Matthiasson, Vermentino Cressida Vineyard, Los Carneros, Napa Valley, California, USA 2023

A bit of a unicorn, a Napa Valley Vermentino from Steve and Jill Matthiasson. They purchased the Cressida Vineyard in 2022, along the spine of a ridgetop in the upper section of Los Carneros. Cressida is a cooler site overlooking the Bay and the San Francisco skyline. It is evocative of a day spent along the Adriatic, with its deep breaths of ocean air and rich lemon aromatics combined with a hint of beeswax. The texture jumps out at you on the palate, full and rich but not the least bit flabby. Lemon oil, verbena and salty notes of seaspray and crushed shells. Delightful, this absolutely begs for shellfish.