New Release
2007 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
- Harvested September 24, 2008
- 3.5 tons/acre
- Aged 18 months in French oak barrels
- pH 3.45 at bottling
- Released January 2010
- 487 cases produced
Bottle Price $32 (Cellar Club price
$25.60)
2008 Dry Creek Zinfandel
The 2008 Dry Creek Zinfandel is the 11th vintage for Christopher Creek Winery. We produced this wine from the grapes grown at two vineyards with vines of varying ages, each contributing their own characteristics. The wine was produced by fermenting the grapes in small open top tanks with 2 punch downs daily to every pump over. After 2 weeks the wine was transferred to a mixture of 65% American Oak
and 35% French Oak Barrels (25% new). Classical Dry Creek Zinfandel in style, the wine exhibits a medium-dry ruby hue with raspberry fruit, hints of vanilla and
caramel, black pepper, clove, and cherry
pie with juicy mouth feel, a rich mid pallet and a long spicy finish than lingers. While still quite young, this intense, perfectly balanced and bright wine is remarkably approachable with medium tannins and
aging potential of about 3-4 years. The wine pairs wonderfully with risotto, pasta, turkey, duck, lamb or chicken. Our past vintages have been multiple Gold Medal and Best of Class winners.
- Harvested September 15 & 18, 2008
- 3 tons/acre
- Aged in French oak barrels
- 355 cases produced
- Released January 2010
$26 bottle price (Cellar Club price
$20.80)
Futures Available for Purchase of 2009 Wines
If you have never participated in our Futures program, now is the time. Guarantee the availability of your favorite Christopher Creek wine. Purchase Futures of the 2009 vintage now and receive a 30% discount. You can taste the 2009 Estate
Bottled Reserve Petite Sirah, Estate Bottled Syrah and Dry Creek Zinfandel at Barrel Tasting Weekends. Christopher Creek will be open for tasting as well on Friday, March 5th and Friday, March 12th. 2009 is another great year.
Call us at 707 431-8243 for assistance with you order. The 2008 Futures of Estate Bottled Petite Sirah, Estate Bottled Syrah and Dry Creek Zinfandel will be available for
pickup at the Barrel Weekends Event. We will be open at 10 am on both Saturday and Sunday of each weekend.
Past Newsletters
Fall 2009
2007 Russian River Estate Bottled Reserve Syrah Profile.
Summer 2009
2007 Estate Bottled Reserve Syrah Released; Awards.
Spring 2009
2007 Estate Reserve Petite Sirah Released, Awards
2007 Russian river Estate Syrah Released, Wine Style Profiles.
Winter 2009
2006 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007 Sapphire Hill Vineyard
Chardonnay, 2008 Vintage Notes.
Fall 2008
2006 Russian River Zinfandel, 2005 Deux Barriques.
Summer 2008
Russian river Estate Bottled 2006 Reserve Syrah; 2004 Russian
River Petite Sirah; Awards.
Winter 2008
New Releases: 2005 Dry Creek Cabernet, 2006 Sapphire Hill
Chardonnay; 2007 Winemaker Notes.
Spring 2008
New Releases: 2006 Estate Reserve Petite Sirah, 2006 Russian
river Estate Syrah.
Winter 2008
New Releases: 2005 Dry Creek Cabernet, 2006 Sapphire Hill
Chardonnay; 2007 Winemaker Notes.
Fall 2007
New Release: 2005 Russian River Zinfandel, Holiday Gifts.
Summer 2007
New Releases: 2005 Russian River Estate Bottled Reserve Syrah, 2006 "Catie's Corner" Viognier; Awards.
Spring 2007
New Releases: 2005 Estate Petite Sirah, 2005 Dry Creek Zinfandel,
2005 Russian River Estate Syrah; Wine Profile Feature Announced.
Winter 2007 2004 Dry Creek Cabernet, 2005
Dry Creek Zinfandel, 2006 Vintage Notes.
Fall 2006 2004 Russian River Zinfandel, Deux
Barriques,
Christopher Creek Fan Mail.
Summer 2006 2004 Estate Bottled
Russian River Reserve Syrah, 2005 Catie's Corner Russian River Viognier,
Christopher Creek in the News, Awards.
Spring 2006 2004 Estate
Reserve Petite Sirah, 2004 Russian River Estate Syrah, Awards,
2005 Futures.
Winter 2006
2003 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004 Russian River Chardonnay, 2005 Vintage Notes,
Christopher Creek in The Wall Street Journal, Replanting.
Fall 2005
Christopher Creek in The Wall Street Journal, 2003 Russian River Zinfandel, 2001 Deux Barriques
Summer 2005
Estate Bottled Russian River 2003 Reserve Syrah, Catie's Corner Russian River 2004
Viognier, Awards
Spring 2005
2003 Petite Sirah, 2003 Russian River Estate Bottled Syrah, Awards
Winter 2005
2002 Dry Creek Cabernet, 2003 Russian River Chardonnay
Fall 2004 2002 Russian River Zinfandel
Summer 2004 Estate Bottled
Russian River 2002 Reserve Syrah, Catie's Corner Russian River 2003 Viognier, Simple Steps to Decanting
Spring 2004 30th Anniversary of Christopher Creek Winery, 2002 Estate Bottled Syrah, 2002 Petite Sirah
Winter 2003 2001 Dry
Creek Cabernet, 2002 Russian River Chardonnay
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Upcoming Events
Spring Fest—
Saturday, May 8
11 am to 5 pm
Join the Eastside wineries for a Special Spring Event. Food will be served. There is a $20 charge which includes a glass and special savings coupon. Tickets can be purchased the day of the event at any participating winery and no
reservations are required.
Winter Wineland—
Saturday, January 16 and
Sunday, January 17
10 am to 5 pm
Attend this Russian River Wine Road Event with more
than 100+ wineries participating. Be the first to barrel sample
the 2009 Christopher Creek Petite Sirah, as well as our Syrah and
Dry Creek Zinfandel at this event. We will be serving food.
Futures will be available for purchase. Tickets are available
two months before the event by either calling (800) 723-6336 or
visiting the website at
www.wineroad.com.
Ashley's Meritage—
We are pleased to introduce Ashley’s Meritage. A Bordeaux blend of Cab Franc, Cab Sauvignon and Merlot, this wine will be released Fall 2010. Aged in French Oak Barrels (35% new) with
tastes of blueberry, blackberry and cherry and with a balanced mouth feel, we expect this wine to age for 10-12 years. Ashley is our grand daughter who is very excited about the label. The
wine is available on a presale and may be added to Fall Cellar Club Shipments.
You will be able to sample the blend at Barrel Weekends in March. We are excited to be able to offer this limited production wine (only 150 cases) to our cellar club members at a introductory
30% discount. Release price will be $40.00.
Two Barrel Weekends
for 2010
The Russian River Wineroad, sponsor of “Barrel Weekend”, has expanded the event to two weekends March 6
and 7 plus March 13 and 14 to offer more people the opportunity to enjoy tasting wines out of the barrel This year, Christopher Creek will also be open on Friday, March 5 then again on Friday, March 12. The event starts each day at Christopher Creek at 10 am and ends at 4 pm. Both weekends, we will barrel sample the 2009 Estate Bottled Reserve Petite Sirah, 2009 Dry Creek Zinfandel, 2009 Estate Bottled Syrah. Futures
of these wines will be available for purchase as well as a special pre-sale offer on our 2008 Ashley’s Meritage. Food will be served on Saturday and Sunday of both weekends.
This year order tickets in advance and save. Tickets are available on line at
wineroad.com from January 18 –March 1 for $20 per person . If you wait and buy your ticket at the door, the price will be $30 per person. The tickets are good for only one
weekend. We recommend you visit our winery on Friday, March 5 or March 12 to avoid the crowds and pick up Futures of the 2008 wines that you ordered (Syrah, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel). We will also be selling tickets on Friday, so get you wrist-
band and glass before the crowds on Saturday and Sunday.
2009 Vintage Notes
by Todd Crowell, Winemaker
The 2009 vintage was about as perfect as it gets in Sonoma County. An ideal growing season, coupled with a long hang-time produced grapes with incredible flavor and balance at relatively low sugar levels. These grapes enabled us to produce
wines with intense flavor and structure, without excessive alcohol.
The growing season started with worries about water—not
enough of it. A heavy rain in May eased some of the worries, and
provided sufficient ground water for the growing vines. The lack of rain during winter stressed the vine just enough so the flavor intensity of the fruit increased dramatically. A cool summer allowed the grapes to ripen slowly, also increasing flavor concentration.
During the early summer months, I was extremely optimistic with the
slow, even ripening in all of our vineyards. The grapes, from berry
set through verasion (color) were experiencing “perfect” days (85-90
degree F with cool 55 degree nights). Then the heat came. Right
around the last five days of August, when the grapes were at about
22 to 23.5 degrees brix, the heat spell set in.
The first grapes (Syrah) were harvested September 16h, a full two weeks later than last year. Over the next week, the remainder of the Syrah was picked as well as the Viognier.
The next week focused on Zinfandel and Petite Sirah. The Zin had a concentration of color and flavor that was the most intense I have seen. The Petite Sirah was rich and inky as always, with an impeccable balance. The first two weeks of
October we brought in the remainder of our fruit with the exception of the Late Harvest Viognier. The “Bordeaux” varietals from our ranch on Bradford Mountain showed amazing rich dark flavors, with a refreshing acidity that perfectly balances
the wine. The Late Harvest Viognier came in on November 4th, at 41 degrees brix. A typical table wine is harvested at around 24 degree brix or % sugar. This produced a “nectar” that is 18% sugar and 13% alcohol, with dramatic flavors of
pineapple, apricot, white peach and brown spice.
I believe the 2009 vintage will be heralded as the best of the decade. The wines produced have an unrivaled intensity,
and yet remain perfectly balanced. It will be fascinating to
monitor these wines as they develop and mature, and extremely rewarding to see them enjoyed by all of you. Join us at Barrel Weekend to sample the best….
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Winter
2010