Winter 2011

Crystal Basin Cellars

renegade rag

We get questions all the time about our blends. We think that the California wine industry does not make enough blended wines, but there are signs that our peers are starting to ‘get it’. And not a moment too soon…

We make 7 different blended wines at this point, if you include our RouMarNier and our Dolce Bottino. We learned early that the most enduring part about our ‘art’ is to create the best tasting wines versus an approach of staying 100% true to any specific grape variety.

We think we really hit our stride with our current crop of blends, as our Flagship Blends, Triumphant and Victorie, both won the coveted Best of Class of Region award at the California State Fair over the summer. Plus, Triumphant also garnered a Gold Medal and the Chairman’s Award at this year’s Orange County Fair. We make blended wines that we see matching famous old-world blends such as Bordeaux and Chateauneuf-du-Pape and some other versions that can honestly be described as weird.

Half jokingly, we’ll tell you that our blends are created via a process focused around 3 months of drunken arguing. Not too far from the truth… Here are a couple of key notes about each of our blends:

RouMarNier – this is a blend of three white grapes from France’s Rhone region, Rousanne, Marsanne and Viognier. We get 1 ton of each of these grapes from three vineyards in El Dorado County and co-ferment them to create this dry white blend. We got to pour this wine at the Smithsonian Institution over the summer of 2011!

Mystery Juice – this blend is as unusual as it is unique. Our version of ‘secret sauce’, it results from something between leftovers and floor sweepings from our winemaking process. The original version was made up based on a bottling day opportunity and immediately won a silver medal! Needless to say, the customers demand it so we make it!

Making Crystal Basin’s BlendsRenegade Red – this is a CBC staple and is the source of the name of our acclaimed Renegade Wine Club. First created when we put the wrong hose in the wrong tank when we were making wines under the house in Pollock Pines, the blend changes a bit each year. This has always been a customer favorite and our newest version will be released around the 2011 Christmas holiday.

Victorie – inspired by the blended wines from the southern Rhone Valley in France, this is a blend of Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah. Styled to be our version of Chateauneuf-du-Pape, our Victorie is much more approachable as a youthful wine and shows how layered flavors from multiple grapes can create flavors that are greater than the components.

Triumphant – our Bordeaux blend contains all five of the key grapes from that region. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot all play a role in making this masterpiece. We’ll put this wine up against ANY Bordeaux blend in a blind tasting. Call to make an appointment!

Ascendance – the 2008 Ascendance is another world-style blend – this time Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon blended in the Super-Tuscan style. With a lovely burst of bright Sangio fruit matched with the bass note from the Cabernet, this wine opened up another avenue for us to show off our blending capabilities.

Dolce Bottino – sometimes, Mother Nature ‘helps’ us make wine more than we would like. We’re glad we’re smart enough to get out of the way and let her run the show. This blend of Barbera and Sangiovese grapes from the 2009 vintage finished the fermentation process sweet and we’ve added some Petit Verdot for backbone. The Italian translation is “Sweet Booty” and we find that sweet wine lovers can’t wait to get their lips on it!

Winery & tasting room3550 Carson Road • Camino, CA 95709 • 530-647-1767

Open 7 days a week 11am - 5 pm

in this shipmentCrystal Basin Bubbly

Mystery Juice2009 Syrah

2008 Petite Sirah

In this issue:Making CBC Blends .....1

Winter Wine Club .........2

Chaiman’s Award Winner – Triumphant ....2

Tasting Room Remodel .....................3

Upcoming Events:Visit www.crystalbasin.com for details of each event!

12/10 Port, Cheese, Chocolate and Tree Trimming

12/26 Boxing Day - Wear Your Boxers for a Discount

1/7 Cigar Day at CBC

1/28-1/29 EDWA Barrel Tasting Event

2/11 Dead Presidents Day – Bring as Many as You Can!

2/25 Cuisine on Carson Food Event – 12 Wineries

Page 2Renegade Rag

You can order CBC wines 24/7 at www.crystalbasin.com! Club members use order code “unclebob”

Remember - you can always Double Down on your shipment and take home 6 bottles for only $50 more!

News Flash - 2008 Triumphant Wins Chairman’s Award at the 2011 Orange County Fair!

We didn’t realize what this award was all about until the award pamphlet showed up. Out of 2,400 entries, there were only 65 of these awards given out. As they put it, “Chairman’s Awards are presented to gold medal winning wines that have scored significantly higher than other gold medalists in the same class and price range.” The Triumphant was competing against state-wide entries in the Bordeaux Blends priced between $30 and $45. Yeah Now!

Tasting Room Remodeled!

During September, we hashed and thrashed on the tasting room with the help of three great contractors (and club members) Rob Zanfardino, Bill Bellas and Nick Miller. The results are spectacular! The tasting room size increased by about 70% and are already accommodating more guests more comfortably. If you haven’t seen the new and improved tasting room yet - Join Us for the Holidays!

Crystal Basin Cellars 3550 Carson Road Camino, CA 95709

530 647-1767 www.crystalbasin.com

Your winter shipment is our famous 4-bottle Holiday shipment that includes CBC Bubbly! We are also showcasing the return of Mystery Juice, the newly-released 2009 Syrah and our super-smooth Petite Sirah. Yum!

Crystal Basin Bubbly – a fun and yummy holiday favorite. This wine is intended to be an element of your celebrations great and small. As always, it’s best when shared with friends. Don’t like Bubbly? Use it to launch a boat! Or as a very welcome holiday gift for the right person. Retail $17. $12.80 for Clubbers

Mystery Juice – Back by popular demand. We still don’t have much of an idea what is in it, but we’re pretty sure it’s red. The wine has a pleasant and familiar density and long fruit finish. This version of Mystery Juice is priced at $18.69 per bottle (less 20% for wine clubbers) in honor of the year that Agoston Haraszthy was eaten by alligators in Nicaragua. No kidding. Retail $18.69 $14.95 for Clubbers

2009 Syrah – Deep garnet color and long-lasting, mouth-filling flavors mark our newest Syrah. Already a crowd favorite. A big berry blast with a hint of smoke and roasted meat in the nose. More like a Rhone than an Aussie version. We’ve been working with this vineyard since 1993 and it finally beginning to understand us. Try it and see! Better yet - Double Down! Retail $23. $18.40 for Clubbers

2008 Petite Sirah – Velvety and round in the mouth with soft tannins that showcase the best elements of this unique varietal. Super-dark color is complemented by a blueberry and spice flavor element. Just freakin’ excellent by any measure! Like it? Taste the 2010 in the barrel and see what’s coming down the pike! Retail $27. $21.60 for Clubbers

Winter Wine ClubCamino To Lake

Tahoe

Cedar Grove

ExitCamino ExitCarson Rd.

ExitFrom Placerville

Carson Rd.

recipePink Hank

This is CBC’s traditional week-end morning staff cocktail. So we all start out on the same page ya know. It is designed to provide needed nutrients from several of the key food groups and provide just a touch of that critical daily survival requirement - the Breakfast Buzz.

Take one wine glass - fill halfway with ice cubes.

Fill to the top of the ice cubes with Hansen’s Guava Nectar (don’t get this wrong!).

Fill the remainder of the glass with CBC Bubbly.

Enjoy!