As farm kids growing up in the late 1950's and early 1960's, the Giguiere brothers were veritable pyromaniacs, setting numerous things on fire--including the family wheat fields. Fearing total ruin of house and farm, the boys' father one day left them at the city jail for an hour's "stay" to impress upon them the dangers of their fascination with fire. But it was to no avail. They soon graduated to launching rockets, which resulted in more uncontrolled blazes and calls to the fire department. Over time, the Giguiere boys outgrew their fascination with the flame. But even today they look at the Matchbook brand with fond memories of the fires they once stoked. Dunnigan Hills is often overlooked in conversations about Wine Country. But a lot of wineries from other appellations purchase fruit – a lot of fruit – from our vineyards. Those who have never visited, lump us into the Central Valley. Winery insiders know these hills are a hidden gem. The soils are full of red gravel; the nights are cool and breezy; the growing season is long as is the horizon. This region checks every box for premium wine grapes, but we are never satisfied with just checking boxes. We are propelled by innovation. Experimental trellis techniques and irrigation methods, new clones, cover crops and tilling. There is nothing we won't try in our life's mission to improve the quality of our appellation. Dunnigan Hills is worth looking over.
10602bCalifornia » Dunnigan Hills
Wine Enthusiast 91 Best Buy "This is a brawny, full-bodied and firmly tannic wine that's nevertheless seductive, complex and layered. A dark color and impressions of
10aCalifornia » Dunnigan Hills
This lusciously opulent wine has all the richness without the excessive oak and butter that characterize most California Chardonnays. Wonderful aromas of pineapple, pear and
Wine Enthusiast 92 "This wine is super-concentrated and complex in its array of red and black fruit flavors, with subtle oak spices and a rich texture.
Wine Enthusiast 91 "There is really nothing petite about this Petite Sirah! Dense, rich and luscious with a hint of sweet fruit to liven things up. Petite
10aCalifornia » Dunnigan Hills
Tasting Panel 91 "Smooth and creamy with nice depth and balance; rich, complex and subtle with vanilla new oak and ripe - but not heavy
Wine Enthusiast 90 This medium-bodied wine is subtle on the nose, but opens up on the palate to rich fruit and spice flavors that coat the
Wine Enthusiast 93 This indulgent, full-bodied wine goes all out on richness. Aromas of malted milk, vanilla and cream lead to layered hazelnut, crme brle and
The inaugural release of our Estate Bottled Petite Sirah has everything you would expect from this intensely flavored grape. Seductive, heady aromas of ripe plum,
"Opulent and Luscious Essence of dried blueberries and juicy plum. Hints of dark chocolate and truffle tannins."~Winery Notes
Wine Enthusiast 92 "This wine from Matchbook has been improving steadily over recent vintages and now it's taken a big step toward more finesse and less
Wine Enthusiast 89 “ Rich and oaky... It has an abundance of baking spice, butter and toasted- baguette flavors, full body and apleasantly viscous texture.” –J.G. "This
"Opulent and Luscious Essence of dried blueberries and juicy plum. Hints of dark chocolat and truffle tannins."~Winery Notes
Wine Enthusiast 88 "This big but balanced wine has melon and apple aromas, lots of fruit and toasty oak in the flavors, and a super-smooth and
Wine Enthusiast 91 Editors' Choice “This blend of Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon incorporates wonderful, spicy oak with a ripe and generous core of black fruit...
"The opulence of this wine is evident by its beautiful golden straw color. Aromas of spiced pears, caramel and baked apple are layered over butterscotch
"The grapes were gently crushed and fermented in small temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. A combination of specially selected yeast and native yeast was used
Wine Advocate 90 " This winery hit a bull's eye with their 2010 Tinto Rey (...), a proprietary red blend of 49% Tempranillo, 27% Syrah, 15%
Robert Parker 91 "Another interesting concoction is the 2009 Tinto Rey, a blend of 40% Tempranillo, 35% Syrah, 19% Graciano, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Tannat
"Varietal Blend: 43% Syrah, 40% Tempranillo, 7% Malbec, 6% Petit Verdot, 4% Graciano Tinto Rey means Red King. Tempranillo is the king of Spanish
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