The following is the most recent newsletter from Soos Creek Wine Cellars:

October 10, 2007

 

 

Dear Friends,

Most of the grapes we received in 2005 were nearly perfect. But you can be the judge of my winemaking skills by joining us at our open house to taste the wines.

Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon – This vineyard was ranked #1 in Washington State by Andy Perdue of Northwest Press magazine. It also is the primary source of grapes used to produce the first two 100 point Washington State wines – the 2002 and 2003 Cabernet Sauvignons by Quilceda Creek Vintners. Our blend this year is the darkest, densest, most concentrated wine we’ve ever produced. It is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon from the #2, #3 and Baby Poux Blocks plus 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot. The abundant tannin, acid and oak are all tightly integrated into the intense and complex, dark fruit flavors.

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Blend – This vineyard was ranked #2 by Andy Perdue and is one of the oldest in the tiny but highly acclaimed Red Mountain Appellation. This blend is 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc. We included Merlot in this blend for the first time because it contributes such delicious fruit flavors without unduly softening the wine. The fruit, tannin and acidity combine for a full-bodied, juicy wine that is wonderfully balanced for long-term aging.

Artist Series #5 – Cabernet Franc continues to impress me with its combination of floral aromas, spicy fruit flavors and softly tannic structure. This year’s blend is 42% Cabernet Franc, 49% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot. The black fruit flavors of the Cabernet Sauvignon harmonize beautifully with the red fruit character of the Cabernet Franc. This year’s artwork for the label is from a painting entitled “New Era” by Ray Gerring of Shoreline, WA. Click here for Times article about the artist.

Sundance – This wine is a blend of 64% Merlot, 16% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Cabernet Franc. Surprisingly, this wine is not as fruit-forward as in previous vintages but is more Bordeaux-like in its flavors and structure. One of Seattle’s wine shops commented that this is the best vintage of Sundance since we began producing  it in 1997.

A few words on our prices: They’ve gone up.  This is due to significant increases in our costs. All our grapes come from relatively small vineyards and 7 of the 12 vineyards we buy from were on the list of the top 10 Washington State vineyards as rated by Andy Perdue of Wine Press Northwest magazine. Because these grapes are in high demand, they don’t come cheap. It’s a similar story with our barrels, which have also increased in price due to the weaker U.S. dollar. The higher cost of oil has increased our transportation costs and the price of our fermenters and grape bins. Distribution costs have also taken a jump. Hopefully, you will still consider our wines fairly priced when compared with our competitors.

For those of you wanting to learn more about the Washington wine industry, there is a new book just released that I highly recommend. It is  WASHINGTON WINE & WINERIES – THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE, by Paul Gregutt, University of California Press . Of course, I especially liked the part where it praised our winery: “Soos Creek is one of the great, undervalued, stellar performers in the state.” Another nice accolade was having our 2004 Soleil wine chosen as the top Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon in the Seattle Wine Awards competition.

Our Open House (the only day of the year we are open to the public) will be on Saturday, November 3rd from 12 to 4 p.m. We will be serving samples of all four 2005 wines and Cecile will be providing her delicious food. Parking security will be provided. You can also use the shopping cart on our website www.sooscreekwine.com to order our wine or fax/mail the enclosed order form. Or you may wait until after tasting the wines at our open house before deciding on your purchase.

Thanks for your business! We look forward to seeing you at our open house.

To your health,

 

Dave & Cecile Larsen

 

 

			Soos Creek 2005 Vintage Order Form
						Price per	Quantity	Total
Wines						Bottle*	Ordered	Price
Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon						$36.00	____	$_____
Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Blend						$36.00	____	$_____
Artist Series #5						$31.50	____	$_____
Sundance						$22.50	____	$_____
Subtotal								$
Sales tax @ 8.8% for Wa. state residents only								$_____
Shipping (Ground):				1-3 Btls	4-6 Btls	7-12 Btls
Within Wa. state:				$12.00	$15.00	$20.00		$_____
Outside Wa. state:				$17.00	$20.00	$28.00		$_____
Pickup at winery:								N/C
Total Order								$
Mail or fax this order form and payment to: Soos Creek Wine Cellars,
20404 140th Ave. S.E., Kent, Wa. 98042; Fax (253) 638-7029
Your shipping address: (Preferably a place of business)
Name: _____________________________________
Address: ___________________________________
City _______________________					State: _______	Zip: __________
Phone: (        )_________________					e-mail: ___________________________
Credit Card Orders:
VISA/MC/AmEx # _________________________________						Expires:  ____________
Credit Card Signature (required): _________________________________
*includes 10% discount off full retail price regardless of quantity
				Thank you for  your order!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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