Matthews Winery 2014 Claret

The Matthews Winery 2014 Claret should be your go to wine, no matter if you are looking for that special occasion wine or just an average weeknight.  Claret is really any red wine from Bordeaux; the British started using the name in the 1700’s. Matthews Winery styles their wines in the fashion of Bordeaux and their Claret is a perfect example of their motto, “Bordeaux inspired, Washington Crafted”.

Washington is the perfect setting for classic Bordeaux varietals to thrive, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cab Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Matthews takes these and blends them to make their Claret. The 2014 is 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, and 4% Petit Verdot. With this blend they strive to make the wine “Elegant, understandable and enjoyable for any consumer anywhere in the world.”

The Matthews 2014 Claret sells for $35 but when you experience it in your glass you will see that it actually drinks like a much higher priced wine. It has complexity with ripe fruits of plum, blackberry, strawberry, currants. You will also get slight hints of clove, vanilla and tobacco.

This medium bodied wine is an easy bottle of wine to pair with food, it pretty much goes with anything.  The acid and tannins in this wine balance with the ripe fruit which makes pairing so easy. I would say this is a perfect Valentines Day bottle and would pair great with my causal Beef Wellington Sandwiches with homemade truffle French fries.  The Claret will also pair nicely with my dessert of individual Dark Chocolate pudding cakes.

You could take your Valentine out to Woodinville and visit Matthews Winery and farm. The modern farm inspired tasting room has that urban rustic farmhouse charm. They are open daily and you can taste the line up of their amazing Bordeaux style wines while snacking on local cheese and crackers. On their property they also have a fully organic farm where they grow produce for many of their farm-to-table wine dinners.