About this winery

Why Matchbook? As a farm kid growing up in the late 1950´s and early 1960´s John Giguiere was a confirmed pyromaniac starting various things on fire such as his father´s wheat field. At one point, fearing total ruin from his kids burning him out of the house and farm, his father took them to the city jail for an hour stay to impress upon his brother and him the futility of their fascination with fire. John and his brother answered at a later date by graduating from random fires to the...

See the MATCHBOOK WINES detail page for more information on this brand

Product notes

Six different clones of chardonnay were used in this wine, all of them picked at night and delivered to the winery before sunrise to ensure that the grapes were fresh and cool for crushing. Clone 809 (the most exotic clone) was fermented in stainless steel tanks to retain its Muscat character. The other clones received 100% aging in a combination of French, hybrid American and Hungarian oak barrels. Yeast “cocktails” (a mixture of the winemaker’s favorite compatible yeasts) were used on all lots to allow complex fermentation characters to evolve in the wine. Lees were stirred weekly for eight months to enhance texture and flavor.

Production notes

To showcase this wine's rich Chardonnay character, it was aged for eight months in "Old Heads" - barrels that have been used for a past vintage, so there is less oak extraction and more of the beautiful, bright flavors of the grape.

Tasting notes

This Estate Bottled Chardonnay is a showcase for the Dunnigan Hills terroir, with lush, full, rich tropical characters. This golden straw-colored Chardonnay has aromas of Crème Brulee, pineapple and macaroons. Flavors of creamy butter are mellowed by tropical mango and ripe melon. While it’s rich in the palate, this Dunnigan Hills Chardonnay displays beautiful structure with a lively, lingering finish.