“Steve Matthiasson is one of Napa’s top viticultural consultants, with a client list that has included Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Araujo Estate, Spottswoode and Hall. When a vintner wants more flavor at lower sugar levels, Matthiasson is the one on speed dial.” – San Francisco Chronicle, Winemaker of the Year

Every once in a while, a wine gives us our wine-addled old souls a little extra kick in the feels.

And yeah, this is absolutely one of those times. Everything about this wine is incredible - starting with the pedigree - Matthiasson?! - and ending with, obviously, THE PRICE. This drinks like any number of $100-$150 premium Napa Cabs because that’s what it is.

Let’s unpack it.

First off, we’ve got our hands on a boutique Napa Valley Cab from Maison d’Amis—one of the rarer-than-hen’s-teeth producers in the Valley. Still a bit of an undiscovered gem. Oh, and it happens to be a perfectly cellared 2015 library release.

Now, at this point, we were already drooling on the keyboard a little (Wine Spies HQ always has hand towels at the ready for these occasions.)

We learned the four friends who founded Maison d’Amis (“house of friends”) did to recapture the vibe of Napa Valley’s OG Cabernets. The kind of authentic bottled poetry that put the Valley on the map in the ‘70s and ‘80s (and still taste amazing to this day, if you’re lucky enough to get a hold of one of those OG releases).

And then we found out that this Cab was sourced from fruit grown in Rutherford, Coombsville and Oak Knoll, all entrusted to the hands of Steve Matthiasson (twice named “Winemaker of the Year” by Food & Wine Magazine and San Francisco Chronicle.) Everything the guy touches turns to gold. He has become a soft-spoken legend to Napa wine insiders. A local who tends his own vines on his quaint little farm while consulting on winemaking and winegrowing for some of the region’s biggest names. The dude is a quiet force in the industry, but he is absolute FIRE!

Steve is the perfect winemaker for a project like this; renowned for his throwback style emulating the wines that kicked French butt at the famed Judgment of Paris wine competition in the 1970s. And the proof is in the pudding (ok, in this case, in the bottle). This 2015, from a vintage Wine Advocate describes as “extraordinary, early maturing and accessible” exudes all that honesty and sophistication, combining notes of just-ripened red fruits like wild raspberry and pomegranate, ripe damson plums, and tobacco leaf, with dried herb nuances like mint, sage, and black tea. The texture is equal parts succulent richness, savory depth, and mineral-driven vivaciousness with a gorgeous cigar-box finish. As it passes the ten-year mark, it’s showing beautifully, and should continue on a good path for another 10+.

Prime low-production Napa Cab, throwback-style winemaking, and a bottled beauty that could be drunk right away or cellared for even more complexity, along with a sizable 60% discount… If you don’t need a towel to wipe your keyboard at this point, you might need to check your pulse.

The catch? Remember, we said Maison d’Amis is boutique: this is low, low, LOW production.

Every other wine displayed on their website already has a big “SOLD OUT” graphic on it. Plan on the same thing happening to this one, quickly.