Matanzas Creek is probably the best-smelling winery in all of Sonoma County, California. This is due to the wonderful lavender farm which sprawls along the approach to the tasting room off of Bennett Valley Road. Technically this is Santa Rosa, but since the grapes are from Sonoma no one is going to complain about a bit of geography. I also admire their label design which is vaguely Celtic and vaguely abstract. It's minimalist, but not cold. To me it recalls the famous words of Einstein;
The thing about Matanzas Creek (named after the nearby creek and reservoir, startingly) is that they make really good wines that are sold for $10 more than they should be. Everything they offer is in the $30 range. Most wines from Sonoma, other than reserves and odd lots, are in the $20 range. Matanzas is good enough to warrant an extra dollar or two per bottle; I'd gladly pay $22 for their Chardonnay or Merlot. Yet they always price their wines around $30, regardless of vintage or varietal. I've come to the (reluctant) conclusion that Matanzas Creek is simply overpriced.
There are literally hundreds of wines that are darn good in the $20-$30 range, and pushing yourself out of that crowd requires either extreme confidence or significant arrogance. I really can't justify buying their product anymore. After having tried $15 Merlot from Arrowood (still my favorite in this price range) and $15 Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa's Allan Scott that's more interesting than any California Chardonnay I've tried in years, the $30 Matanzas Chardonnay seems bland, boring and overpriced. It's just not worth it.
Rants aside I do have a couple of reviews for you. First a Sangiovese from Napa, the 2002 Atlas Peak Sangiovese from Napa Valley, California. Since I tasted some darn fine Sangiovese in Amador County I decided to try this wine to see how Napa stacks up against the competition in the mid-price range. I found that Amador wins hands down.
The Atlas Peak was an OK wine with moderate fruit and acidity typical of Sangiovese. It failed to add any unique character or to stand out from the crowd. If you find yourself in the unusual situation of picking a Sangiovese from a wine list, and you see the Atlas Peak, it's sure to be middle of the road. Perhaps in some odd way that advice may help you.
Some of you may recall my review of the Casillero de Diablo Carmenere a couple of weeks ago; to summarize, I thought it was a great deal at $10. When I came across their Chardonnay
last week I bought it on the strength of their other wine. I found it to be a strong contender in the price range (<$15), easily beating well over half the field. In other words, it's well above the median and mean in terms of quality and flavor. I recommend it as an alternative to California Chardonnay in the same price range if you can find it.
Farewell!
Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.
The thing about Matanzas Creek (named after the nearby creek and reservoir, startingly) is that they make really good wines that are sold for $10 more than they should be. Everything they offer is in the $30 range. Most wines from Sonoma, other than reserves and odd lots, are in the $20 range. Matanzas is good enough to warrant an extra dollar or two per bottle; I'd gladly pay $22 for their Chardonnay or Merlot. Yet they always price their wines around $30, regardless of vintage or varietal. I've come to the (reluctant) conclusion that Matanzas Creek is simply overpriced.
There are literally hundreds of wines that are darn good in the $20-$30 range, and pushing yourself out of that crowd requires either extreme confidence or significant arrogance. I really can't justify buying their product anymore. After having tried $15 Merlot from Arrowood (still my favorite in this price range) and $15 Sauvignon Blanc from South Africa's Allan Scott that's more interesting than any California Chardonnay I've tried in years, the $30 Matanzas Chardonnay seems bland, boring and overpriced. It's just not worth it.
Rants aside I do have a couple of reviews for you. First a Sangiovese from Napa, the 2002 Atlas Peak Sangiovese from Napa Valley, California. Since I tasted some darn fine Sangiovese in Amador County I decided to try this wine to see how Napa stacks up against the competition in the mid-price range. I found that Amador wins hands down.
The Atlas Peak was an OK wine with moderate fruit and acidity typical of Sangiovese. It failed to add any unique character or to stand out from the crowd. If you find yourself in the unusual situation of picking a Sangiovese from a wine list, and you see the Atlas Peak, it's sure to be middle of the road. Perhaps in some odd way that advice may help you. Some of you may recall my review of the Casillero de Diablo Carmenere a couple of weeks ago; to summarize, I thought it was a great deal at $10. When I came across their Chardonnay
last week I bought it on the strength of their other wine. I found it to be a strong contender in the price range (<$15), easily beating well over half the field. In other words, it's well above the median and mean in terms of quality and flavor. I recommend it as an alternative to California Chardonnay in the same price range if you can find it.Farewell!
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