# Vermentino Cressida Vineyard (2023)

- **Producer:** Matthiasson
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Vermentino
- **Region:** California, United States
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.0%
- **Average price:** €34
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 10–12 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** lemon, lime, orange, peach, apricot, apple, pineapple, blossom, herbaceous, biscuit, butter, honey, petrol

## About this wine

Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson are celebrated pioneers of the New California Wine movement, championing moderate alcohol, high acidity, and food-friendly balance. Based in Napa Valley, they focus heavily on sustainable and organic viticulture, viewing winemaking as a natural extension of farming. The Cressida Vineyard, acquired in 2022, is located on a ridgetop in the cool, windy Los Carneros AVA. Its unique soils of ancient inland sea shale and schist, combined with maritime breezes from the San Francisco Bay, yield grapes with exceptional minerality and vibrant acidity.

## Interesting facts

- Vermentino is a rare Mediterranean grape in Napa Valley, making this bottling a highly sought-after 'unicorn' wine.
- The Cressida Vineyard sits on ancient inland sea shale and schist, imparting a distinct saline, oyster-shell minerality to the wine.
- Half of the blend is fermented on its skins like an orange wine, while the other half is whole-cluster pressed and aged in neutral French oak.

## Food pairing

This wine's high acidity and distinct saline minerality make it a perfect match for seafood and Mediterranean dishes. The partial skin-contact provides a light phenolic grip and medium-full body that can stand up to richer textures like pesto and olive oil, while the zesty citrus notes cut through the richness of grilled fish and garlic-infused sauces.

## Wine making process

The 2023 Vermentino is crafted using a split-lot method to balance texture and freshness. One portion of the grapes, harvested at peak ripeness, undergoes skin fermentation in tanks (orange wine style) to extract phenolic structure, color, and savory aromatics. The remaining portion, harvested earlier from cooler zones, is whole-cluster pressed and fermented in neutral French oak barrels. Both lots utilize indigenous yeasts. After fermentation, the lots are blended to combine the zesty, high-acid barrel-fermented wine with the rich, textured skin-contact component. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered.