Please Share the Cutrer Responsibly.
©2014 Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Windsor, Sonoma County, California
Recipes courtesy of Chef John Ash © 2014
SONOMA-CUTRER
Winter 2014 RECIPES
THE WINES of SONOMA-CUTRER
The wines of Sonoma-Cutrer express a partnership
with nature, resulting in world-class Chardonnays
and Pinot Noirs. At every step from the vineyard to
the bottle, the winery nurtures our wines to reflect
their unique terroir. Each is a study in elegance
and complexity, developing their own distinctive
character and leading to a long, exquisite finish
with beautifully balanced fruit and acidity. The
result, vintage after vintage, is noble wines that
eloquently express our winemaking vision.
RUSSIAN RIVER
RANCHES
CHARDONNAY
Vintage 2012
Sonoma Coast
Estate Bottled Chardonnay
OBSERVATIONS on a
NEW VINTAGE
The season started with less than average
rainfall, but perfect spring weather
arrived in April and led to a nice, even
bloom, setting the stage for an outstanding year. The excellent weather continued throughout the summer with no
extreme weather events. The harvest
began on September 5, and the beautiful
cool evenings and warm sunny
afternoons provided ideal conditions that
allowed the fruit to ripen slowly. Several
nice hot days at the very end of September
got everything moving along and we
finished the harvest on October 18. The
fruit had a classic golden hue, lovely
flavors and nice acidity. Quality and
quantity don’t often go hand in hand,
but the season provided the winemakers
with an abundance of outstanding fruit
from which to craft this 2012 vintage.
OUR ESTATE VINEYARDS
Russian River Ranches is a cuvée of distinct vineyard lots, each contributing its own
personality to the wine. Our Vine Hill Vineyard’s quick-draining, sandy, clay soils
produce smaller berries, lower yields and add concentrated flavors in the blend. The
younger Owsley Ranch stands closest to the Pacific Ocean and is influenced by
cooling fog that adds a depth of character to the wine. At Shiloh in the Mayacamas
Range, the warmer climate produces riper, more full-bodied fruit. The Kent Vineyard
with its cool mornings allows for extended maturation and adds backbone and
elegance. And The Cutrer Vineyard, with its collection of unique, small vineyard
blocks provides us a spice rack of flavors. These vineyards come together to create a
Chardonnay that is consistent from year to year, and remains among the most coveted
in each and every vintage.
ON THE WINE
Grapes were harvested starting in the early mornings and then cooled down to
50°-55°F to preserve the fruit’s fresh flavors and natural acidity. After hand-sorting,
the grapes were whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitter tannins from the skins and grape
seeds. The cool, clear golden-green, free-run juice was then settled naturally in tanks
for a few days before heading to French oak barrels and stainless steel for fermentation. The wine was then aged sur-lies in French oak. Barrels were a mixture of new
and one-year-old neutral oak.
Aromas of green apple, minerality, wet stone, and lime are complemented with light
floral, and pineapple notes, with a hint of white pepper. True to the Russian River
Ranches style, the wine is elegant and deftly balanced with a nice, bright acidity.
Crisp flavors of lime, apple and peach are accented by river rock minerality and a
nice barrel spice. An apple-like acidity rounds out the long, persistent palate.
CUTRERIAN CORNER
Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards started as a grape growing company in 1973. By the end of the
70's, Sonoma-Cutrer had established a reputation for an exceptional quality of grapes
and planning began for our winery.
Alcohol 14.2% | TA: 6.09 gms/L
pH: 3.33 | RS: 1.60 gms/L
100% Chardonnay | 95% Malolactic Fermentation
Oak aged for a total of 8 months
17% New, 15% 1 yr, 18% 2 yr, 18% 3 yr, 32% neutral
In 1981, Sonoma-Cutrer introduced the first
vintage, our flagship wine - Russian River Ranches.
Food pairing for
Russian River Ranches
on the next page.
WINTER SQUASH SOUP
A simple-to-make warming soup for cold weather. I’ve called for
kabocha squash but you can use butternut, sugar pie, hubbard, red kuri
or whatever is in the market. The 2012 Russian River Ranches
Chardonnay would be a great match for this soup. Serves 8.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
3 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups well stirred coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons dry sherry, or to taste
2 tablespoons high quality curry powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground white
such as Madras
pepper to taste
5 cups rich chicken or vegetable stock
Chopped chives and a fruity olive or
3 cups roasted kabocha squash*
toasted nut oil to garnish
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
In a deep sauce pan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the onions and garlic
and sauté until very soft, but not brown. Add the curry and sauté for a minute or two
longer or until fragrant. Add the stock and the squash and transfer to a blender or food
processor and puree, in batches if necessary. Strain through a medium mesh strainer if
desired.
Return mixture to the saucepan and add the nutmeg, honey and coconut milk. Whisk
to combine and bring to a simmer. Stir in sherry and correct the seasoning with salt
and pepper.
To serve: Ladle soup into warm soup bowls and top with chives and fragrant oil.
*To roast the squash, cut a 2 pound squash in half, scoop out seeds, season with salt
and pepper and roast cut side up in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or
until flesh is soft. Scoop flesh out of shell and discard shell.
LES PIERRES
CHARDONNAY
Vintage 2011
Sonoma Coast
Estate Bottled Chardonnay
OBSERVATIONS on a
NEW VINTAGE
2011 was a challenging year in the
vineyard that gave us lower yields, but
beautifully-balanced fruit. The lower
yields were a combination of adverse
conditions during bud set in 2010 and
a wet spring during the bloom. Moderate temperatures and fog throughout
the summer gave us a long, cool
growing season with the harvest in the
Les Pierres Vineyard beginning on
September 19. The combination of these
factors gave us fruit with nicely
developed flavors, low pHs and a
bright, natural acidity level.
ON THE VINEYARD
The Les Pierres Vineyard sits atop the gravelly clay loam of an ancient riverbed, thick
with cobbled stones that infuse the grapes – and the wine – with a varied mineral
essence. The rocks absorb sunlight and slowly release heat to the vines. When
combined with the cool fog that tempers the warm Sonoma Valley temperature, the
result is a long growing season that allows the fruit to ripen and reach full maturation.
ON THE WINE
Each vintage of Les Pierres exemplifies our Grand Cru approach. Grapes are handharvested in shallow bins to ensure they arrive at the winery in perfect condition.
They are then cooled down to preserve the fruit’s fresh flavors and natural acidity.
After hand-sorting, the grapes are whole-cluster pressed to avoid bitter tannins. The
cool, clear golden-green, free-run juice settles naturally in tanks for 24 hours and
is racked and yeasted before heading to French oak barrels for fermentation. Onehundred percent of the vintage is barrel-fermented on the lees and the individual
block components are then blended to create the cuvée and placed in three-year-old
oak for additional aging. After bottling, the wine is allowed to rest for several
months before release.
This vintage of Les Pierres is full of complex flavors. Aromas of lime, grapefruit
and lemon are mixed with the familiar, flinty, mineral notes that are a defining characteristic of our Les Pierres Vineyard. These are accented with hints of caramel, fresh
cream, nutmeg and honey. The citrus flavors of grapefruit, lemonade and lime are
accented with Les Pierres’ classic stony minerality, caramelized oak, and spice that
nicely balance the citrus flavors. Our careful approach to oak aging and fermentation
creates a round, full mouthfeel with Sonoma-Cutrer’s signature bright, lively, acidity
and a long lingering finish of nice barrel spice.
CUTRERIAN CORNER
Alcohol 14.2% | TA: 5.62 gms/L
pH: 3.32 | RS: 0.1 gms/L
100% Chardonnay
95% Malolactic Fermentation
100% oak aged for a total of 12 months
Five months in one-year-old oak sur-lies and
an additional 7 months in three-year-old oak.
Les Pierres translates to "the stones." Long before this land was a vineyard, it was a rock
quarry and the stones that you see in the walls and paths around the Sonoma-Cutrer winery
have all come from this vineyard.
Food pairing for
Les Pierres
on the next page.
MISO MARINATED
BLACK COD
Black Cod (also known as Sablefish or Butterfish) is a sustainably
caught fish much of which comes to us from the Pacific coast from
Northern California up to Alaska. Miso is the traditional Japanese
fermented paste made commonly with soybeans but also with rice
and/or barley. Its best known use in America is as the base for Miso
soup. It makes a wonderful marinade, however, and the following
can be used on all kinds of fish, chicken or pork. If you can’t find
black cod use salmon or halibut. Crisp, steely 2011 Les Pierres would
be a great counterpoint to this flavorful dish. Serves 6.
3 tablespoons mirin*
3 tablespoons sake wine*
1/2 cup white shiro miso*
1/3 cup sugar
6 skinless, 6 ounce sablefish fillets cut 1-inch thick
3 tablespoon canola or other vegetable oil with a high smoke point
Garnishes: Seaweed Salad or sweet pickled sushi ginger, daikon
sprouts and toasted sesame seeds, if desired
Add mirin, sake and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir until sugar
is melted. Whisk in miso until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool. Add fillets, turn
to coat well, cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add oil to an ovenproof sauté pan large enough to hold
the fish in one layer. Heat the oil over moderately high heat. Scrape the excess
marinade off the fish and cook until lightly browned on one side, about 2 minutes.
Turn fish and place in oven until cooked through and flaky, about 6 minutes. Serve on
warm plates topped with garnishes.
*Available in Asian markets and some supermarkets.
RUSSIAN RIVER
VALLEY PINOT NOIR
Vintage 2011
Russian River Valley
Estate Bottled
OBSERVATIONS on a
NEW VINTAGE
The 2011 growing season started with
OUR RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY PINOT NOIR VINEYARDS
Our Owsley and Vine Hill vineyards in the Russian River Valley provide nearly all
the Pinot Noir for this vintage. The Owsley Vineyard with its dramatic temperature
changes from warm days to the cool, foggy nights create concentrated and complex
flavors in the grapes. Vine Hill Vineyard with its more than 400-feet elevation
change, allows each ridge, slope and valley in the vineyard to contribute unique
characteristics to the grapes. Combined with a variety of soils and clones,
high-density spacing and rootstocks which limit excessive vine growth, the
vineyards provide a market basket of elegant fruit. It is from this fruit that we craft
our Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir, a Pinot Noir that is building a lasting legacy equal
to our Chardonnay.
rainfall well above average for the year.
Cluster counts were significantly lower
than average, most likely due to the
adverse conditions experienced during
the previous year’s bud-set. The yield was
also reduced by rainfall during bloom,
resulting in a final Pinot crop that was
significantly smaller than normal.
Daily fog throughout the summer and
moderate temperatures set up a long
ON THE WINE
Grapes are picked by hand early each morning into small bins and hand-sorted
before a gentle de-stemming. During the four-day cold soak and the eight to
twelve-day fermentation, the must is punched down by hand in small, open-top
fermenters. When we judge the moment has arrived, the wine is gently pressed
using a basket press and gravity-racked into the barrels. We’ve aged our Pinot Noir
in a regimen of one-third new, one-third once-used and one-third twice-used
French oak. After resting for 10 months, the final blend is assembled and prepared
for bottling. It is then allowed to evolve for an additional six months in the bottle.
growing season. We began the Pinot
harvest in our Vine Hill Vineyard on
September 12. Nice warm temperatures
got things moving and after a busy three
weeks, we completed the Pinot harvest in
our Owsley Ranch Vineyard just ahead
of the rain on October 3. The long, cool
This vintage of our Pinot Noir has incredible depth and concentration. There are
deep, dark fruit aromas of blackberry, ripe raspberry, and black cherries
complemented with notes of violets and rhubarb. Those are accented with the spice
aromas of cinnamon and clove. The wine is round, silky and elegant with juicy dark
fruit flavors and a beautiful spice accented finish.
season provided us with beautifully-
CUTRERIAN CORNER
balanced fruit – nice low pHs, bright
The Cutrer Vineyard Club offers members more choices in customizing their wine
natural acidity, moderate sugar
shipments. You can choose to receive mixed cases, Pinot only, or Chardonnay only of 4, 6
levels, and rich full flavors.
Alcohol 13.9%| TA: 6.5 gms/L
pH: 3.25 | RS: 0.28 gms/L
100% Pinot Noir
Principal Vineyards This Vintage:
Vine Hill (38%) Owsley (61%) Cutrer (1%)
or 12 bottle shipments.
Food pairing for
Russian River Valley
Pinot Noir
on the next page.
LAMB CHOPS with
MINT SALSA VERDE
Salsa verde, a classic Mediterranean condiment flavored with
anchovies, capers, and herbs, partners nicely with seared,
medium-rare lamb chops. This would be a perfect match for the
Sonoma–Cutrer 2011 Pinot Noir. Serves 4.
8 1"-thick lamb loin chops (about 2
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
pounds) or frenched lamb rib chops
tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons plus 3⁄4 cup
2 tablespoons drained capers,
extra-virgin olive oil
roughly chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
2 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves,
or to taste
finely chopped
6 oil-packed anchovy filets, drained
1⁄2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves,
and finely chopped
finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Put lamb into a small baking dish, rub with 2 tablespoons oil and season well with salt
and pepper; set aside to let rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the salsa verde: Combine mint, parsley, tarragon, capers, chili flakes,
anchovies, and garlic in a medium bowl. Drizzle in remaining oil while stirring with a
fork to make the salsa verde and set aside.
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Over medium high heat, heat a heavy ridged grill pan. Add
loin chops and cook until nicely browned and marked on one side. Turn over and
place pan in preheated oven and cook to desired temperature, 6–8 minutes for medium
rare for loin chops. Rib chops will take only 4 minutes or so to reach medium rare.
Transfer lamb to a platter. Stir sauce and drizzle over chops, reserving some of the
sauce to serve on the side.
OWSLEY VINEYARD
PINOT NOIR
Vintage 2010
Russian River Valley
Estate Bottled
OBSERVATIONS on a
NEW VINTAGE
In 2010, most of the year was
extremely cool with bountiful spring
rains delaying bud-break and bloom.
After June, the summer cooled back
down with heavy fog almost every
day. A bout of warm weather at the
end of September finally pushed us to
harvest in the Owsley Vineyard
ON THE VINEYARDS
Our Owsley Ranch vineyard is Sonoma-Cutrer’s closest vineyard to the Pacific Ocean
and it is highly influenced by the cold fog and wind coming through the Bloomfield
Gap. The climate of the Owsley Ranch has more influence on grape character than
its soil. Its topography is unique with steep hillsides that intensify the wind and fog
and it is 5-10 degrees cooler than others in the region. Pinot Noir grapes thrive here,
developing exceptional depth and rich, concentrated fruit flavors.
ON THE WINE
This vintage of our Owsley Pinot Noir comes from the K Top portion of the vineyard.
K is the westernmost vineyard block receiving the coolest breezes off the ocean. Grapes
are picked, placed into small bins, and hand-sorted before a gentle de-stemming.
During the four-day cold soak and fermentation the wine is punched down by hand
in small, five-ton open-top fermenters. When the moment is right, the wine is gently
pressed, gravity-racked to barrels and allowed to complete malolactic fermentation. We
age our Pinot Noir in a regimen of one-third new, one-third once-used, and one-third
twice-used French oak barrels. After resting for 16 months, the final blend is assembled
and prepared for bottling. It is then allowed to evolve in the bottle.
starting on October 2nd and
completing on the 11th.
Complex aromas of raspberry, cassis, rhubarb, and wild strawberry are accented with
pipe tobacco, cocoa, and a slight floral hint. Elegant and rich with well-integrated
tannins, balanced acidity, and a well-structured long, bold finish. Dark fruit flavors
of black cherry, blackberry and cassis are accented with cinnamon, vanilla and clove.
This is a classic Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir that will continue to evolve over time, and
there are many more complexities yet to be experienced in this wine.
CUTRERIAN CORNER
As one of our two single vineyard Pinot Noir offerings, Owsley is only sold at the winery
and to The Cutrer Vineyard Club members. The Owsley Ranch straddles a valley and
gives us multiple sun exposures that allow us to grow both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
grapes here.
Alcohol 14.5%| TA: 5.8 gms/L
pH: 3.6 | RS: dry
100% Pinot Noir
VINEYARD LOTS: K Top
Food pairing for
Owsley Vineyard Pinot Noir
on the next page.
WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT
In California the rainy winter weather brings forth an amazing
variety of wild mushrooms. The caution however is to be very sure
that you know what you are gathering. A much safer alternative is
to use the exotic mushrooms cultivated by our neighbor Gourmet
Mushrooms in Sebastopol. They are the leaders in America for
cultivation of specialty mushrooms. Their mushrooms are becoming
more widely distributed through national chain grocers. You can
also buy them direct by going to www.gourmetmushroomsinc.com.
Mushrooms and Pinot Noir are a natural marriage and this
simple dish would go well with the luscious 2010 Owsley Pinot Noir.
Serve as a topping for pasta or polenta. Serves 4.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 pound sliced pancetta,
1/3 cup Madeira or Marsala
coarsely chopped
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1-1/2 pounds mixed specialty
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard
mushrooms, thickly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderately
high heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the
pancetta to a paper towel lined plate leaving the fat in the skillet.
Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring
occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the shallot and thyme and
cook, stirring, until the shallot is softened. Add the Madeira and cook until it’s mostly
evaporated, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the cream
and mustard, season with salt and pepper and simmer until the ragout is slightly
thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the parsley and pancetta.
LATE HARVEST
CHARDONNAY*
Vintage 2012
Russian River Valley
OBSERVATIONS on a
NEW VINTAGE
This wine is very special in that
winemakers are only able to make it
when conditions allow. It gets its
sweetness from extra time on the vine
and a mold called Botrytis. Also
known as “noble rot,” Botrytis
dehydrates the grape within the skin,
concentrating the sugar and flavors.
The result is a dessert wine with rich,
succulent flavors and robust sweetness.
ON THE VINEYARDS
At Sonoma-Cutrer our winemakers are constantly working their way through the
vineyards, monitoring each vineyard, block and clone to ensure each is harvested at
exactly the right time to create our distinctive Sonoma-Cuter wines. Specific sections
of blocks at Vine Hill, Kent & Hansen (a Sonoma-Cutrer grower partner) vineyards
were set aside to hang way beyond normal ripeness for the Late Harvest project.
After a couple of moderate rainstorms in late October and November followed by
dry, pleasant weather in between, the desired result of Botrytis mold took off almost
overnight. In our winemaker’s many years of making Late Harvest wines, he had
never seen such a complete infection of Botrytis. Still, clusters were selectively picked
to ensure only the best made it to the winery just prior to Thanksgiving.
ON THE WINE
The unique character of Late Harvest Chardonnay is developed in the vineyard.
The additional hangtime and the effect of the Botrytis or “noble rot” concentrates
the sweetness, acidity and adds complexity to the flavors by slowly dehydrating the
grapes through the skins.
Grapes were hand-harvested and whole-cluster pressed over a 24 hour period, 35%
of the sweet must was placed in one-year-old French oak barrels and the remainder
in stainless steel for fermentation. The individual components were then blended
to create the cuvée, including a portion associated with the Rued Chardonnay clone
which adds beautiful floral notes to the wine. The wine was bottled and allowed
to bottle-age for three months prior to release. The Winemaker’s Release of Late
Harvest Chardonnay expresses all the characteristics of Sonoma-Cutrer in a rich
and succulent sweet wine. Aromas of honey and maple syrup blend with those
of peach and dried apricot, all accented with floral notes of wisteria, lavender and
honeysuckle associated with the Rued clone. The wine has a luscious warm, sweet
richness balanced with Sonoma-Cutrer’s classic, crisp acidity. Fruit flavors of peach,
apricot and pear mingle with notes of honey and brown sugar.
CUTRERIAN CORNER
Alcohol 10%| TA: 8.76 gms/L
pH: 3.14 | RS: 15° Brix
100% Chardonnay
35% oak aged for three months.
Vineyard Breakdown:
Vine Hill (41%), Kent (25%),
Hansen (34%)
*Included in Chardonnay ONLY shipments
For this inaugural release in our Winemaker's Series, Mick Schroeter chose a wine that
would embody the spirit of Sonoma-Cutrer and highlight our Chardonnay expertise. It is
rare to find a Late Harvest wine made from Chardonnay, but this wine is beautifully
balanced with just the right amount of acidity to complement the sweet fruit flavors. We
suggest pairing this wine with a wide variety of desserts or hard cheeses.
Food pairing for
Late Harvest
Chardonnay
on the next page.
WINTER SQUASH COCONUT
PANNA COTTA
Use any of the sweet, dense winter squashes such as butternut, red
kuri or kabocha. If you want to serve the panna cottas unmolded,
use 6 ounce ramekins or glasses and lightly oil them before pouring
in the pumpkin mixture. To unmold, run a thin sharp knife
around side of each ramekin to loosen, then dip ramekin briefly in
a small bowl of very warm water, about 10 seconds. Invert panna
cotta onto a plate and gently lift off ramekin. Pairs well with the
Sonoma-Cutrer Late Harvest Chardonnay. Makes 6 servings.
1 packet unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
(a 13.5 ounce can)
1/3 cup fragrant honey such as
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
orange blossom or chestnut
1/2 cup sugar
Sprinkle gelatin over water in a very small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften.
Heat over medium heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved, and then remove from heat.
Blend coconut milk, cream, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla, lime zest and salt in a blender
briefly to combine, then add gelatin mixture and blend until smooth. Strain mixture
through a fine sieve into a bowl with a spout or transfer to a 4-quart measuring cup.
Pour mixture into bowls and chill until firm, at least 4 hours. Cover with plastic wrap
if not using immediately.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Spread coconut on a rimmed
sheet pan and stirring once or twice and bake until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool. Just
before serving, sprinkle desserts with coconut and drizzle with honey. Panna cottas can
be made up to 3 days ahead and stored refrigerated.