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Match Vineyards is a small, family-owned winery making Cabernet Sauvignon from our own two hillside vineyards in the Napa Valley. Our wines possess a lovely elegance and finesse that places them among the best that the Napa Valley has to offer.

Vintners Alec, Sasha, and Randy at Baconbrook Vineyard

New Release: 2010 Butterdragon

We’re thrilled to release of our 2010 Match Vineyards Butterdragon Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2010 growing season gave Jim Barbour and his brilliant vineyard management team the opportunity to really earn the (rather significant) money we pay them to keep Butterdragon in world class shape. An unusually cool, foggy summer and rampant shoot and lateral growth required many passes to control mildew pressures and keep the canopy open and air circulating. However, opening the canopy, while helping with the predominantly cool temperatures, would prove to be a bit of a challenge when Napa experienced 3 day heat spikes on August 24 and September 28. It was sort of like going outside in the hot sun without your cap on. The resultant dehydration reduced tonnage in what would otherwise have been a pretty big harvest. This unusual weather produced an unusual result for Napa: The grapes’ seeds and flavors began to mature while the sugars accumulated more slowly. It usually occurs the other way, sugars first, then seeds and acids. As a result, ripeness was achieved at lower Brix which should be good news to some of you more traditionalists. Harvest was October 21, 2010.

Vintner’s Notes

Since immediately after the wines finished fermentation, I’ve suspected that our 2010 vintage wines were going to be among the best we’ve ever made. Now that the 2010 Butterdragon Hill is ready for release, my suspicions have been confirmed. Lovely, delicate floral aromas compliment the sweet, lush fruit we’ve come to expect from this vineyard. But unlike many previous vintages, the 2010 Butterdragon possesses a tight, tannic structure that will only be unlocked in the cellar. It’s not an early drinking Butterdragon but the good news is we will be enjoying its power and grace for many, many years to come. We bottled 200 cases.

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