vine cliff 
wine club members news
 
june-july 2020

Hi Club Members,

What a pleasure it has been for our team to welcome you back to Vine Cliff, whether you are choosing one of our experiences in the intimate seating areas at St. Helena or prefer the tables in our vineyards and gardens at the Oakville Estate. Since re-opening, we have been able to expand our offerings to include cheese platters and Chef Tom's delightful Picnic Basket selections at both venues. Experiences.

We have extended our service hours to make it daily at both St. Helena and at Oakville with appointments starting from 10.30am and last at 4.30pm while the team will be there from 10am to 5pm for purchase and pick-ups. 

If you are too far away to drop by, Wine Club Members do enjoy a 1 cent shipment price for all purchases of 12 bottles or more. As part of our support of the Spirit of Napa Valley campaign, we are offering a $1.00 next day delivery if your address for delivery is within 40 miles of our Tasting Rooms and your purchase is for more than 3 bottles.  Please call Becky at 707-944-2019 direct or 707-944-1364 to order your wines for delivery. 

While we know you are probably on a number of virtual tastings, please do keep in mind we are happy to schedule a private virtual tasting for you. Just let us know when and the wines you would like to taste.

We are pleased to be able to help you and those close to you get over the Covid19 Blues in a small way. We still, as a county, as a state and as a country, have a bit of ways to go before we can be back to pre-Covid social norms. In the meantime, please wear your masks and keep a social distance of 6 feet.  Please keep safe, keep healthy and keep happy!
 
Best Wishes for a Great Summer,
Nell Sweeney, Proprietress

Chef Tom's Corner

CHEF TOM'S RECIPE OF THE MONTH

Each month, Vine Cliff Estate Chef Tom Stafford will be featuring a recipe for a dish that will pair nicely with one of our current vintages which you can order online or with a call to the winery. A graduate of the Cordon Bleu and a former instructor at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Tom Stafford's talents stretch beyond the kitchen. He is an avid gardener and assists Nell Sweeney with our Vine Cliff Estate vegetable and fruit garden. He uses the fresh garden products in many of his dishes and as pizza toppings. Tom is also a pickler and sauce maker, and have featured some of his bottlings for sale at the 
Vine Cliff Tasting Room. 

Filet Mignon, Trumpet Mushroom, Celery, Almond, 
Black Cherry Bordelaise

Chef Tom Stafford serves this classic dish with French style and pairs it with our 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. 
Servings

2

Prep time

90 minutes

Filet Mignon
450 grams filet mignon steaks (2 steaks)
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
canola oil
15 grams unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 thyme sprig
 
Generously season the meat on all sides with salt and pepper. Place in a bag and vacuum pack on medium. Cook at 139°F for 45 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let rest for 10 minutes. Heat the canola oil in a sauté pan. When the pan is hot, add the beef and brown all sides, turning the meat to brown the ends as well, about five minutes. Add the butter, garlic, and thyme. Continue to cook, tilting the pan and basting with the butter from the time the time, for a total of about 10 minutes. Remove the meat and let rest before slicing.
 
 
Celery Purée
1 large celery root, peeled
500 grams heavy cream 
5 grams kosher salt
 
Cut celery root into 1 inch chunks. In medium sauce pan, bring celery root and cream to a simmer over medium - low heat. Cook for 35 minutes, or until very tender. Immediately transfer contents to blender, add salt, and blend until smooth. Pass through chinois, keep warm.
 
Trumpet Mushrooms
8 each trumpet mushrooms
canola oil
20 grams unsalted butter
 
Cut off one side of each mushroom to make a smooth flat side. With the tip of a paring knife, score of the cut side of the mushroom in a 1/8 inch crosshatch pattern. Heat the canola oil and a small nonstick sauté pan. Add the mushrooms cut side down and brown for about two minutes. Add the butter, turn the mushrooms, and continue to cook, tilting the pan and basting the mushrooms with butter, until tender.
 
Cherry Bordelaise Sauce
100 grams dried cherries
120 grams cabernet sauvignon 
120 grams ruby port
.5 grams ground allspice
475 g beef bone broth
 
In sauce pan, bring cherries, Cabernet sauvignon, port, and allspice to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is consistency of light syrup. Whisk in broth, increase heat to medium, and return mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Strain through chinois, pour into clean sauce pan, and reduce over medium low heat, skimming away any impurities from the surface, until liquid coats back of a spoon. Strain through chinois. Keep warm.
 
Almond Powder
20g roasted almonds
 
Place almonds in the food processor. Pulse until you reach a flour-like consistency; sift into a container. Place any remaining almond chunks back into food processor and pulse. Repeat until all almonds are transformed into a powder.
 
Assembly
Slice the filet to desired thickness. Spoon celery root purée onto plate. Use spoon to create a well in purée. Spoon cherry bordelaise into well. Scatter seared mushrooms on the plate. Take a tablespoon of almond powder and place it next to the sliced steak. Garnish with rosemary leaves, and micro chives.

club tasting notes

These two wines were part of your April allocation. We think the Cabernet Sauvignon is perfect to go with Chef Tom's recipe above.

2017 Vine Cliff “Oakville” Cabernet Sauvignon
Initially deep black cherry and dried herbs on the nose giving way to sweet toasted brioche and vanilla with a fleck of crushed limestone.
The palate is showing cherry and plum with a focused acidity and fine grained tannins finishing with floral notes of lilac and rose.
 
2018 Vine Cliff “The Gift” Chardonnay
Beautiful Meyer lemon curd, honeycomb and dried straw on the nose with notes of fresh lemon blossom.
Very balanced acidity in relation to the fruit components of guava and citrus complimented by hints of flint and a mild salinity. 

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