2025 M. Mathis 'Cuvée Francois 1er'

80% Gamay Noir, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Côt (aka Malbec) from the Imperial Vineyard, a two acre site overlooking Lexington Reservoir. Farming is certified sustainable and uncertified organic.  Hand harvested, fermented with native yeasts, partial whole clusters and carbonic maceration. Aged for eight months in neutral oak and stainless steel.  12.5% alcohol. The style here is all about freshness and immediate pleasure rather than weight. Gamay’s juicy red-fruit character to lead, with cherry and raspberry moving toward a darker edge from the Côt and a subtle herbal, savory note from Cab Franc. This is bright, energetic red wine with enough structure to belong at dinner but enough lift that serving it slightly cool makes perfect sense.  

Marty Mathis has spent most of his adult life growing and making wine in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with his career inseparably connected to Kathryn Kennedy Winery.

Cabernet Sauvignon established the reputation. Marty became known for wines capable of combining California fruit with the structure and patience required for serious aging, and the Estate Cabernet remains the benchmark for what he can accomplish when working with the grape he knows best.

He also created Lateral, the Bordeaux-inspired red that many Enoteca customers know particularly well because we’ve hosted several Lateral release parties over the years.

So there is a long history here between Marty and Enoteca.

That is why this newer exploratory phase feels less like watching somebody launch another wine brand and more like watching an old friend decide to open a completely different drawer in the toolbox.

M. Mathis Winegrower has become the outlet for that curiosity. Instead of concentrating solely on the classic California varieties Marty learned during the formative years of his career, he has increasingly looked toward lesser-known European grapes and traditions for inspiration.