New Releases
2002 Dry Creek Cabernet Sauvignon
Our Finlay's Vineyard Cabernet is produced from grapes
grown in the red soils (terroir) on the Eastern slopes of Bradford
Mountain overlooking Dry Creek Valley. The wine shows the
characteristics of a "serious Cab." The vineyard was named after
Finlay, the Ridgeback dog who guards the vineyard from intruders
(especially rabbits). The vines are over 30 years old and the grapes
produce wine with intense aromas and tastes of blueberry, cassis and
plum with spicy, cedar and clove overtones. The wine is 95%
Cabernet, 5% Merlot with a field blend of Cabernet Franc. The
concentration and ample tannic structure should allow for 8-to-10
years of bottle aging. Red meat dishes are the company of choice for
this 2002 Cabernet.
- Harvested September 2002
- Released January 2005
- 3.5 tons/ acre
- Aged 18 months in French oak barrels
- 370 cases produced
$30.00/bottle (Cellar Club Price: $24.00)
We sell out of this wine in a few months, so order the Cabernet now to ensure you will be able to enjoy this fine vintage.
2003 Russian River Chardonnay
With a sense of harmony, elegance and Burgundian-style, our 2003 Russian River Chardonnay displays notes
of fresh pineapple, citrus and crisp green apple. Overtones of toast and spice are the results of fermentation in French
oak barrels.
The "Sur Lies" aging (the wine is left in contact with the fine lees) and partial malolactic fermentation
provide fullness, liveliness and a long-lasting finish that retains the aromatic complexity of the nose and produces
a round mouth feel. Appreciate this food-friendly wine with salmon, oysters, vegetable risotto, crab and lobster or
sip as a reward after a long day.
- Harvested October 2002
- Released January 2005
- 3.0 tons/ acre
- Aged 9 months in French oak barrels (1/3 new)
- 186 cases produced
$22.00/bottle (Cellar Club Price: $17.60)
Order now for spring and summer enjoyment. Serve slightly chilled.
Futures Available for 2004 Wines
If you have never participated in our Futures program, now is the time to guarantee the availability of your
favorite Christopher Creek wine. Purchase Futures of the 2004 vintage now and receive a 30% discount. You can taste the 2004
Petite Sirah, Syrah and Dry Creek Zinfandel at Barrel Tasting Weekend (March 4-6). We feel that the 2004
was an exceptional year with a good growing season, which produced
some wonderful wines. However, the production for most of the varietals was very light. Unfortunately, this year we will
not have Viognier Futures available due to the very small crop. Call us at 707-431-8243 for assistance with your order or
order online.
Valentine's Day—Celebrate this Special Day with Wine
February 14 will be here before you know it. Time again to think of a special gift for that special someone. Let
Christopher Creek help you with a special wine. We also have available beautiful Ravenscroft lead free Crystal Decanters in five
elegant styles. Our Deux Barriques (a special blend of Petite Sirah and Russian River Zinfandel), Late Harvest Viognier or a
Petite Sirah Port make for a wonderful gift for this special day or any day. Give us a call at 707-431-8243 and let us help
you with your Valentine's Day gifts.
Petite Alert
On March 4, we will release our 2003 Estate Bottled Petite Sirah at Barrel Tasting Weekend. Our Petite Sirah is a
perennial award winner having received several Best of Class awards and numerous Gold Medals during the past 10 years. We sell out of this wine quickly, so please let us know if you are interested in purchasing the wine as soon as possible. Pre-order the
wine by faxing an order form to 707-431-0183, mail to PO Box 1205, Healdsburg, CA 95448, or email your order to
chriscrk@ix.netcom.com. Just $30.00 per bottle (Cellar Club Members $24.00). Cellar Club Members can add bottles to their
spring shipment by sending an email to
chriscrk@ix.netcom.com.
Past Newsletters
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
Russian River Wine Road Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend
Friday, March 4 to Sunday, March 6
Barrel Tasting Weekend is rolling around again. Join us for this annual event. Visit more than 100 wineries and taste
wine from their 2004 barrels. We will be open 10 am to 5 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Come sample our 2004 Petite Sirah, Syrah
and Dry Creek Zinfandel from the barrel. Futures will be available for purchase of these wines. BBQ sausages will be served on
Saturday and Sunday. Bring your own glass or purchase a logo glass at any participating winery. Come early to avoid the crowds.
2004 appears to be an exceptional year; come and see if you agree with us.
No charge. No reservations required.
Syrah Fiesta
Saturday, May 14
11 am-5 pm
Once again, we will be holding a special event at the winery pairing Mexican Food and our
Syrah Fiesta. Syrah is one
of the few red wines that compliments spicy foods. We will also barrel sample the 2004 Reserve Syrah as well as our older vintage
Syrahs.
No charge. No reservations required.
Winemaker Dinners
Jerome's Mesquite BBQ
February 24, Petaluma
Chef Frank Dodd always comes up with interesting menus. The menu will be available in the winery in late
January. Chris Russi, our winemaker, will be attending to tell you about the wines. For reservations, call 707-795-2114.
Zangria Latin Supper Club
May 16, Petaluma
Zangria specializes in tapas and Spanish favorites, featuring flamenco dancing on Saturday nights. Chef
Carlos Valdez has promised some great food pairings with our wine. Our Dry Creek Zin can be found there throughout the year.
The phone number for Zangria is 707-795-0119.
If you are interested in any of these dinners, please mark your calendars with the date and email us so we can
make sure you get a menu update closer to the event. Reservations should be made directly with the restaurant.
Winemaker Notes—
2004 Vintage
Chris Russi, Winemaker
What a fast and furious harvest. From beginning to end, it lasted only 32 days. Everything was ready at the same
time! Even with the intensity and high speed of production, we were able to manage pump-overs, or punchdowns, three times a day
and were able to ferment well-extracted, deep colored and luscious wines.
In early spring 2004 (around the middle of March), we experienced several unseasonably hot days (100+ degrees), which kicked off the growing
season, eliciting an early bud break with vigorous cane growth. The following months promised to be epic. From berry set right though verasion,
we experienced days in the ideal mid-90s with cool nights. Then came the heat. The tail end of August thrust us into the 100+ degree days that
caused accelerated fruit maturity. Our first day of harvest (Viognier) was the last day of August, about three weeks early.
The Viognier is now in a stainless steel tank getting the lees stirred once a month. We purposely inhibited malolactic fermentation to preserve
the fresh peach, apricot, honeysuckle aromatics and crisp finish. Our Syrah was harvested slowly throughout the month of September and exhibited
stellar fruit characters of blackberry, smoky dark plum, licorice, black tea and grilled herbs, finishing with rich and silky mouth filling
tannins. Again, this has proven to be a great year for our Finlay's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. The heat was good for this thick-skinned,
small-berried Dry Creek Cab (harvested September 22). The wine shows consistency with the past few years, bringing notes of bright cherry
fruit, floral violets and cocoa on the nose, finishing with well-balanced, cherry-like acidity. After racking our first two lots of Estate
Petite Sirah, I am more than pleased with the extraordinary fruit intensity and prominent inky color that is coming from these wines. The
Petite Sirah Port is again no slouch. As usual, this vintage is fortified with the prestigious Germain Robin Brandy and is giving forth
intense characters of blueberry and cocoa.
In finishing, regardless of the accelerated ripening and unusually quick harvest, I am extremely impressed with the wines of the 2004 vintage.
All of our wines have retained and developed beautiful color; they are well-balanced, and their acid levels and tannin structure will allow
them to cellar well for years to come.
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Winter
2005