Notre Vue Spring Newsletter
We did it. .. We made it through 2020 and there is no better way to celebrate 2021 than with a glass of newly released Notre Vue or Balverne wine!
Alex has been fastidiously caring for the wines in the cellar. We have several new varietal releases to look forward to this year coming in Summer, Fall & in time for the Holidays! A reason to celebrate every season.
We are especially excited about the release of our 2019 Notre Vue Sparkling GSM. A newly designed
bottle screams "let's enjoy life every day" - we can't wait for everyone to love it as much as we do!
Patrick has been quite busy in the vineyards caring for the vines and soil. Look forward to a tour offering with Patrick to learn more about what happens in the vineyards!
We are busy planning a Winemaker's Spring Lunch, Summer Sundays, a White Party, Happy Hours, and more! If you have any suggestions please email us; we would love to hear any ideas!
As always, we want to ensure that your visits to the Estate are as enjoyable and safe as possible. We truly appreciate your understanding as we continue to follow the CDC Guidelines associated with the Coronavirus.
Remember this is your Wine Club; we are happy when we see you come to visit with your family and friends, creating lifetime memories!
Best wishes,
-Bob and Renee Stein
Greetings from the Notre Vue Cellar ... It is my pleasure to introduce three new wines to you this spring. The 2019 Notre Vue Sparkling Rose of GSM, which has quickly turned into my all-time favorite Sparkling wine that I have produced in my 20+ year career. I am extremely proud of the GSM program we have developed in my first year at Notre Vue and this wine is truly a fine expression of the unique and versatile qualities of a true Rhone blend program. This wine was fermented cold in stainless steel at 55 degrees, while the secondary fermentation was a relatively short 8 months and a small dosage of 3 g/L sugar at disgorging.
The next release is our 2019 Notre Vue Chardonnay; This is 100% Chardonnay, barrel fermented, utilizing native yeast and sur lie stirring for 5 months in 100% sweet & spicy French oak. My philosophy on this Chardonnay was to create a luscious mouthfeel with a lasting finish where the fruit stands out and the oak plays a complimentary role. This wine has all the attributes for the Chardonnay aficionado but I have also received the highest compliment a winemaker can get "I don't usually like Chardonnay, but I love this one". This wine pairs gracefully with an abundance of different foods but my favorite pairing is "alone with a loved one, watching the sunset". As well, this got a rating of 96 in its most recent wine competition!
Your third selection for this release is the 2019 Balverne Pinot NOir. This wine features 3 different clones, 667, 114 & 459 and is 100% Pi not Noir. Consistent with all my red wines, it is fermented using the native yeast and aged in 100% French oak. My love affair with Pinot Noir is well documented and I'm very pleased with my first bottling of Pinot from this property. As I continue to build my intimate relationship with this Estate the sky is the limit and I look forward to continue producing world-class wines from Notre Vue Estate.
Cheers,
Alex Holman, Estate Winemaker
Greetings from the vineyard ... This year we had tractor drivers planting a diverse cover crop selection that includes a clover mix, daikon radishes and an organic soil building mix of grasses and legumes. The daikon radishes, help to shatter the soil in our no-till property which allows oxygen, water, and roots to easily infiltrate deeply. The clovers and organic soil building mix utilize a natural symbiosis between legumes and a bacterium that lives in their roots which takes atmospheric Nitrogen and fixes it in the soil. This way we are able to cooperate with nature instead of buying fertilizers. As well, all cover crops reduce erosion, which is very important on our hilly property.
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2019 Notre Vue Sparkling Rose of GSM $45.00 / 750 ml
52% Syrah, 32% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre
Vibrant and invigorating, this is the first sparkling Rose ever produced by Notre Vue. The combination of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre provides an alluring mouthfeel with wonderful fruit tones. Subtle aromas of stone fruit radiate from the glass, harmonizing with the tart raspberry and strawberry notes on the palate. Pairs immaculately with fresh peach, goat cheese, and arugula salads, brie with apricot compote, and raspberry sorbet.
2019 Notre Vue Chardonnay $49.00 / 750 ml
A wonderful new addition to our family of Chardonnays, we are happy to announce this brand-new release. Brimming with bright golden apple, Bose pear, and yellow peach, the fruit is balanced by understated touches of caramel, vanilla, and spice. A perfect pairing for seafood lovers, try the 2019 Notre Vue Chardonnay with baked salmon over creamy pasta, seared sea scallops, or grilled sablefish.
2019 Balverne Pinot Noir $45.00 / 750ml
This Pinot Noir is a true reflection of the Russian River Valley and of our Estate. A lush explosion of Bing Cherry and ripe strawberry emanate from the glass, giving way to a complex array of secondary characteristics. Hints of mushroom, forest floor, cedar, and cocoa powder combine with the fruit, delivering a wonderful experience from the first sip until the bottle runs dry. This Pinot works wonders with wild mushroom risotto, aged cheddar or gouda, and grilled chicken with pesto pizza.
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Additionally, we planted 4 fallow areas with spring-blooming wildflowers in order to attract beneficial pollinators and predatory bugs that eat vine/grape damaging invertebrates. There should be a great diversity of flowers this spring/early summer that will be both beautiful and a-buzz with good insects.
Currently our team is pruning the vineyard. This year we are starting with our late-ripening varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre and Petite Verdot because whatever you prune first will typically emerge from dormancy a little earlier due to hormone levels in the plants. By pruning these varieties, we hope to encourage them to wake up a little earlier and that will advance their harvest date correspondingly. We will end our pruning season in the baby vines and in the lowest elevation blocks on the property, which are a little prone to damage in the late spring frosts. By delaying pruning till as late as possible we will be protecting those frost susceptible blocks from waking up until after the risk of freezing has passed.
Here's looking forward to a rainy winter, tall cover crops, and perfect weather during bloom.
From the vineyard,
Patrick Hamilton, Estate Viticulturalist
Steak, Mushroom and Onion Pie
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Ingredients: |
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Directions:
- In a mixing bowl, pour flour, nutmeg, cumin, allspice, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- In small batches, place the steak cutlets into the flour mixture, coating all sides evenly. Once coated, place the steak in a clean bowl to the side.
- In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add 1 tbsp. of vegetable oil and wait until the oil begins to shimmer. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Once translucent, add the garlic and continue cooking until the onions begin to brown. Place the onions and garlic in a bowl to the side.
- Using the same saucepan, add another tbsp. of vegetable oil and increase the temperature to medium-high. Once the oil begins to smoke, begin adding the steak cutlets in batches. Brown each side and place in a bowl to the side once cooked.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the mushrooms, cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, ginger, and the final tbsp. of vegetable oil and cook until the carrots are soft.
- Increase heat to medium-high and add wine directly to the saucepan. Once the wine begins to boil, lower heat back to medium-low and add the steak cutlets and onions. Mix until combined, then add beef stock, water, and parsley. Reduce heat until the stew is simmering and cook for an hour to an hour and a half, or until a third of the moisture has evaporated.
- Preheat oven to 450°. Roll out puff pastry and make an egg wash.
- Pour the stew into an oven-safe dish and wet the edges of the dish with cold water. Place the puff pastry on top, pinching the edges into the dish to create a firm seal. Decorate the top of your crust with any remaining puff pastry as you like and brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, remove pie from the oven when the top is fully puffed and golden brown.
