Matthews Cellars Wine Event

Matthews Cellars Wine Event

Last night we had the privilege to attend a private event at Matthews Cellars, located in Woodinville, Washington. Our good friends, Jim and Taffina, were invited by one of the wineries owners, Jim Rubstello, to join in a celebration of the wineries past and future. Matthews Cellars was established in 1993 and is located in Woodinville, the epicenter for wine production in the Puget Sound area.

Matthews is presently owned by Jim Rubstello and Cliff Otis and their winery has established a great reputation of producing well crafted and age-worthy red wines that are impressive and memorable.

It was a beautiful day in Seattle with clear blue skies and temperatures rising into the 90s. Amongst the towering stainless steel fermentation tanks of the dim and chilly winery, a lively gathering of wine enthusiasts tasted some of Matthews great wines along with some scrumptious appetizers crafted by Seastar Restaurant. This was a high-energy party with good looking people, excellent food and great wines.

We tasted two different Sauvignon Blancs; the Stillwater Creek and the Columbia Valley, both from the 2007 vintage. These are both delightfully refreshing and easy drinking wines that were a total delight on the warm sunny day. We especially favored the 2007 Stillwater Creek Sauvignon Blanc with a delicious smooth and refreshing mouth feel, luscious citrus and tropical fruit flavors and an impressive off-dry finish.

We tasted six beautiful red wines throughout the evening. The 2005 Red Mountain Syrah is a big fruit forward wine with mouth filling tannins and a cloak of toasty vanilla. The 2004 Columbia Valley Claret is an elegant Bordeaux blend with black cherries, cassis along with smooth well integrated tannins and a lingering, harmonious finish. Our favorite wines of the evening were their estate Red Wines. We tasted the Matthews Columbia Valley Red 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003. These Estate wines are all blends with a predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon. These are all very big, concentrated wines that really bring the thunder. Although they were all delicious and exciting to drink, we agreed that our favorite was the Matthews Columbia Valley Red 2002. This wine has a dark, nearly opaque black/red color with a delightful nose packed with black fruit, chocolate and cassis. This is a full bodied wine with chewy concentrated fruit, espresso, spice, licorice and mocha commingling to create a luscious and balanced wine. The tannins and underlying acidity coat your mouth and linger on the smooth, long toasty finish. This wine deserves a grilled prime steak or some well aged cheese. This wine is ready to drink now, but should continue to evolve over the next 5-10 years.

Matthews wines should always be considered whenever someone is looking for well crafted Washington State wines that are sure to deliver. These wines range from $20 to $80 and are available at the winery and many wine shops around the Seattle area.

Challenger Ridge Pinot Noir, 2004

Challenger Ridge Pinot Noir, 2004

Challenger Ridge Vineyard is located 60 miles Northeast of Seattle, on the banks of the Skagit River, in the foothills of the North Cascade Mountain Range. We received this wine as a gift and were excited to try a wine with a Puget Sound designation. The color is a light violet red with good clarity. The aroma is reminiscent of fresh flowers, strawberries and cut grass. This is a light, easy drinking Pinot Noir with fresh fruit flavors of strawberries and tart cherries with a leather and tobacco. There are nice sweet tannins and a gentle acidity that contribute to a lingering and harmonious finish. This is an enjoyable Pinot Noir that will pair well with some fresh salmon off the grill. This wine sells for about $18.

Castello Monaci "Liante" Salice Salentino, DOC 2006

Castello Monaci "Liante" Salice Salentino, DOC 2006

Castello Monaci is located near the town of Salice Salentino in Puglia, the “heel” of Italy’s boot. This is a warm, dry and sunny spot situated between the Adriatic and Tirrenean seas. This Salice Salentino is made from 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. After the malolactic fermentation, the wine is blended and approximately half is aged in French barriques and the rest is aged in steel. The color is a deep ruby-red and the aroma is loaded with dried prunes, cherries and chocolate. This rich wine delivers a broad mouthful of dried cherries, plums and cassis along with some subtle minerality and smoke. There is good acidity paired with smooth tannins that contribute to a lingering, harmonious finish. This wine is a modern interpretation of an Old World Style. Pair this wine with some chicken and capers braised in spicy tomato sauce, and you will really appreciate this Southern Italian red. This wine is available at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $12.

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz, 1998

Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz, 1998

Five or six years ago we bought quite a few bottles of this Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz as part of our "digging Australian Shiraz" phase. This week we opened the last of the 1998 vintage to enjoy with a casual dinner. The color is a deep, dark red with a vibrant purple hue. The nose showed sweet blueberry jam with a crumbling of vanilla wafers. This is a medium bodied wine with rich berry flavors and a healthy dose of vanilla and black pepper. The tannins are quite low and the wine is quite smooth with a hint of cocoa and oak on the finish. This is a New World fruit bomb that has become a signature of Australian Shiraz. We realize that although this is a nice wine that has cellared well over the past 5 years, our tastes have changed and we are no longer stocking up on this style of wine. This wine (in its current 2005 vintage) can be found at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $10.

Forgeron Merlot, Columbia Valley, 2002

Forgeron Merlot, Columbia Valley, 2002

Forgeron is the French word for blacksmith and this Walla Walla winery and tasting room was the former site of a blacksmith shop. Forgeron Cellars was founded in 2001 by a group of investors and they are lead by the French winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla.
This 2002 Merlot has a deep ruby color with a heady bouquet that evokes ripe red berries, dark chocolate and vanilla beans. This is a medium bodied wine that delivers a broad mouth feel of fruit with cherry, sweet plum and toast with black pepper. The tannins are gentle and the fruit driven profile is complimented by gentle acidity. The finish is long and smooth with hints of vanilla and spice. This is a nice wine from a solid Walla Walla producer. We picked up this wine while in Walla Walla, last summer, and it sold for about $22 at that time. We enjoyed this with some fresh steamed Washington State asparagus with poached egg, olive oil and Parmesan cheese!

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005

Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005

We have been big fans of Columbia Crest wines for years. I can't think of another American winery that can produce such a tremendous quantity of wine and produce an excellent product at every price point. They have wines starting at about $6 and wines priced above $35. The Grand Estate series of wines is their second tier and is known for providing top quality wines at a very good price point. The 2005 vintage was very strong in the Columbia Valley and this Cabernet showcases what Columbia Crest can do with excellent grapes. The color is a dark ruby-red with good clarity. On the nose is the sweet smell of black cherries, cassis and toasty vanilla. This is a medium to full bodied wine with hints of spicy oak and vanilla complementing the concentrated flavors of blackberry jam, cherries and plums. The tannins are gentle and blend well with the creamy long finish. We have cellared some of the Grand Estate Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet, with great success, over a 2-5 year period. This wine is now readily available in the Seattle area for about $10. This is a great value in a Washington State Cabernet that will go well with a grilled Flank Steak or a tasty burger.

Jeff's Deviled Eggs

Jeff's Deviled Eggs

6 large eggs
1 medium new potato, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon fresh chives or scallions, diced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
1 pinch of ground nutmeg
chopped fresh basil leaves for garnish


In a medium sauce pan, with water, bring eggs and diced potato to boil. Simmer for about fifteen minutes until potatoes are soft and eggs are fully cooked. Remove pan from stove and add cold water, at sink, until eggs and potatoes are cool enough to touch. Drain

Peel eggs and cut in half, lengthwise, and place yolk portions in a medium sized bowl. Add the drained diced potato, mayonnaise and all remaining ingredients (except egg whites) and mash and blend well with a spoon or fork. Taste for proper salt and pepper. Using a small scoop or spoon fill each egg white half with a large dollop of the yolk filling. Garnish with chopped fresh basil. Enjoy as a starter for any wine party, people love them!

Altas Cumbres Malbec, 2006

Altas Cumbres Malbec, 2006

We continue diving into more and more Malbecs from Argentina and continue to be impressed with the great quality to price ratio. This Mendoza Malbec is produced by Lagarde Winery from vineyards that are more than 65 years old. This is 100% Malbec and it offers lush aromas of berries, cassis, caramel and potpourri. The color is deep purple tainted ruby with a violet hue. This is a medium bodied wine with a lovely smooth texture and abundance of dark black fruits, some minerality and smoke. The tannins and acidity are well balanced creating a pure and elegant finish. We bought this wine at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for less than $9. Pair this wine with any grilled meat, hearty pastas or sharp cheese. Very nice.