2016 Three Wine Company Established 1885 Red Wine Contra Costa County 750 ml

Matt Cline’s wines have inspired thousands of near-perfect Wine Access member reviews, yet he’s called the rich and sumptuous Established 1885 his “dream wine.” Ask him about this perfectly balanced blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, and Mataro, and you’ll hear his genuine passion while he relays the uniqueness that makes this wine a dream fulfilled.

A dark-fruited masterwork showcasing the power and finesse that never cease to amaze us about his wines, this 2016 classic is composed of grapes from 125+ year-old vines, not just from Matt’s best vineyards, but from the choicest grapes in each block. It’s essentially a “reserve” version of Three Wine Company’s Old Vine Field Blend, a wine that has been an overwhelming member-favorite for a decade.

“In the beginning, you get red and black fruit from the Zin,” Matt said. “Which develops into black cherry and silky tannins from the Carignan. The Mataro is the glue that keeps it all together with earthiness and spice.” 

The Zinfandel in the 2016 is predominantly from Bigelow Vineyard, with some fruit coming from Live Oak and Evangelho, the famed vineyard whose grapes also go into Ridge and Bedrock. The Mataro (aka Mourvèdre) hails from Spinelli, while the Carignan comes from Sandy Lane and Bigelow. To the Zin-Mataro-Carignan trifecta, Matt adds splashes of Petite Sirah and Alicante Bouschet to deepen the wine’s color and aromatics. 

The grapes reflect the varieties that dominated the landscape during California’s pre-Prohibition days. “The question was, why did early growers plant so much of those three varieties?” Matt explained. “When I made this wine, I found out: It’s the complete wine.”