The story of Matchbook Winery is a real head-scratcher, to the point that I don't know where to start and still keep this story around 1,000 words. The short version is two brothers who grew up in the sheep and wheat fields of Dunnigan Hills (located 30 miles east of Napa), through hard work and no money, created a wine brand that rivaled Kendall Jackson in recognition, then sold that and created another Winery that has seven labels that can all be traced back to a mishap with a Matchbook. Maybe we should start from the beginning.

It's the 1950s, a young John Giguiere and his brother Karl were avid collectors of matchbooks from restaurants and businesses. The matchbooks were frequently placed at or near the business's entrance in large fishbowls, making it easy for the boys to grab and hide in their pockets. One time, while the parents were in town, the boys were playing around with some of the matchbooks and discovered the thrill of setting paper airplanes ablaze. Unfortunately, one of their fiery creations veered off course, igniting a bush that swiftly engulfed the family home in flames. As if that were not tragic enough, the fire spread to the nearby wheat field, ready for the family harvest. Their father, with foresight born of experience, saw the potential for more chaos from his spirited offspring and replaced the old farmhouse with a home made of adobe brick, rebar, and tile floors. Fun times.

Fast forward to after college at UC Davis, John Giguiere and his wife Lane returned home to work in the family farm of six generations. Broke and ambitious, they decided they needed to expand their focus beyond wheat, so in 1981, they planted a few acres of vines on their family's land. In 1983, they put everything they had into creating a new winery called R.H. Phillips., named after their grandfather. From 0 to hero, R.H. Philips, after a rocky start, was a moderate success story when, in 1995, they started work on a new brand that would change everything. After two years of work, they released a Chardonnay in a long-neck bottle that featured a bear breathing fire on its label. Toasted Head Chardonnay, named after the toasting of wine barrels (with fire), was born into immediate success. Alongside his wife and brother, John grew this business to a 750,000 case production. With such a big triumph on their hands, it was time to finally cash in on all their hard work, so they sold R.H. Phillips and Toasted Head to the Canada-based Vincor in 2000 for $95 million. John, Lane, and Karl stayed in management roles with a 5-year no-compete clause. 

In 2005, they left their jobs as executives at R.H. Phillips and briefly attempted to enjoy retirement, but they couldn't get wine out of their blood. That year, they released a 2004 vintage of Matchbook from their vineyards. In 2008, the Giguieres broke ground for the construction of a new winery they called Crew Wine Company, named so because they were able to bring back a big chunk of their old crew from R.H. Phillips. Matchbook began with 360 acres in 2005 and has grown to farm over 1,700 acres of vineyards and 300 acres of olives. Today, the entire company goes by Matchbook Wine Company. John still remembers sitting with his father, discussing names for his new wine venture. His father offered a simple suggestion: "If it hadn't been for the matchbook, things would be different." Thus, the name of his winery and the burned edges of the Matchbook label.

Matchbook is a believer in sustainable vineyard practices but takes it many steps further using regenerative farming practices, breaking with conventional wisdom using sheep grazing, cover crops, and bio-stimulates rather than synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The shift towards using natural inputs like fish, kelp, biochar, molasses, and even sheep poop to nurture vine health highlights a broader movement beyond sustainable farming practices. These natural inputs not only provide essential nutrients to the soil and plants but also contribute to the overall health and resilience of the vineyard ecosystem. In addition, they limit the use of heavy tractors in the vineyards so as not to compact the soil, relying instead on 22 Honda 4x4s zipping around the vineyards and Kubota RTVs shuttling workers to and fro; it's a testament to the intricate choreography required to tend to the vines. To reduce their carbon footprint even more, they have installed 4 acres of solar panels that power 65% of the winery and vineyard energy.

Dan Cederquist is the Matchbook winemaker. A U.C. Davis graduate who began his career at Stag's Leap Wine Cellars before becoming a Winemaker at DeLoach Winery. He joined John and Lane Giguiere at Matchbook's inception in 2005. His philosophy of creating sumptuous wines with a subtle touch has been instrumental in shaping Matchbook's distinctive house style. "In the warm Dunnigan Hills, we effortlessly draw out richness, flavor, and tannins from our estate-grown fruit. We incorporate a blend of timeless and cutting-edge winemaking to create delicious wines. Analytics during fermentation help us dial in extraction while maintaining opulence. French Foudres, concrete eggs, and neutral barrels enhance varietal flavors and a lush texture."

The estate-grown grapes were gently crushed and fermented in small temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks. A portion of the Cabernet grapes was co-fermented with Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot to intensify texture, body, and structure. We pumped the tanks over several times a day until nearly dry, then pressed and aged the wine in a combination of French, Hungarian, and American oak barrels for 12 months.

Our 2021 Matchbook Estate bottled Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from grapes grown on the red gravel soils in our Dunnigan Hills vineyards. The wine opens with classic Cabernet aromas of saddle leather, cigar box, and a touch of earthy eucalyptus. Sumptuous flavors of blackberry, boysenberry, huckleberry, and mocha are framed by sweet oak and vanilla from barrel aging. Fine-grained, dusty tannins add a plush structure to the finish.

Blend: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Petit Verdot, 5% Petite Sirah

2020 This potent and rather compact wine shows excellent concentration and a quiet strength that comes out with time in the glass, as velvety tannins wrap around blueberries, dark chocolate, and tobacco notes. A bit tight in texture, this wine should drink best from 2024–203. Editor's Choice, Wine Enthusiast 93 pts

Matchbook Red Gravel 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a deep, dark, and rich red with ripe blueberry, sweet dried tobacco leaf, anise, mint, mocha, and savory herb flavors with a spicy, toasty oak finish on the palate. Tannins are velvety. Good now, better in 2024 with a bit of cellar time to marry and mellow the wine. Pour with a well-marbled steak from the grill. Natalie Maclean 90 pts

Matchbook Red Gravel Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

In tasting this wine, we were struck by its fruit-forward aspects. Dark ruby in color, Cherry and raspberry aromas with some vanilla. In the mouth, the cherries persisted, boysenberry; we also got some chocolate nubs, Kirsch liqueur, plum, and wild honeycomb. Toasty notes, along with light chalky tannins and good acid balance. A great crowd pleaser and an excellent value for the dollar for this estate bottled Cabernet.

Regular Price: $14.99

*Sale Price is on 6 bottle purchase

 Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

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Cheers!

John Hannum,

Fine & Rare Wine Specialist

Attleboro

628 Washington St.

Norwood

942 Providence Hgwy.

Sturbridge

376 Main Street.

Swansea

207 Swansea Mall Dr.

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