V I N T A G E R E S E R V E C L U B C L A S S I C N E W S L E T T E R S P R I N G

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1 V I N T A G E R E S E R V E C L U B C L A S S I C N E W S L E T T E R S P R I N G v i n t a g e r e s e r v e c l u b

2 Springtime Has Arrived! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing and the sun reminds us that spring has arrived. Chateau Ste. Michelle invites you to our beautiful grounds to immerse yourself in the changing season, sample our new wines, and enjoy your VIP status as Vintage Reserve Club members. Our delicious 2008 Ethos Chardonnay pairs well with a creamy pasta, risotto, or grilled salmon and our 2007 Malbec from the Wahluke Slope AVA, with aromas of sweet vanilla and floral notes compliments both grilled skirt steak and pork tenderloin. These two wines are the perfect way to toast spring and welcome the sun! We know you will enjoy these selections and hope to see you soon at the winery. Welcome Spring! Lynetta Showaker, Vintage Reserve Club Lead Concierge ste-michelle.com/wineclub

3 N o t e s f r o m t h e W i n e m a k e r 2008 Ethos Chardonnay Historically, when we search for the very unique and special style of Chardonnay barrels that go into our Ethos blend, a majority has come from our Canoe Ridge Estate and Cold Creek vineyards. The Canoe Ridge always adds the elegance and balance and the Cold Creek provides weight and structure, hence age ability. But we never stop looking...and in 2008 we had a vineyard come to us from left field to make the blend for the first time. The Horse Heaven Vineyard is better known to Ste. Michelle fans as our Sauvignon Blanc vineyard well guess what...there are some amazing old vine blocks of Chardonnay on the north side of the vineyard that could now be named the comeback player of the year. This is why we carefully taste through ALL of our Chardonnays before trying to make our Ethos blend. I really love the harmony that all three vineyards provide to this year s blend, with the Horse Heaven providing some nice apple notes with beautiful aromatics for the first time. The blend is a great mix of 46% Horse Heaven, 25% Canoe Ridge Estate, 19% Cold Creek, 5% Indian Wells and 5% Yakima Valley. The blend was 100% barrel fermented on lees for 10 months with 55% new French oak and about 50% natural yeast fermentations providing the integration and complexity. This Chardonnay is truly an expression of the winemaking team looking at old world models in the midst of our beautiful Washington state Chardonnays. It will benefit from 4-5 years of aging if you can wait that long. Enjoy! Bob Bertheau, Winemaker 2007 Malbec A new and rising star to the Washington red scene is Malbec. Long used as a minor blending variety in Bordeaux and seemingly more famous from old vines grown in Argentina, it seems Malbec feels right at home here in Washington State. I only get access to a few blocks a year, but they invariably make it into our Artist Series year after year. Now for a few years we have been showing it on its own to our club members with tremendous response... and I honestly think this one is the best yet. When we look at making a single varietal wine with no vineyard designation, we look to blend vineyards for complexity and harmony. But when we tasted the 2007 Indian Wells Vineyard Malbec, we were hooked from day one and kept an open mind to blending (it made the 2007 Artist Series blend) but decided to show it all by itself! Rich dark chocolate, raspberry preserves and a full powerful fruit driven finish, this younger block from our venerable vineyard on the Wahluke Slope showed just too darn well to allow it to slip into a blend and get lost. Some wines don t need blending - so we show you the 2007 Indian Wells Vineyard Malbec in its true, beautiful unblended state. Enjoy! Bob Bertheau, Winemaker v i n t a g e r e s e r v e c l u b

4 C l u b S e l e c t i o n s 2008 Ethos Chardonnay Columbia Valley My goal each year for Ethos Chardonnay is to create a wine blending old-world complexity and elegance with Washington s concentrated fruit flavors. The 2008 Ethos is a blend of grapes from five superlative Columbia Valley vineyards. As usual, it s wonderfully refined, with beautiful fruit and understated spice. Delicious now with salmon, veal and lighter pastas, it will age beautifully in the bottle for another 3-4 years. Bob Bertheau, Winemaker Analysis At Bottling Vintage A perfect ripening season with full crop yields, and restrained sugar levels led to outstanding wines from Washington State s Columbia Valley in Delayed slightly by cool spring weather and a moderate summer, harvest began 10 days later than normal. Hot weather in August Blend 100% Chardonnay provided ideal ripening conditions for grapes across all varietals and harvest was quickly ramped up in order to obtain fruit at the optimum ripeness. Alcohol 14.5% Total Acidity ph g/100 ml Vineyards Nearly half of the blend came from our Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard. Horse Heaven Vineyard is located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA and adjacent to the Columbia River in Paterson, Washington. This vineyard is characterized by gentle south facing slopes, sandy loam soil and a long growing season. Winemaking 49% of the blend underwent natural fermentation for more interesting nuances and complexity. Individual lots were managed separately, allowing the winemaker to identify the best lots for Ethos. 100% sur lie aged for 9.5 months in French oak to integrate the fruit and oak flavors and provide a rich mouthfeel. Retail Price $30.00 Member Re-order Price $21.00 tasting notes Club members receive 30% off retail on this club selection through June 14th, ste-michelle.com/wineclub

5 Wa h l u k e S l o p e M a l b e c While Malbec is known as a classic Bordeaux blending varietal, we chose to showcase it on its own in this special bottling. Aromas of sweet vanilla and floral notes grace the nose, while bright plum flavors give way to a caramel and blueberry finish. Bob Bertheau, Winemaker Analysis At Bottling Blend Alcohol 14.5% Total Acidity ph % Malbec 0.55g/100 ml Vintage The 2007 growing season was similar to the 2005 vintage warm at the beginning and average temperatures throughout the rest of the season with excellent ripening conditions. In May, two weeks before bloom, we saw a week of 100 degree temperatures. The hot temperatures also resulted in smaller berries with concentrated flavors. Vineyards 100% of the fruit was sourced from the Wahluke Slope, a warm region known for ripe, jammy reds. This gives the wine the backbone and fruit driven qualities. Our most northern growing area, the Wahluke Slope is bordered on both the west and the south by the Columbia River. Winemaking Ripe grapes were destemmed, crushed and inoculated with various strains of yeast to maximize complexity. Every ferment is tasted every day to evaluate the evolution of the tannins, modify extraction techniques and find the right moment to drain the wine off of its skins. Retail Price $25.00 Member Re-order Price $17.50 tasting notes Club members receive 30% off retail on this club selection through June 14th, v i n t a g e r e s e r v e c l u b

6 R e c i p e 1 Ingredients 12 oz Arborio Rice ½ c ½ c Diced Fennel Diced Onion 3 cloves Garlic, minced 1 pound Mixed Mushrooms, chopped 1 tsp Dried porcini mushroom, ground ½ c Chardonnay 6 c Chicken, Vegetable stock, or water 2 tsp Lemon Zest 1 tsp Thyme, chopped 2 Tbsp Parsley. chopped 1 Tbsp lemon juice ½ c Parmesan cheese W i l d M u s h r o o m R i s o t t o w i t h W h i t e Tr u f f l e O i l R e c i p e p r o v i d e d b y C h e f S c o t t H a r b e r t s, C h a t e a u S t e. M i c h e l l e 1 tsp + White Truffle oil Salt and pepper to taste ¼ c Olive Oil S e r v e s 8 ste-michelle.com/wineclub

7 2 Preparation Heat a sauté pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook the mushrooms with a pinch of salt until well browned, about 7 minutes. Set aside. Place the stock of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to sit. Over medium, heat a sauce pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and fennel and cook until well sweated, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Pour the remaining tablespoon of oil into the pan and add the rice. Cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the chardonnay and 1 cup of the stock. Cook while stirring until the liquid is absorbed. Add the remaining liquid 1/2 cup at a time, waiting for it to absorb before adding more until the rice is tender, or al dente. Turn off heat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. best paired with Chateau Ste Michelle 2008 Ethos Chardonnay v i n t a g e r e s e r v e c l u b

8 U p c o m i n g E v e n t s Riesling Rendezvous Grand Tasting Our Riesling Rendezvous Grand Tasting provides wine lovers with an unprecedented opportunity to sample a wide range of the worlds finest Rieslings and meet the vintners who make them. This event is hosted by Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen, from the famed Riesling Estate in Germany s Mosel district, of which there is a collaboration to produce Eroica Riesling. Winemakers from around the globe will be on hand to celebrate the incredible quality and versatility of the Riesling grape. July 11, 5:00-8:00 pm $60/person ($50 for VRC members) Tickets go on sale April 7, at ste-michelle.com. John Sarich Book Release Party Join us as we celebrate the release of our Culinary Director John Sarich s new travel cookbook Chef in the Vineyard. Enjoy appetizers from the book paired with Chateau Ste. Michelle spring release wines. John will be on hand to share his discoveries of his favorite wine estates from Washington, Oregon and California and the delicious recipes he created to pair with the wines. April 22, Save the Date! Details coming soon at ste-michelle.com Evenings of Wine & Cheese Join us in our wine shop as we pour our award winning wine with gourmet Cheeses that enhance the wine tasting experience. No reservations are necessary. Wednesday, April 21st, :00pm to 7:00pm Wednesday, May 12th, :00pm to 7:00pm $20.00 per person (VRC member price $15.00) Wine and Women Come meet other women in the community, share some wine and enjoy shopping in our beautiful wine shop. Local vendors will be attending to share exciting items and ideas. Sunday, May 2nd 1:00 3:00 pm Admission is free! Visit us at ste-michelle.com/facebook and follow us at ste-michelle.com/twitter A S t e l l a r s t a r t t o begins with high praise and outstanding scores for our Chateau Ste. Michelle wine. Here is a glimpse at some of the acclaim we received: 2008 Columbia Valley Chardonnay 90 points, Best Value Bright and jazzy, with pretty pineapple, grapefruit, elderflower and spice flavors that linger on the finish without excess weight. This just floats on for a while. Wine Spectator, 2/28/ Artist Series Meritage, Columbia Valley 90 points Firm, focused and generous with its ripe currant, plum and spice flavors, picking up a green tobacco note as the finish persists against refined tannins. Wine Spectator, 2/28/ Horse Heaven Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills 90 points Bright and vibrant, playing grapefruit and lime against pretty floral and mint notes, lingering teasingly. Wine Spectator, 2/28/ Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley 90 points This lively, refreshing wine has a delicately sweet edge to its pear and floral flavors, lingering effectively on the focused finish. Wine Spectator, 2/28/2010 Give the Gift of Club Give the gift of great wines and special discounts to the wine lover in your life. Vintage Reserve Club gift memberships are great birthday, anniversary and holiday gifts, plus you receive 20% off the first gift shipment! For more information or to order, visit us at ste-michelle.com/wineclub, info@reserveclub.com or call (800) between the hours of 10 AM and 5 PM PST daily. Item # Chateau Ste. Michelle Vineyards & Wineries, Woodinville, WA WSLCB # ste-michelle.com/wineclub