vintage was a drought year with low yields, giving small berries, deep concentration, and bright natural acidity. The Matthiassons picked early in the morning to keep the acidity brisk and the alcohol around 13.5%, fermented with native yeasts, and aged the wine about 20 months in French oak barrels, only around 20% new. The result marries Rutherford's savory richness with Matthiasson's trademark energy and cut.

Why You'll Love It

• An organically farmed, single-vineyard Rutherford Cabernet made in a fresh, restrained style.
• The nose shows tart black cassis and red currant, with graphite, bay leaf, and dried sage.
• The palate is focused and savory, with cocoa nib notes and fine-grained, dusty Rutherford tannins.
• Modest new oak keeps the gravelly minerality and herbal complexity front and center through a long finish.
• A Napa Cabernet for lovers of classic, food-friendly reds, with the structure to age for well over a decade.

How To Serve It

• Serve at cool room temperature, between 60 and 64°F.
• Decant for 45 minutes to an hour to let the savory herbs, red fruit, and tannins come together.
• Pour into Bordeaux stems to frame its classic structure.
• Pair with grilled skirt steak and chimichurri, rosemary-roasted lamb chops, seared duck breast, or wild mushroom risotto.