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WiNERY FEAtuRE | WiNE COuNtRY tHiS WEEK26[x\Upcoming Eventsat Chateau St. Jean• • •November 23-24Sonoma ValleyHoliday Open House• • •December 8-9 and 15-16Joyeux Noël Open House[x\CHATEAU ST. JEANOpen daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.8555 Sonoma Highway, Kenwood(707) 833-4134 | visit www.chateaustjean.com.CHAtEAu St. JEANAll decked out for the holidaysBY MICHELLE J. BAKERWhat’s the first clue that something truly special is going on at Chateau St. Jeanin Sonoma Valley this holiday season? It’s hard to miss the giant inflatable CinqCépages wine bottle towering above the winery’s parking lot and proclaiming thatNovember and December are all about celebrating the 20th anniversary vintage ofthis iconic wine.Cinq Cépages (literally, “Five Varieties”) has been Chateau St. Jean’s flagship winesince it was first produced in 1990. Each vintage is a blend of the five Bordeauxvarietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot –in amounts adjusted each vintage to create a unique style that is at once plush,elegant, complex and ageworthy. That doesn’t mean you have to sock it away for 15years to enjoy it, as Cinq Cépages is also approachable and delicious now!The storied history of Cinq Cépages includes the 1996 vintage being named theWine of the Year by Wine Spectator magazine, which three years later named the1999 Cinq Cépages #2 Wine of the Year. That’s impressive accolades for veteranwinemaker Margo Van Staaveren, who recently completed her 33rd harvest atChateau St. Jean and has overseen the production of Cinq Cépages since itsFollow us on twitter @WineCountrytW