Accolades

Napa Valley Register: A New Home for Mathew Bruno

Decanter Magazine names Mathew Bruno Top 10 Producers and 10 Wineries to Watch List

2018 Mathew Bruno Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

• Jeb Dunnuck – Rated 94 Points: Slightly more expensive, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard comes from a site on Pritchard Hill and is 100% Cabernet. It reveals loads of blueberries, mulberries, camphor, new leather, spice, and flowery incense in its aromatics. Beautiful on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness as well as ripe tannins and terrific balance, this is another impressive wine from Mathew Bruno that’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 15-20 years.

• Antonio Galloni – Rated 93 Points: The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stagecoach Vineyard is laced with inky dark fruit, sage, mint, lavender, spice and dried flowers. This is a relatively laid back Cabernet for Stagecoach, with both less imposing fruit and tannic heft than is the norm, which is not a bad thing at all.
• Decanter Magazine – Rated 92 Points:A new addition to the Mathew Bruno roster is a Cabernet from Napa’s sizable Stagecoach Vineyard on Pritchard Hill. Substantially more intense on the nose than the Rutherford bottling. Aromas of candied cherries, underbrush and a noticeable alcohol burn. The texture is giving and enjoyable but feels a bit out of whack at this early stage. The burn from the nose is present on the finish. A high-octane but enjoyable Cabernet for lovers of this style. Drinking Window 2024 – 2032.
• James Suckling – Rated 91 Points: Blackberries, blackcurrants and herbs here. It’s medium-to full-bodied with dusty tannins and a clean, savory finish. Nice blue fruit at the end. Drink or hold.

2018 Mathew Bruno Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

• Decanter Magazine named: Best Rutherford 2018 Wine
• Decanter Magazine – Rated 94 Points:From a site in Eastern Rutherford that supplied Beaulieu Vineyard during the ‘Second Golden Age’ of the 60s and 70s. A wonderfully fragrant nose of black liquorice, cherry blossoms, creme de cassis and dried oregano. A juicy, luscious and giving palate with concentrated red-fruit flavours. There is a poise and grace here that refreshingly doesn’t give the taster everything at once. A gorgeous, floral showing of Rutherford.
• Jeb Dunnuck – Rated 92+ Points:The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon comes all from Rutherford and is 100% varietal. Revealing a deep purple color and an impressive nose of darker cassis and blue fruits as well as tobacco leaf, graphite, and lead pencil, it’s nicely textured, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age to round into form, but it should drink well for a decade.
• Antonio Galloni – Rated 92 Points:The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a pretty, fruity wine. Bright red berry fruit, crushed flowers, blood orange and spice give this punchy, mid-weight Cabernet tons of immediacy and sheer appeal. I would prefer to drink it young, while the fruit remains bright.
• James Suckling – Rated 92 Points: Aromas of raspberries, fresh red berries and cherries. It’s fresh with hints of vanilla and herbs as well. Medium-bodied with a juicy texture. Suave with elegant tannins and a flavorful, fruity finish. Drink or hold.

• James Suckling – Rated 92 Points: Notes of blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, coffee and some dark chocolate. Some herb, too. It’s full-bodied with a round texture with slightly firm-textured tannins. Elegant finish. A little tight now. Try after 2023.

• James Suckling – Rated 92 Points: This has a fruity nose of green apple, passion fruit and pomelo. It’s medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a creamy texture. Blanched almonds and wet stones on the finish. Drink now.

2018 Mathew Bruno Yountville Sauvignon Blanc

• James Suckling – Rated 92 Points: A dense and layered white with sliced-pear and peach character. Green apples. Lovely fruit and intensity. Flavorful finish. Quite a big style of sauvignon with lots of dried-apricot flavor. Drink now.

2015 Mathew Bruno Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

• Jeb Dunnuck – Rated 95 Points: The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Beckstoffer Georges III Vineyard that was brought up in a mix of new French and American oak. Its deep purple color is followed by a gorgeous wine that’s a spitting image of class and finesse. Currants, high-class oak, hints of crème de cassis and crushed flowers all flow to a layered, full-bodied, multi-dimensional beauty that does everything right. With fine tannin, beautiful purity of fruit and a great finish, it’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring yet keep for two decades.
• Robert Parker’s, The Wine Advocate – Rated 91 Points:Composed of 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Rutherford, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon has a seriously medicinal nose with fried herbs and pepper over a core of crème de cassis and baked plums plus a hint of potpourri. The palate is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with chewy tannins and an herbal lift on the finish.
• James Suckling – Rated 90 Points: A big and juicy red with plum and berry character. Full and layered with velvety tannins and a flavorful finish. A little overdone but still attractive. Drink or hold.

2013 Mathew Bruno Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

• West Coast Wine Competition –  Rated Double Gold, Best of Class, 95 Points

• Blue Lifestyle/Anthony Dias Blue – Rated 94 Points: “Silky and tangy, juicy and pure; generous plum and cassis; bright and toasty with notes of earth and new oak; balanced and long.”

• Sunset Magazine International Wine Competition – Rated Gold, 93 Points
• Wine Enthusiast – Rated 92 Points: “Soft and supple on the palate, this impressive wine is lightly spiced with dust and clove, its tannins rounded and in support of lingering cassis and red cherry flavors. Mocha and tobacco lend additional depth and complexity as it unfolds, punctuated by juicy acidity.

•  Forbes Magazine, These Splurge-Worthy Wine Are Perfect For Celebrating The Holidays This Year: “Mathew Bruno Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is perfect for this time of year with its winter spice and black-cherry compote on the nose and flavors of kirsch-filled chocolates and licorice.”

• Restaurant Wine by Ronn Wiegand, Master of Wine, Master Sommelier – Rated Excellent:“Excellent quality for its type, style and price. Among the very best for its price.  Highly recommended.”

The Napa Wine Project: “Mathew’s philosophy is to make balanced and approachable wines – and they have certainly done so with the two wines we tried.”

2012 Mathew Bruno Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

• California Wine Advisors – Rated 96+ Points: “A classic example of Rutherford Cabernet, the 2012 Mathew Bruno presents itself as inky black in the glass. The bouquet is stunning, showcasing the black currant, blueberry, and anise notes typical to the area. The palate develops in complexity, offering layers of red and black berry, spice box, and baking chocolate that culminate in a striking finish that is focused and shows fantastic length. Delicious right out of the gate, the patient collector will be well-rewarded for cellaring another 5-7 years and drinking for another decade beyond that.”
• The Tasting Panel/Anthony Dias Blue, Executive Director of the San Francisco International Wine Competition – Rated 95 Points: “Smooth and juicy with dark color, deep plum and blackberry fruit; rich, beautifully structured and complex with rich texture and lovely depth; long and balanced.”
• Restaurant Wine by Ronn Wiegand, Master of Wine, Master Sommelier – Rated Excellent: “Excellent, among the very best for its type, style & price.  Full bodied, complex in flavor and quite rich.”
• C Magazine, “In the Red” (as published in the November 2015 issue with Mathew Bruno Wines, Gary Farrell Winery and Frank Family Vineyards):“Give thanks and raise a glass this season with three new noteworthy California wines.”
• Fortune Magazine, 10 Enchanting Red Wines For Valentines Day 2016:“Now only in its fourth vintage, the Mathew Bruno 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley is a dark-fruited juicy Cab with pretty chili, spice and nutmeg accents.  Its tannins are fine and smooth, but its backbone is firm-there’s no extra flab on this guy.” 
• Kerrin Laz, K. Laz Wine Collection:“I tasted this wine blind at the end of January and was able to re-taste it a few weeks ago and I’m happy to say, this is one of the best Beckstoffer George III Vineyard Cabernets coming from this hallowed Rutherford vineyard.  It was aged for 24 months in new oak and on the palate offers supple, seamless black and red fruit that with sourcing from Beckstoffer GIII Vineyard, often commands double the price than this current release.  It is an over-deliverer from the nose to the finish.  I highly recommend getting a few bottles.”
• Bounty Hunter Rare Wines and Spirits:“This is quite a special Cabernet Sauvignon.  2012 was a superb growing season, and this wine represents the essence of Rutherford and its famed dusty minerality.  This wine will age 10 years if you need it to, but it tastes pretty darn fine right this evening.”

2010 Mathew Bruno Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon 

• Bounty Hunter Rare Wines & Spirits added Mathew Bruno to their well regarded catalog who ships to over 2 million people across the United States. Bounty Hunter claims, “They certainly got our attention and even though this family is new to the game, they are working with some serious fruit and making some even more serious juice.”
• Wine Spectator Magazine rated Mathew Bruno “Excellent” at 91 points.

2009 Mathew Bruno Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon: Wine Spectator Magazine named Mathew Bruno “A successful debut in a challenging year.”