FEATURED THIS MONTH 2008 OROppAS JANUARy 2011

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1 FEATURED THIS MONTH 2008 Oroppas January 2011

2 2008 Oroppas Arrives Dear Club Member, The 2008 Oroppas is finally here! This month we are releasing my pride and joy, the 2008 Oroppas. Since its conception in 1991, Oroppas was designed to be a blend of the best vineyards and Bordeaux varieties that Napa Valley has to offer. Now on our 18th vintage of Oroppas, the blend has become more heavily influenced by Cabernet Sauvignon (87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot in the 2008 vintage versus 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 58% Merlot, and 20% Cabernet Franc in the 1991 vintage). This is mainly due to the consistent quality year after year in our Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards, but the style and approach to making Oroppas is the same as it was 18 years ago. The Oroppas is meant to be fruit forward in the nose, but with complex layering of vanilla and clove from the oak we use to age the wine. The tannins and structure of Oroppas are velvety and smooth but strong enough to give longevity to the wine as it ages. Oroppas is meant to pair beautifully with food and also to drink at a younger age. We purposefully bottle and release this wine earlier than some of our other wines to showcase the wonderful strawberry, raspberry, and black currant aroma and flavors. By blending multiple vineyards and different varieties together we are able to produce a consistent style of wine year after year. So what makes Oroppas unique? It all starts with the fruit. We have 5 vineyards from various sub appellations within Napa Valley that we source fruit from, including Diamond Mountain, Howell Mountain, Rutherford, Spring Mountain and Mt. Veeder. These are some of the best vineyards in Napa Valley that give us diversity of flavor and aroma profile in the resulting wine. Each vineyard has its own unique quality and each vineyard adds another layer of dimension to the finished Oroppas blend. The Armstrong Ranch property in Diamond Mountain produces Cabernet Sauvignon with wonderful black cherry, roasted coffee, and dark chocolate characters. It also has big bold tannins and hearty structure. On the other hand, Star Vineyard in Rutherford produces Cabernet Sauvignon with a cornucopia of red, blue and black fruit flavors and aromas. It has a wonderful elegance and refined structure to it. So by blending these two very different Cabernet Sauvignons together you start to see how the Oroppas style of wine comes into fruition. Since we just finished the 2010 Harvest I thought I might share some of my thoughts on the 2010 vintage compared to the 2008 vintage. What immediately comes to mind is that they were both very challenging vintages for very different reasons. In 2008 we experienced severe frost in our mountain vineyards which reduced yields by 50% in some areas. It certainly was disappointing for our growers, but wine quality was not impacted. The 2008 vintage produced wines with delicate red fruit aromatics, subtle and elegant tannin structure, and big complexity of flavor. If you had to pin me down, I would say the 2008 vintage was comparable to the 2002 vintage. You liked the 2002 vintage. Admit it! In 2010, we had rain, heat, cold, more rain, and above average yields. But surprisingly enough, the wines from 2010 have crazy good color, beautiful intense structure, and bright fruit flavors. For a vintage that we all thought would be devastating due to the rain and sunburned fruit, I am jumping up and down with joy for the 2010 vintage. It could turn out to be a great one. I hope you enjoy the 2008 Oroppas. I think it is best when shared with family and friends, accompanied by excellent food, and of course served in a big glass! Cheers, Danielle Cyrot Winemaker, St. Clement Vineyards Don t forget that you can reorder your January club wine and save 30%! One of the benefits of your membership is access to the member only wine specials. Now through February 28th, reorder 6 or more bottles of the 2008 Oroppas and save 30%*. This is your chance to order the 2008 Oroppas before it s officially released in Hurry limited quantities! To receive your discount, please call us at *Offer available by phone or by visiting our tasting room only, valid for purchase of 6 or more bottles. Products are limited and may sell out prior to the end of the sale. Offer ends February 28,

3 Taste of the Vineyards Taste of the Valley 2008 Oroppas Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards on Diamond and Howell Mountain, as well as Mount Veeder, contributed to the blend along with valley floor fruit from Rutherford and St. Helena. The first vintage of Oroppas was in 1991, and over the years it s become a style icon for St. Clement a rich, opulent Bordeaux-style blend that showcases some of the best fruit in the Napa Valley and emphasizes concentration, depth and velvety tannins. The key to Oroppas is having a palate of consistent flavor profiles and tannin structures to work with. One of the things to mention about this memorable Harvest was the early spring frost that we had in May. Luckily, the frost had little to no impact on many of our valley floor vineyards. Color and tannin extraction have been ideal this harvest. While lower yields produced smaller berry size and good concentration. WINEMAKER S COMMENTS Fresh, complex and fruit forward, this wine opens with aromas of cranberry, black cherry and notes of coffee. On the palate, vivid fruit flavors evolve to bittersweet chocolate, cola and licorice. Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot were blended in to enhance the structure and mid-palate weight. The soft tannins are complemented by an espresso finish. Each lot was aged separately in 75 percent new French oak for nineteen months, and blended together before bottling. VARIETAL COMPOSTION: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc AppelATION Napa Valley Harvest Dates September October 2008 Case Production 6,133 (six bottle case) Retail Price $55 4 More information available at 5

4 Upcoming Events Saturday & Sunday, February 12 13, 2011 Dessert Delights Weekend Relax in front of our fireplace and indulge your palate with locally made sweet delights paired with Danielle s delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. This event will be held in our cozy Winemaker s Lounge offering a perfect little escape. Saturday, February 26, 2011 Winter Cellar Sale We re having a Cellar Sale! What better way to escape a cold winter s day than with a tasting of St. Clement s deeply discounted reds. Join us in the Winemaker s Lounge to take advantage of great pricing on some of your favorite St. Clement wines. Wine Club Sneak Peek 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Public 11:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday March 12 13, 2011 Kick- off to March Madness Discover which St. Clement wines pair best with some of your favorite sports snacks! Large bottle format discounts will be offered. Friday thru Sunday, March 18 20, 2011 Irish Weekend Celebration Show your Irish spirit at St. Clement by joining us for special Emerald Isle themed treats, and take advantage of rare large bottle format discounts. Saturday, April 23, 2011 Will Call Pick-up Party 11:00am-4:00pm Celebrate another wonderful quarter with us as you pick up your next Club shipment. We ll have special retail offerings and complimentary tastings of selected Library wines. Complimentary for Club Members Beef Tenderloin with Chanterelles Beef Tenderloin 6-ounce pieces of beef tenderloin 8 garlic cloves, sliced thinly 4 8-inch rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped from stems and stems discarded 4 bay leaves, crumbled ¼ cup corn oil Mushrooms ½ pound chanterelle mushrooms, cut into bite-sized pieces 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ¾ teaspoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Salt & pepper to taste Sour Cherry Sauce This recipe calls for dried sour cherries, which are different from more commonly found sweet cherries (usually Bing). Sour cherries are smaller and-- while too tart to eat raw--are fabulous for use in sauces and preserves. 1 tablespoon shallot, minced 1 tablespoon garlic, minced ¼ cup red wine 3 cups veal stock (or high quality, unsalted beef broth) 30 dried sour cherries Fresh lemon juice to taste Salt and pepper For Beef Tenderloin To Marinate: Remove silver skin from filets. Save any trimmings or cut a little off each filet to make sauce. Place beef into a large plastic bag; add garlic, rosemary, bay, and corn oil and gently mix. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. To Cook: Preheat oven to 400º. Remove beef from marinade being sure to pick off any hard pieces of bay, rosemary, or garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Allow beef to come to room temperature. Sear each piece over high heat in skillet filmed with olive oil, about 2 minutes on each side. While searing, do not move the filets. Remove from pan and transfer to an ovenproof dish. Finish by roasting in oven 5-7 minutes, or till desired temperature is achieved. Meat should be just firm to the touch for medium rare, 125º F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove beef from oven and let set 5 minutes before serving. For Mushrooms Add butter and olive oil to a very hot saute pan. Once butter has melted, add the mushrooms. Toss to coat well and cook for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened. Reduce to medium heat. Make a well in the center of the pan and add the garlic and parsley. Slowly incorporate garlic and parsley into the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to serve. For Sour Cherry Sauce Sear beef scraps in a large sauce pan until very golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Remove beef from pan. Drain excess oil from pan if necessary. Saute shallot and garlic 5-7 minutes, until translucent. Add red wine and cook down for another minute. Turn heat to high; add stock and cherries to pan and reduce by half. Liquid should be thick and syrupy. Season with a little salt and a splash of lemon juice. 6 7

5 Current Release White Wines 2009 Carneros Chardonnay Retail Price $19.00 Member Price $ Abbott s Vineyard Chardonnay Winery Exclusive Retail Price $25.00 Member Price $20.00 Current Release Red Wines 2006 Napa Valley Oroppas Retail Price $55.00 Member Price $ Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Retail Price $36.00 Member Price $ Stanly Ranch Syrah Winery Exclusive Retail Price $40.00 Member Price $ Progeny Vineyard, Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon Winery Exclusive, Wine Advocated Rated Steinhauer Ranch, Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon Winery Exclusive, Wine Advocate Rated Star Vineyard, Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon Winery Exclusive, Wine Spectator Rated Armstrong Ranch, Diamond Mountain District Cabernet Sauvignon Winery Exclusive, Wine Advocate Rated 89+ Order online at Don't forget! Club members receive 20% off wine purchases St. Helena Highway N St. Helena, CA Tel: wineclubinfo@stclement.com Become a fan of St. Clement on facebook. ######