Masayason's table wine debuted as an easy-to-drink, healthy wine.
2021 has produced some fantastic wines.
It is often said that putting the grapes under a certain amount of stress results in a better wine.
That is, of course, true, and that is exactly what happened with the 2021 drought.
The wine is fresh and lively, yet has great depth.
Tendu is a lively, vivacious yet serious wine, and 2021 was a better vintage than ever before.
Yields were low, the berries were small with concentrated flavours and the weather was dry but mild.
This results in delicate aromas and firm acidity that balance the powerful flavors.
This wine has a gentle, refreshing taste and is easy to pair with food, making it a great conversation starter.
Although the alcohol content is lower, the wine has more flavour and intensity than previous vintages.
As with the 2020 vintage, only organically grown grapes are used.
This Cortese is grown in the Lost Slough Vineyard on deep clay loam soils.
Located at the southernmost tip of the Clarksburg AVA, near the historic Chinese settlement of Rock, the vineyard enjoys cooler summer nighttime temperatures that help retain acidity in the grapes.
The grapes are destemmed, fermented with the skins and macerated for approximately two weeks.
After pressing, we allow spontaneous malolactic fermentation to occur in the barrel, which allows the wine to be bottled unfiltered and unfined.
No SO2 added.
Owner winemaker Steve Mathiason is one of Napa Valley's leading vineyard consultants.
His clients include Eiseley, Chappelle and Spottswoode, and he is known for producing well-balanced grapes.
Massaiason is a small winery that is entirely family run.
The white wines that Steve produces are modelled on those from the Friuli region of Italy, while his red wines are mainly Bordeaux style.
We believe in hands-on farming, and as much as possible we do all the farm work ourselves.
And Steve has surprised the entire California wine industry by preferring to harvest three to four weeks earlier than usual, a key factor in determining the wine's flavor.
In 2014, he was named Winemaker of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, a leading American newspaper, and is a talented young winemaker with promising future prospects.
For Steve Mathiason, making wine is simply an extension of working in the vineyard.
The grapes used for Massaiason come from vineyards in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, all of which are personally managed by Steve throughout the growing season.
Steve is a specialist in bringing out the inherent characteristics and aromas of grape varieties in wine.
He specializes in the ubiquitous Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as varieties not commonly seen in Napa Valley, such as Ribolla Gialla and Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso.
Whatever the variety, his job is simply to allow the wine to reflect the characteristics of the soil and the variety in which the grapes are grown.
The characteristics of Massaison wines are their refreshing taste, which makes them perfect for pairing with food, and their lower alcohol content than regular California wines.
By using cultivation methods suited to each field, we are able to grow grapes with a concentrated flavor, and by minimizing our desire for self-expression as a winemaker and respecting the individuality of the grapes, we are able to create well-balanced wines that are wrapped in aromatic fragrances.
A former member of In Pursuit of Balance (IPOB), a once-popular organization in California dedicated to the pursuit of well-balanced Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the winery is renowned for producing elegant, vibrant wines reminiscent of Europe.