december 2014 wine club newsletter

HOLIDAYS AT SUNSTONE STAY WINE SOIREEacute RELAXThe holidays are a special time of year for celebrations with friends and family This holiday season we have released exclusive to our Club Members the 2011 Lumiere Noir UMBRA Port and 2012 Grand Reserve With so many reasons to celebrate in the coming months we encourage you to share the Gift of Sunstone Come visit us in the Tasting Room or login to your account online at wwwsunstonewinerycom for more information on these very special wines gift sets we are offering for everyone on your list Holiday Happenings at the Winery and Villa as well as the other wines included in your December shipment

December Newsletter 2014

UPCOMING EVENTS

PRIVATE TASTING amp CHEESE PAIRING EXPERIENCES WITH BION RICEOur newest offering here at Sunstone the Villa Private Tastings are available on select Saturdays For more info click here

STAY amp TASTE VILLA PACKAGESWe are pleased to offer our 2 night ldquoTaste amp Stayrdquo package for select weekends each month An all-inclusive special rate which includes a 2 night stay at the Villa and entry for 2 to the PRIVATE TASTING amp PAIRING EXPERIENCE For more info click here

SAVE THE DATE FOR SBIFF January 27 - February 7 2015 As the official wine sponsor of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival please join us watching some of the best Independent Films of the year To purchase a film festival pass click here

SAVE THE DATE FOR JrsquoTAIME EROS amp BLEND IN LOVE PACKAGES 21314 - 21414 Stay tuned for Eros Release Weekend details For more info click here

PRICE $38 RE-ORDER PRICE $2660

2013 Viognier Santa Barbara County

CRAFTEDThe Viognier from Vernarsquos was picked at 252 brix and delivered by my friend

Chad Melville himself to Sunstone at 8am on October 7th 2013 Eight-tons

were lightly pressed to stainless steel tank as whole clusters producing about

1300 gallons The resulting juice was settled for three nights for natural

clarification After being racked from its solids the juice was inoculated with

GRE yeast and proceeded through a 7-day fermentation at low temperatures

Racked from its fermentation lees early on shortly after the completion of

fermentation the resulting 1233 gallons aged in 100 stainless steel for about

45 months

The Marsanne from Buttonwood was picked on the same day at 251 brix

26 tons were pressed to tank then transferred after settling to eight neutral

French oak barrels where the juice was inoculated with Rhone 4600 yeast

Three barrels were blended into the Vernarsquos Viognier lot after 45 months of

aging on March 18 2014

The Viognier from Sunstonersquos ldquoLindarsquosrdquo block was hand-picked on September

9th 2013 by Bion Rice and his eight-year-old son Mason and Jose Gomez

and Lupe Chavez at 266 brix Less than 1 ton was pressed to tank then

transferred after settling to 2 neutral French oak barrels where the juice was

inoculated with Rhone 4600 yeast One barrel was blended into the Vernarsquos

Viognier lot after 45 months of aging on March 18 2014The final blend was

cold stabilized sterile filtered and bottled on 33114

SENSORYExotic and powerful aromatics of lime blossoms white apricot violets

and dried coconut are highlighted by subtle white pepper vanilin oak and

banana creme pie A rich and viscous mouth-feel with a pleasantly crisp

palate this Viognier has a really long lasting finish of stone fruits white

pepper papaya caramelized brown sugar and honeydew melon

CELLARBest consumed in its youth to enjoy the freshness of the wine our 2013

Viognier will develop some length and additional body with a year or two

in bottle

GRAPES 80 Viognier Vernarsquos Vineyard Los Alamos SBC 6 Viognier Lindarsquos

Vineyard Sunstone Estate Santa Ynez Valley 14 Marsanne Buttonwood

Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley

WINE STATS385 cases produced 145 alcohol 347 pH RS 06 gL

CALL 800-313-9463 EMAIL INFOSUNSTONEWINERYCOM WEB SUNSTONEWINERYCOM

NOTEWORTHYYou may refer to Lumiere Noir as a Meritage or Bordeaux Blend Meritage wines are

provocative red or white wines crafted solely from specific ldquonoblerdquo Bordeaux grape

varieties and are considered to be the very best wines of the vintage Meritage

pronounced like heritage first appeared in the late 1980s after a group of American

vintners joined forces to create a name for New World wines blended in the tradition

of Bordeaux The word was selected from more than 6000 entries in an international

contest Meritage combines ldquomeritrdquo reflecting the quality of the grapes with ldquoheritagerdquo

which recognizes the centuries-old tradition of blending long considered to be the

highest form of the winemakerrsquos art Meritage wines are growing in popularity and are

currently the second fastest growing wine category in the industry They are highly

regarded for their aging potential yet are completely approachable in their youth

Many Meritage wines have proprietary names in addition to or rather than Meritage

In order to obtain a license and use the term Meritage on a label a wine must meet

certain criteria

CRAFTEDThe first bottling of Lumiere Noir was produced from certified organically farmed

Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes grown from our 20-year old organic Estate

vineyard During harvest the grapes were sorted lightly crushed de-stemmed

and pumped into open top fermentation bins After cold soaking the grapes were

inoculated with BDX and BM45 yeast and allowed to ferment and macerate for 10-

days on the skins to extract maximum color and flavor Following fermentation the

wines were racked to 10 new and 90 neutral French oak barrels After barrel aging

for 30-months the separate lots were blended to taste Approximately 70 of the lot

was bottled in January 2014 Then after an additional 4-months of barrel aging the

remaining 30 was enhanced with a 15 addition of 2012 Cabernet Franc thereby

adding a youthful mouthfeel with aging potential This heightened itrsquos fruit intensity

and balanced out a very well aged wine making it even more complex Only 150 cases

were bottled of in May 2014

SENSORYMocha blackberries black currant and dark plum are enveloped by all-spice

black cherry cobbler black tea and aged tobacco leaves with hints of bitter-sweet

dark chocolate cedar and caramel Framed by velvety tannins Lumiere Noir is

complex and balanced now but requires proper cellaring for at least one year to

reach its peak

CELLARWith proper cellaring the wine will reach its peak from 2015 through 2018

GRAPES100 Sunstone Estate Vineyard

58 2011 Merlot 27 2011 Cabernet Franc 15 2012 Cabernet Franc

WINE STATS Alc 1456 bull pH 372 bull TA 058 gL bull RS 028 gL

PRICE $65 MEMBER PRICE $4550

2011 Lumiere Noir Santa Ynez ValleyProduced exclusively for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival



2012 Milestone Santa Ynez Valley

WHY MILESTONE Two reasons One we reached a milestone in 2012 our 20th anniversary

vintage Two this wine was named in honor of the founderrsquos legacy Miles

their first grandson

CRAFTEDThe 2012 Milestone is produced from certified organically farmed grapes

grown on our 20-year old Estate vineyard Farmed to California Certified

Organic Farmer (CCOF) specifications Sunstone Estate vineyards

produces ultra-premium quality wines with distinct varietal character thanks

to the sitersquos unique terroir Upon arrival at the winery the grapes were sorted

lightly crushed and de-stemmed before being pumped into an open top

fermentation tank After cold soaking the grapes were inoculated and

allowed to ferment for 10-days on the skins to extract maximum color and

flavor Following fermentation the wines were aged to French oak barrels

(14 new) for a secondary fermentation and aging After barrel aging for

24-months the separate lots were blended to to taste filtered and bottled to

329 cases in November 2014

SENSORYThe 2014 Milestone Merlot has aromas of blackberries black figs

baked plums and hints of cherries anise seed and ground mace

Flavorful blackberries roasted coffee bean pomegranate toasted

almonds tart cherry dark chocolate and light pepper grace the palate

along with medium tannin and a nice acid to balance

CELLARWith proper cellaring we anticipate the 2012 Milestone will reach its

peak drinking from 2015 through 2018

GRAPES 100 Sunstone Estate Vineyard

92 Merlot 8 2013 Cabernet Franc Block D

WINE CHEMISTRY Alc 147 bull pH 383 bull TA 051 gL bull RS 025 gL


PRICE $150 MEMBER PRICE $105(2 bottle maximum per membership)

2012 Grand Reserve Santa Ynez Valley

CRAFTEDThe 2012 Grand Reserve is produced from certified organically farmed

grapes grown on our 20-year old Estate vineyard Farmed to California

Certified Organic Farmer (CCOF) specifications Sunstone Estate vineyards


to the sitersquos unique terroir

During harvest the grapes were sorted lightly crushed and de-stemmed

and pumped into open top fermentation bins After cold soaking for two

days the grapes were inoculated with BDX yeast and allowed to ferment

and macerate for 11-days on the skins to extract maximum color and flavor

Following fermentation the wines were racked to 100 new French oak

barrels After barrel aging for 21-months the separate lots were blended to

to taste and racked back to just two new French oak barrels in September of

2014 The wine was bottled on November 20 2014 to only 46 cases

SENSORYAt the core the 2012 Grand Reserve delivers concentrated fruit

aromatics of dark plum dried cranberries and cassis fused

inextricably together with petrichor wethot stones dried herbs and

sweet tobacco and smoky oak Dark cherry compote and raspberry

coulis flavors evolve into vanillin French oak and finish with black tea

bitter-sweet cocoa and anise Powerful complex and balanced this

wine has a superb mouth feel of medium tannin and acidity

CELLARWith proper cellaring the 2012 Grand Reserve should be opened from

2015 through 2018 for those who appreciate youthful fruit-forward

wines and 2018-2020 for those who prefer aged complexity and a

softer palate


95 Cabernet Sauvignon Block G 5 Merlot Block D



NOTEWORTHYSunstonersquos third foray into the realm of port wines brings us UMBRA a Solera-style blend of Tempranillo

Syrah Grenache Touriga Nacional and Sousa from five vintages thatrsquos sure to please those who love this

world renowned style of fortified wine And for any of those who havenrsquot yet converted this one very well

might change your mind

The story behind Port wine is a fascinating one as it was born out of necessity but now exists purely

because it tastes hellip well fantastic In the late 17th century strained ties between Britain and France led to

increased trade tariffs that made wines from France then Britainrsquos main supplier increasingly expensive

for British wine drinkers With no relief in sight and the option of living without wine simply not one worth

considering British wine merchants began looking elsewhere for their nectar of the gods Inevitably their

quest led them to Portugal but the increase in distance also meant an increase in the risk that the wine

would spoil before it ever made it to Britainrsquos shores In order to help these wines make the voyage the

merchants began adding pure grape spirits aka brandy which acted as a preservative by raising the

winesrsquo alcohol level (hence the term ldquofortified winesrdquo)

Though in the beginning they only added small amounts a particularly great vintage in the early 1800s

produced extremely ripe grapes with high levels of sugar thus the resulting fortified wines were also

sweeter than normal that year Once these wines made it to Britain merchants couldnrsquot keep them on the

shelves and violagrave a star was born Shippers realized that by adding the brandy to the wine while it was only

midway through the fermentation process they could kill the yeasts stop fermentation in its tracks and

thereby re-create this sweeter-style wine year after year Using this technique winemakers today continue

to create deliciously complex wines with all of the sophistication of a fine table wine coupled with the

irresistibly sweet opulence of a dessert wine

Port has the wonderful ability to repeatedly burst on the palate with delicious fruit and spice flavors

and the halted fermentation means the natural residual sugar in the wine is left to accentuate those flavors and make them even more

pronounced (and hard to forget) Port can be made with cheap grapes and still be quite drinkable but when its crafted withan eye on

quality and small-lot hands-on winemaking you end up with a jewel like this A blend of vintage ports from both 2005-2013 UMBRA has

the softer more delicate nuances of an older Port while also showing off a youthful bright spark that modern Port drinkers love

SENSORYUMBRA has all the hallmarks of a great Port which are no different than the hallmarks of a great table winemdashimpeccable balance

sophisticated mouthfeel ripe tannins and flavors that not only make you keep coming back for more but also leave you thinking about

the wine long after the last sip is gone This beauty also has everything it needs to stand the test of time The 95 residual sugar and

195 alcohol level and well-balanced acid will give the winersquos other elements the perfect stage to slowly evolve for those who are

patient Itrsquos wonderful right now too though so picking up extra bottles now will afford the opportunity to watch it transform over the

years An old (but continuing) British tradition is for parents to buy a huge lot of vintage Port the year their child is born and then cellar

it for them until they are old enough to drink (and yes many Ports really can age that long in fact many decades longer)

As far as food goes Port is all about indulgence and it can function as an aperitif or dessert wine it doesnrsquot matter In northern Portugal

they pretty much drink it whenever they feel like it so by all means imbibe when the mood strikes If yoursquore leaning towards dessert try

it with any chocolate dish especially dark chocolate like the unimpeded beauty of a flourless chocolate cake When yoursquore leaning in the

aperitif direction or if your palate craves cheese for dessert rather than chocolate pungent salty cheeses play beautifully against the

fruity sweetness of a Port like UMBRA For blue cheese fans out there this wine may become your new best friend Few if any wines can

stand up to blue cheeses but Port is the exception it doesnrsquot just stand up to it it shines in its company They are remarkably delicious

together and indeed the blue cheeseport combination is one of the classic pairings in the food and wine world

GRAPES36 2005+2006 Tempranillo Laetitia Vineyard Arroyo Grande SLO 18 2007 Syrah Sunstone Estate Vineyard SYV

9 2009 Touriga Nacional Pomar Junction Vineyard Templeton 9 2009 Sousa Pomar Junction Vineyard Templeton 14 2013

Tempranillo Bella Cavalli Vineyard SYV 14 2013 Grenache Bella Cavalli Vineyard SYV

WINE CHEMISTRY Alc 199 bull pH 387 bull TA 047 gL bull RS 95 gL bull 160 cases produced


UMBRA Port


Food Pairings

2013 VIOGNIER paired withPear Salad Blue Cheese amp Pomegranate SeedsViognier is fantastic with a variety of foods as it has the creamy round texture of a well-made Chardonnay without all the oak plus the balanced acidity wersquove come to expect from a great Sauvignon Blanc On top of that it has the aromatics and flavor profile of both a Riesling and a Chardonnay The sweetness of the pears in this recipe combined with the creaminess of the blue cheese and tartness of the pomegranate make this the perfect way to start your special meal with the ones you love

Click here for the recipe from Williams Sonoma

2012 MILESTONE paired withFlounder Poached in Fennel-Tomato SauceThe Feast of Seven Fishes is a Christmas Eve tradition in Medi-terranean households Pair our newly released 2012 Milestone Estate a MerlotCab Franc blend with this quick and easy but complexly flavored dish for an epic culinary experience

Click here for the recipe from Epicurious

2013 GRENACHE BLANC paired withThai Butternut Squash SoupOur 2013 Grenache Blanc helps bring to life the unexpected marriage of Thailandrsquos exotic spices and Americarsquos Fall favorites in this new twist on a traditional dish

Click here for the recipe from Carlsbad Cravings


Food Pairings


2011 LUMIERE NOIR paired withHerb amp Honey Mustard Crusted Leg of LambThis star-studded Red Blend will be sure to share the spotlight with the centerpiece of the season Leg of Lamb whose herb crust brings out the earthiness in the organically grown estate wine

Click here for the recipe from Food amp Wine

UMBRA PORT paired withChocolate Sea Salted Caramel CakeFinish your perfect evening in front of the fireplace with this beautiful Syrah Port complimented by dark chocolate and salted caramel Top with a vanilla ice cream drizzled with a touch of port and yoursquove got the perfect slice of heaven

Click here for the recipe from Bon Appetit

2012 GRAND RESERVE paired withWild Mushroom Leek and Hazelnut StuffingThe smoky notes of our Cab Franc pair beautifully with the hazelnuts and earthy mushrooms in this Holiday staple

Click here for the recipe from Martha Stewart

2012 MERLOT RESERVE paired withPrime RibThe orange zest in this sure-to-please recipe intensifies the berry notes of our Estate-grown Merlot



HOLIDAYS AT THE VILLAAs we package up leftover turkey from our Thanks-

giving feast many of us are already adjusting recipes

and planning the next major get together travel

itinerary or shopping extravaganza The holiday

season is rich with great food and wine family and

friends Weekends are spent shopping an preparing

and evenings are gobbled up with gift wrapping

baking and holiday parties While most of us enjoy

the hustle and bustle this time of year it has the ability

to leave us exhausted and overwhelmed This year

carve some time for yourself Rejuvenate the holiday

spirit and reward yourself for your many efforts with

a stay at the Sunstone Villa

SIP WINE BY THE FIREAn evening in either the Brittany Suite or Provence Master Suite will begin by the warmth of the fire with

complimentary bottle of Sunstone Wine Whether you order dinner in soak in the floating tub or tap into your

youthful spirit while roasting srsquomores you will wake up relaxed and ready for anything

No time to fully disconnectmdashno problem Spend the day meandering the streets and beautiful shops in the

town of Solvang located just minutes from the Villa at Sunstone Once yoursquove crossed the last few items off

your list check-in to your favorite Villa Suite and snuggle up with a glass of wine a good book and your very

patient spouse Please contact Annamarie Kostura Event Sales Manager to discuss how Sunstone Winery

and Villa may be the perfect location for you holiday celebration Please inquire about Club Sunstone Member

benefits and special mid-week rates From our family to yours

Villa Stays amp Private Events

PRICE $38 RE-ORDER PRICE $2660

2013 Viognier Santa Barbara County

CRAFTEDThe Viognier from Vernarsquos was picked at 252 brix and delivered by my friend

Chad Melville himself to Sunstone at 8am on October 7th 2013 Eight-tons

were lightly pressed to stainless steel tank as whole clusters producing about

1300 gallons The resulting juice was settled for three nights for natural

clarification After being racked from its solids the juice was inoculated with

GRE yeast and proceeded through a 7-day fermentation at low temperatures

Racked from its fermentation lees early on shortly after the completion of

fermentation the resulting 1233 gallons aged in 100 stainless steel for about

45 months

The Marsanne from Buttonwood was picked on the same day at 251 brix

26 tons were pressed to tank then transferred after settling to eight neutral

French oak barrels where the juice was inoculated with Rhone 4600 yeast

Three barrels were blended into the Vernarsquos Viognier lot after 45 months of

aging on March 18 2014

The Viognier from Sunstonersquos ldquoLindarsquosrdquo block was hand-picked on September

9th 2013 by Bion Rice and his eight-year-old son Mason and Jose Gomez

and Lupe Chavez at 266 brix Less than 1 ton was pressed to tank then

transferred after settling to 2 neutral French oak barrels where the juice was

inoculated with Rhone 4600 yeast One barrel was blended into the Vernarsquos

Viognier lot after 45 months of aging on March 18 2014The final blend was

cold stabilized sterile filtered and bottled on 33114

SENSORYExotic and powerful aromatics of lime blossoms white apricot violets

and dried coconut are highlighted by subtle white pepper vanilin oak and

banana creme pie A rich and viscous mouth-feel with a pleasantly crisp

palate this Viognier has a really long lasting finish of stone fruits white

pepper papaya caramelized brown sugar and honeydew melon

CELLARBest consumed in its youth to enjoy the freshness of the wine our 2013

Viognier will develop some length and additional body with a year or two

in bottle

GRAPES 80 Viognier Vernarsquos Vineyard Los Alamos SBC 6 Viognier Lindarsquos

Vineyard Sunstone Estate Santa Ynez Valley 14 Marsanne Buttonwood

Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley

WINE STATS385 cases produced 145 alcohol 347 pH RS 06 gL















certain criteria


















reach its peak





























































softer palate


















































UMBRA Port


Food Pairings








Food Pairings















































certain criteria


















reach its peak





























































softer palate


















































UMBRA Port


Food Pairings








Food Pairings























































































softer palate


















































UMBRA Port


Food Pairings








Food Pairings















































































UMBRA Port


Food Pairings








Food Pairings


































Food Pairings








Food Pairings


































Food Pairings


































december 2014 wine club newsletter

Documents