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Home , Black pepper, Horseradish

WINE CLUB NEWSLETTER | DECEMBER 2012

‘TIS THE SEASON for holiday traditions, special memories, joy and good cheer. At Girard, we believe the wine makes the meal, so have something for everyone at the holiday table! We’ve paired our Wine Club releases with seasonal dishes to suit every palate. All of us at Girard wish you a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support. Cheers! –The Girard Club Team

FEATURED RECIPE: Preparation: & -Crusted Prime Rib with 1. With a small, sharp knife, make small slits all over meat and Fresh insert a piece of in each. 2. In a small bowl, combine oil, , , and cracked pepper. Rub mixture all over ; wrap meat airtight in plastic wrap and chill overnight. 3. Remove beef from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 450°. Set roast fat side up, in a roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix salt with 2 tablespoons cold water to moisten. Press mixture over entire surface of meat. 4. Roast for 25 minutes, and then lower oven temperature to 350°. Continue roasting until a thermometer inserted into thickest part reads 125° for rare (or 130° for medium-rare), 1½ to 2 hours longer. Let it rest in a warm place 30-40 minutes. 5. Scrape as much salt off roast as you can. If it is tied, cut twine Ingredients: holding meat and bones. Transfer roast to a cutting board, cut meat into 1/3-to1/2-inch thick slices, and arrange on platter. • 1 four-rib roast (about 8 lbs.), fat trimmed to ¼ inch Cut between bones, if you have them, and add to platter. or 1 tied bonded beef cross-rib roast (4-6 lbs.) • 8 garlic , slivered lengthwise 6. Serve with fresh horseradish sauce (see below) and a glass of • ½ cup extra-virgin Girard . • ¼ cup chopped fresh rosemary Fresh Horseradish Sauce • ¼ cup chopped fresh thyme • 3 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns Peel ¼ lb. fresh horseradish with a vegetable peeler. Grate • 1 cup coarse sea salt finely or finely chop in a food processor. In a small bowl, mix • ¼ lb fresh horseradish root horseradish with 2 tablespoons white wine . In another • 2 tbsp. white wine vinegar bowl, whisk 1½ cups crème fraiche or sour cream until slightly • 1 ½ cup crème fraiche or sour cream thickened. Stir in horseradish mixture or prepared horseradish, • 3 tbs. chopped flat-leaf 3 tbs. chopped flat-leaf parsley, and salt and freshly ground black • Salt and pepper to .

6795 WASHINGTON STREET YOUNTVILLE, CA 94599 | 707.921.2898 | www.girardwinery.com CABERNET SAUVIGNON PREFERENCE

All NEW Vintage Releases! Each Cabernet Sauvignon selected for your December allocation is drinking well now, but will benefit from decanting. With time to open, the tannins integrate and complement the and toasted oak characteristics. Our Cabernets will continue to develop beautifully over the next 5 to10 years.

2009 MT. VEEDER CABERNET SAUVIGNON Aromas of blackberry , , , and toasted open in the glass. The palate accents plum skins and leather. Great structure on the mid-palate leads to well-integrated tannins, and an incredibly long finish highlighted with juicy dark fruit. Winemaking: Most of the 2009 vintage went well with relatively mild weather. A pair of storms in October caused many to pick earlier than usual. We chose to wait and found it paid off with dynamite colors, extraction and flavor! Drinking excellent now, but will continue to age well over the next 5-7 years. Recommended Food Pairing: Try pairing with veal chops or beef tenderloin with Parmesan-prosciutto crisps. Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Appellation: Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley Alcohol: 15.2% pH 3.67 TA .705 g/100ml Retail Value: $75.00 Club Price: $60.00

2010 DIAMOND MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON Notes of intense red fruit perfumed with ground peppercorns and hints of and . Flavors of blackberry, , and dusty mocha join silky tannins layered throughout a smooth finish. As one of our food-friendliest Cabernet’s, this one is ready to sip and share! Winemaking: Sourcing Cabernet from the Diamond Mountain District of Napa, we found the balance of flavor components and acidity which developed a concentrated fruit character with great tannin structure. The 2010 vintage as a whole was a much cooler and longer vintage than previous years. This resulted in less overall tonnage, which helped to concentrate flavors. Recommended Food Pairing: Excellent alongside a prime rib with thyme au jus and a side of parsnip-horseradish mash. Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Appellation: Diamond Mountain District, Napa Valley Alcohol: 14.85% pH: 3.5 TA: .735 g/100ml Retail Price: $75.00 Club Price: $60.00

2009 SPRING MOUNTAIN CABERNET SAUVIGNON - WINEMAKER’S SELECTION Aromas of spice with a candied fruit layer meld with flavors of raspberry, cassis and currant. Darker flavors of cocoa and espresso emerge to add even greater variety to the rich experience. As the wine opens, intriguing elements of toasted almonds, raspberry jam, and mineral earthiness unfold into well-integrated tannins. The finish is long and complex. This vintage will age gracefully for 5 to 10 years; in its youth, it will benefit from decanting. Winemaking: Most of the 2009 vintage went well with a relatively mild weather. A pair of storms in October caused many to pick earlier. We chose to wait and found it paid off with dynamite colors, extraction and flavor! Recommended Food Pairings: Uncork with a filet mignon topped with rosemary and wild . Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Appellation: Spring Mountain, Napa Valley Alcohol: 15.2% pH 3.43 TA 0.705 g/100ml Retail Value: $75.00 Club Price: $60.00

2009 ATLAS PEAK CABERNET SAUVIGNON Sweet cedar spice and freshly cracked pepper accent dark liqueur and coffee notes. Intense flavors of currant coat the palate and intermingle with hints of dark cocoa and tobacco. Bright acidity and firm tannin leaves a lasting impression of a wine with promise to age well. Winemaking: Our vineyard source is small, just under two acres and yields are very small, averaging 1-1/2 tons per acre. Berry and cluster size are tiny and typically have concentrated red fruit character. A certain minerality helps lift the fruit character, which in Spring Mountain leans more to the red fruit notes, versus darker fruit. Recommended Food Pairing: Braised short ribs and roasted herbed root vegetable ragout. Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon Appellation: Atlas Peak, Napa Valley Alcohol: 15.2% pH: 3.62 TA: 6.7 g/100ml Retail Price: $75.00 Club Price: $60.00

6795 WASHINGTON STREET YOUNTVILLE, CA 94599 | 707.921.2898 | www.girardwinery.com