2018 Three Wine Company Mataro Spinelli Vineyard Contra Costa County 750 ml

Back in the mid-1980s, a young Matt Cline discovered a five-acre Mourvèdre parcel improbably planted on Delhi sandy loam east of the San Francisco Bay. Already an old-vine enthusiast, he was intrigued by the ancient vines growing on what looked like pure beach sand.

On a whim, he agreed to experiment with the gnarled, tree-like vines that spidered along the ground, hoping to protect themselves from the bay breeze. That first harvest, there were just a few grape clusters per plant, barely enough to make a single-vineyard release. We were lucky enough to taste that first Mourvèdre wine from Spinelli Vineyard. It wasn't just good, it was spectacular.

Over time, Mourvèdre would become Cline’s secret ingredient. A dash of Mataro is the secret behind many of the world’s greatest wines. It's the invisible magic in Xavier Vignon's Châteauneuf-du-Pape Anonyme and the essence of Beaucastel's Hommage à Jacques Perrin. When Mourvèdre vines are grown atop fine, sandy soil, no variety combines such a combination of dark-red fruit and chameleon-like complexity.

Established over 130 years ago, the Spinelli Vineyard is still growing on its own roots and still being dry-farmed. In 2018, Matt crafted a few hundred cases of pure Mataro off that five-acre patch, making for a rare old-vine American red that combines New World bombast with Old World tradition.  

In the outstanding 2018 vintage, the centenarian vines at Spinelli produced a modest quantity of grapes. Matt took those concentrated berries and transformed them into a wine bursting with distinct California character. Violets, black cherry, plum, and cocoa collide in a wine that’s a concentrated ruby color, with firm tannins and the backbone to last several years.