We took the best components of vintages 2007 and 2008 and combined them into a single whole that proved to be better than the sum of its parts; resulting in this one-of-a-kind, extremely limited production wine. The best Bordeaux clones, three of Cabernet Sauvignon and two each of Cabernet Franc and Merlot were married with Petit Verdot through repeated tasting trials over a period of months, maximizing complexity and bringing these classic varietals into perfect balance.

This ÆROS® is our ultimate Meritage in tribute to Reynolds Gorsuch (1925-2009). As Founder of Goosecross Cellars, Rey served as a mentor to Geoff and David and was often sought out for his advice and visionary thinking. He created the preliminary concept for the ÆROS winged label and was a guiding force in Goosecross’ wine education programs. He delighted people with his viticulture tours, his stories of the native Wappo Indian history, obsidian artifacts from the Estate vineyard, and his dedication to growing and producing the best quality wines possible in Napa Valley.

Food Suggestions

Our resident chef, Colleen Topper, has selected a very special recipe to pair with this elegant wine. Try Beef Tenderloin with Coriander, Mustard & Garlic Crust from her large recipe collection.

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NV ÆROS® Napa Valley Meritage “Founder’s Tribute” is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Flavor profile: Full-bodied and rich with black cherry, blackberry, cocoa, vanilla, anise, earth and spice.
2006 Vintage: Low crop yields and a long ripening season produced small berries with great flavor intensity, deep color and firm tannins.

Drink now and through: 2015

Food Suggestions
The big, rich flavors of this Cabernet partner well with a good steak and slow- cooked dishes like osso-buco, short ribs and other hearty fare. From Colleen’s recipe collection we recommend Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Baked Garlic Butter.

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2006 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Question:

…when I go to purchase a bottle of wine — the year on the bottle — should I look for past or present years? I’m confused on this, etc: 2007 or 2008. Can you educate me on this please.

Answer:

The year on the label indicates when the grapes were harvested and made into wine. This is also known as the vintage year. Most wines made today are intended for consumption upon release with white and rose wines best within 2-3 years after the vintage and red wines best within 3-5 years. A few wines benefit from extended aging of up to 10 years, such as our Howell Mountain Cabernet, but as a rule of thumb you should be looking for vintage years that are within just a few years of today. If a wine does not have a vintage date, it is a blend of 2 or more vintages and is best to be consumed right now.

You can read more about this subject in our wine education article on Aging & Storage.

If you have a wine or food related question send it in and we might post it here on the blog. We also will answer you via email.

Which Vintage Year Should I Buy? is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Winemaker Notes
Overall, the season was a cool one, allowing for plenty of hangtime, punctuated by a few blasts of heat to bring up the sugars. Rain was about two thirds of a normal year, but the vines reacted as if there was a drought, producing unusually small grapes. The small berry size explains the tremendous intensity of color and flavor in red wines from this vintage year.

Flavor profile: Ripe black cherry, raspberry, cocoa, mocha, cinnamon, all spice, toasty oak.
2008 Vintage: A roller-coaster of a growing season yielding low quantities of high quality fruit.

Drink now and through: 2014

Food Suggestions
Enjoy our Merlot with everything from roast duck and other game birds to prime rib. It pairs well with nuts and medium-hard to hard cheeses like Comté or Aged Gouda. From Colleen’s recipe collectionwe recommend Spring Lamb with Honey-Thyme Root Vegetables.

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2008 Napa Valley Merlot is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients:
1 package (12 ounces) spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Goosecross Pinot Gris
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 cans (6.5 ounces) minced clams, reserve juice
Minced parsley, as garnish
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the spaghetti, and cook about 8 minutes or until al dente.

While spaghetti is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic in butter about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden. Add the wine and lemon juice, mix well. Stir in the dill weed, 2 tablespoons of parsley, and the clams with their juice. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer up to 5 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti (no need to rinse it). Add spaghetti to the clam sauce and toss. Ladle the spaghetti with clam sauce into individual pasta bowls, sprinkle with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Purchase the 2010 Pinot Gris in our online store

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Pinot Gris With Spaghetti & White Wine Clam Sauce is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Flavor profile: Stone fruit, crisp pear, red apple, grapefruit and pineapple with a clean, crisp finish.
2010 Vintage: A roller-coaster of a growing season requiring great patience, but yielding low quantities of outstanding fruit quality.

Drink now and through: 2013

Food Suggestions
This is a versatile wine, so enjoy it with everything from seafood, fish, and pasta with white wine sauce. From Colleen’s recipe collection we recommend Spaghetti and White Clam Sauce.

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2010 Napa Valley Pinot Gris is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Therefore, we recognize that the real battlefield between wineries today exists in the retention and the mutual lifetime value of our customer relationships.

Each day presents a new opportunity for us to meet new people and make new friends, but just as importantly, to nurture those relationships in honest and meaningful ways over the many years to come.

We welcome you to experience Goosecross Cellars –  our wines, our people, and our unique mindset!

David

The Battlefield of Mindset is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Flavor profile: Ripe cherry, raspberry, and blackcurrant with black licorice, white pepper, and mint.
2008 Vintage: A dynamic growing season with surprisingly low yields of flavorful berries showing great intensity of color and flavor

Drink now and through: 2014

Food Suggestions
This is a versatile wine, so enjoy it with everything from grilled swordfish, to poultry and veal to grilled Portobellos or a good steak. Colleen’s Kitchen has a few recipes matched with Cabernet Franc including her new Grilled Lamb Chops with Mustard-Herb Rub.

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2008 Napa Valley Cabernet Franc is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Flavor profile: Fresh and sweet with juicy pear, honeydew melon, caramelized ginger, local honey, and bursting orange peel.
2010 Vintage: A roller-coaster of a growing season requiring great patience, but yielding low quantities of outstanding fruit quality.

Drink now and through: 2013

Food Suggestions
A glass of our Orange Muscat, well chilled, is a dessert in itself. It’s a delicious partner for fruity desserts, fresh fruit and blue cheese. From Colleen’s recipe collection we recommend Poached Pears with Cider-Orange Muscat Glaze.

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2010 Mendocino County Orange Muscat is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients:

2 rib eye steaks
2 tablespoons of 5 pepper blend peppercorns
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin

For the Sauce
1/4 cup jalapeño pepper jelly
1/4 cup beef consommé
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Goosecross Tempranillo
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon brined green peppercorns

Directions:

Roughly crush the peppercorn blend and press into each steak. Place steaks in a square glass dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the steaks, making sure both sides are covered in liquid. Marinate the steaks for 2 hours at room temperature. Grill the steaks to desired doneness.

For the sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the pepper jelly, beef consommé, soy sauce, wine, vinegar, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes to reduce and concentrate the sauce. Add the brined peppercorns and simmer for a few more minutes. Set aside.

To serve, slice the steak into 1/2 slices and pour the reduction sauce over the meat. Serve with Goosecross Tempranillo.

Recommended side dishes: blanched asparagus drizzled with lemon olive oil & grated Manchego cheese with Spanish rice.

Serves 2

Discover more great recipes at Colleen’s Kitchen

Purchase the 2008 Tempranillo in our online store

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Tempranillo and Zesty Pepper Steak with Jalapeño Reduction Sauce is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients:

Organic chicken parts – 2 bone-in breasts, 2 drumsticks, 3 thighs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices applewood smoked bacon, cut into lardons
1 cup mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 shallots, minced
1-1/2 cups Goosecross Cabernet Franc
1/2 cup port
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup veal demi glace
1 teaspoon thyme, minced

Directions:

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine salt, pepper, paprika, and flour in a bag and shake chicken parts in the mixture to lightly coat. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the chicken until brown, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and add the bacon lardons. Cook until the chicken and bacon is brown, about more 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms, onion, & shallot and continue to sauté until soft, 5-7 more minutes. Add the wine, port, tomato paste, and demi glace then stir well. Sprinkle with thyme. Cover and bake in oven for 35 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice and sautéed mushrooms garnished with thyme.

Basmati Rice

1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup basmati rice
1-1/4 cups chicken broth

Melt butter & olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, stir to coat, and cook until fragrant and sizzling. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all broth is absorbed, approximately 25 minutes.

Discover more great recipes in Colleen’s Kitchen

Purchase the 2007 Goosecross Yountville Estate Cabernet Franc in our online store.

Coq au Vin With Estate Cabernet Franc is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

We never would have believed it based on the various doomsday reports that were running rampant around the Internet in 2010.

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2010 but came in significantly higher than industry experts had projected but average prices for the red and white wine grapes were down 7 percent from 2009.

Vintage 2010 Report is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Goosecross Featured on KTVU News At Noon is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

On these cold winter days we always turn to comfort food – the kind that warms us from the inside. Colleen developed the recipe for these slow-cooked short ribs to warm your kitchen and your heart. The fork-tender short ribs with their deep, smoky flavors, ancho chiles and rich cocoa sauce paired with a glass of our rich, fruity Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon are all you need to chase away the winter chill.

Ingredients:

2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded
1-1/2 cup boiling water
1 small onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon finely chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3-1/2 pounds beef short ribs
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup brewed dark roast coffee

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Soak the ancho chiles in the hot water until softened, about 20 minutes, then drain in a colander set over a bowl. Reserve the soaking liquid for braising.

In a food processor, chop the ancho chiles, onion, garlic, chipotle chiles with sauce, syrup, cocoa, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Pat the ribs dry and sprinkle with the pepper and the remaining salt. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides then remove to a plate.

Turn the heat down to medium-low, then carefully add the chile puree to the skillet and cook stirring, 5 minutes. Add the reserved chile soaking liquid and coffee and bring to a boil.

Return ribs to skillet, the liquid should come about half way up the sides of the meat. Cover tightly and braise in oven until very tender, 3 hours. Serve ribs over polenta.

Basic Polenta
4 cups water
1 cup polenta
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Directions: In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Gradually add polenta, stirring constantly until thickened, about 20 minutes. Blend in the butter. Serve with short ribs.

Serves 4

Discover more great recipes in Colleen’s Kitchen

Purchase the 2007 Goosecross Estate Cabernet Sauvignon in our online store.

Estate Cabernet and Short Ribs With Coffee Cocoa Sauce is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

And, isn’t it really hard to figure out how to fill up your love-one’s stocking? We’re here, to the rescue!!

Many of these things are available here (surprise, surprise)! Come see us! And those that aren’t can probably be found at your local wine shop or just Google the item.

Here goes with our top 8  suggestions for the wine geek on your list:

8. Champagne stopper(s) You can never have too many of these because they’re always getting lost (don’t ask me how – just do what I do – blame the cat).

7. De Long’s Wine Grape Varietal Table This is a really fun poster with info about at least a zillion varieties. If you recognize every grape on this chart, seriously, you need to get a life! Great for your cellar or wine-storage area. We have it (tasting room only) – come see us! Or try Amazon.

6. Wine Away This stuff really works! Never go wine-tasting without this magic potion that takes the stains out of your poor, Syrah-spotted shirt! We have it here – come see us!

5. There’s also a wine-away, of sorts, for your teeth. It’s called Wine Wipes. We have them here (tasting room; or call us to have them shipped – soon!) – c’mon in and stain your teeth royally with our Cab. Then use the wipes and dazzle everyone with your brilliant smile!

4. Private Preserve This is another thing you’re always happy to have around (spray it into your unfinished bottle so it doesn’t spoil). It works! We have it !

3. Foil Cutter(s) Every time I have to remove the foil with the old waiter’s corkscrew, I wish I had one of these in my pocket. We also have a corkscrew with a built-in foil cutter in our tasting room and online wine shop!

2. Deal of the century! Gift certificate from Goosecross at a 25% discount! You’ll appear to be even more generous than you are Just call 800-276-9210 to get a $100.00 certificate for only $75.00. Oh! You can get larger (but not smaller) amounts, too, also at a 25% discount. No expiration on these babies. Very cool!

Drum roll…

The #1 stocking stuffer for 2010: An actual bottle of delicious wine! This will, of course, fill up the stocking, but you’ve accomplished two good things:1) solved your problem 2) made someone really happy

Happy hunting! And stuffing! And, to quote friend, Diane, “I wish you the loveliest of Christmas memories and pray that our New Year will bring the world as many miracles as possible”.

Our Top 8 Stocking Stuffers for your Favorite Wine Geek! is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Warning! It’s not a slam dunk. Most of the time pairing with and food is really easy  because wine’s structure makes it a natural partner. But, serving dry wine with sweet food takes a little thought because the sweetness of the food can make the dry wine seem sour. Think chocolate cake with lemonade – yuk!

But, the pairing is definitely do-able and when it comes together right, it’s really quite wonderful! So, here are some tips:

1.Chocolate and dry wine: If you want to pair chocolate with dry table wine, like a good Cab, Merlot or Zin your best bet it to go with dark, bitter and bittersweet chocolate with a high cacao content. Bitter nuts, like walnuts and hazelnuts help. So does espresso or coffee. And, berry fillings if they aren’t too sweet. And, in this day of chocolates with unorthodox fillings, I’ll recommend black pepper — maybe it’s out there, and its bitterness is a great bridge builder.

2. Chocolate and sweet wine: Now, this is MUCH easier! Because chocolate is a strong flavor, red dessert wines like late-harvest Zinfandel, Port and Banyuls wine are a good way to go but you won’t have any sourness problems with other choices like Sauternes, sweet Madeira (Malmsey) or Tokaji. Or, even a sweet Muscat, like our Muscat Canelli.

3. Nuts are a great thing! Nutty fillings are delicious with nutty, sweet Sherry (Pedro Ximenez), tawny Port and Madeira.

4. When caramel is in the mix: Keep in mind caramel is very sweet, but it also presents a luscious opportunity: Vin Santo, tawny Port and Madeira have wonderfully caramelized flavors and will be yummy partners!

5. Have you ever seen a whole bottle of wine, dipped in a 1/2 pound of chocolate??? Talk about decadent! Great Christmas gift! We have them! Cheers!

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5 Tips for Pairing Wine with Chocolate is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

a) 6 months

b) 1-2 years

c) 3-4 years

d) 5-6 years

What do you think? Two ways to find out:

1: Come for a visit and ask us!

2: Play our Wine Trivia game!

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Wine Trivia du Jour is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

#2: Whites are most versatile if they’re crisp and low oak: Sauvignon Blanc, sparkling wine, our Chardonnay, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling

#3: Keep the reds relatively low alcohol and low tannin (Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Beaujolais Nouveau, lighter Zins (check the alcohol before you buy)

#4: Don’t overlook rosé wine – very versatile, especially when it’s dry!

#5! Buy it on sale! Guess what – we’re having one!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Goosecross!

5 Tips for Buying Wine for Thanksgiving is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Stock up for the Holidays on your favorite Goosecross wines including:

• Sauvignon Blanc
• Chardonnay
• Viognier
• Chenin Blanc (dry) – new!
• Chenin Blanc (semi-sweet)
• Muscat Canelli (sweet)
• Pinot Noir – new!
• Merlot
• Cabernet Franc
• Tempranillo – new!
• Syrah
• Napa Cabernet
• Howell Mountain Cabernet
• Petit Verdot – new!

Select your discount: 3 ways to SAVE!

10% off Wine purchase of 1-12 bottles
Use coupon code [coupon code="10HARVEST10" /]

15% off Wine purchase of 13-24 bottles
Use coupon code [coupon code="10HARVEST15" /]

20% off Wine purchase of 25+ bottles
Use coupon code [coupon code="10HARVEST20" /]

Shipping is included with all 12-bottle case purchases
(mix & match)

For additional assistance, pricing, and information about our wines call us at (800) 276-9210

Offer expires November 30, 2010
Cannot be combined with any other offers including regular wine club
discounts MA & NJ: Order by November 4th for Thanksgiving delivery
All other states: Order by November 21st for Thanksgiving delivery

Harvest the Savings from Goosecross! is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

a) Merit-tahzh

b) Like “heritage”

Wine Trivia du Jour is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

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Make Your Own Meritage at Goosecross is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

What do you think? 

Wine Trivia du Jour is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

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Punching Down the Cap is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

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Goosecross 25th Anniversary Gala is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.

Here, you see ordinary springtime shoot thinning, which is done to assure we don’t have too many shoots, and therefore, clusters (too many shoots cause crowding; flavor intensity suffers with too much crop):

The first cluster thinning normally happens right after flowering. If there are more clusters than we anticipated or more than we believe the vine can ripen with good flavor intensity we thin out some of the immature grapes.

But, we had some very  bushy vines this year, thanks to heavy rainfall in May (not normal). It’s important to keep the “canopy” of leaves open so air flow is good and mildew is under control, so more thinning:

And, then came the “Summer of no Summer”. Cool, damp conditions added to the normal mildew pressure, so gotta keep the canopy open!

Cluster thinning at veraison (when the grapes change color) is quite common (we have our winemaker on video kind of thinking aloud as he thins):

The “summer of no summer” came to an abrupt end in mid September, when we had a severe, 3-day heat wave!  The vines weren’t acclimated to the heat and all that shoot and leaf thinning left the clusters rather exposed. Result: dehydration!

So, more cluster thinning:

And, again more heat a few weeks ago!  More thinning:

So, the 2010 vintage may not be plentiful, but we’ve saved all the good ones for you!

This is one of the most challenging harvests ever, according to a number of growers. After a very cool summer and long ripening season the outlook for quality, for those who have taken the trouble to thin, should be very high. We expect to wrap up the 2010 harvest tomorrow with estate Petit Verdot and the rest of the estate Cabernet. Cheers!

The Incredible Shrinking Vintage is a post from Goosecross Cellars. Copyright © 2011 Goosecross Cellars, All Rights Reserved.