Jordan Vineyards & Winery in the Alexander Valley

Turning off of Alexander Valley Rd after flying by vineyards along both sides of the road most of the morning, we ascended up a winding driveway surrounded by raw land full of old, craggy oak trees and brush.  If it weren’t for the well-paved road and our comfort in our locally-hired driver from Wine Country Chauffeur, Philip, it would’ve seemed we took a wrong turn and we were on a road up into the wilderness.  Then, just up and around the last bend as we reached the top of the ridge, a symmetrical line of trees appeared just ahead with a French-style chateau covered in dormant ivy on the right and we knew we had finally arrived at Jordan.

The property was purchased by Tom Jordan, who was very successful in the oil industry, in 1972 and consists of 1300 acres.  The winery, kitchen and retail facilities sit atop a ridge and afford the visitor about 270 degrees of scenic views of the surrounding region.  Tom’s son, John, was brought on board in 2005 as CEO and it turns out he is an avid, or should I say rabid, bass fisherman.  He even has a stocked pond on the property to feed his addiction when he’s not travelling.  He was very gracious to take a few minutes of time to stop by and see us and we got to chat a little bit more about fishing since I grew up in south Florida and used to do a fair amount of fresh and salt water fishing myself.  John is just a great guy and you can easily tell he is passionate about what he does no matter if it’s work or play.  Very infectious indeed.

Unfortunately, we did not get an opportunity to meet the winemaker, Rob Davis.  Rob has been working at Jordan since 1976 when consultant and the Czar of California Cabernet, Andre Tchelistcheff, instructed Jordan to hire him.  We learned that over the years their own strain of malolactic bacteria have set up residence in gigantic upright oak casks and Rob has evidently been able to isolate the strain, which aids in consistency as well as increased probability the malolactic fermentation (MLF) process will occur as expected.  MLF not only reduces acid, imparts some vanilla notes and rounds out the wine, it is also a preventative measure against spoilage that could occur eventually in the bottle otherwise.  Only Sebastiani (though, not any more) and Mondavi are others in the area that have used oak casks of this size.  Most wineries are fermenting in tanks or in barrels.  The oak barrel room is state-of-the-art and is built to withstand earthquakes, which California is known to experience from time to time.  However, the design requires more painstaking transport of the barrels by hand and can only be put up or pulled down from one end of each rack.

Then there is the secret room just off the conservatory, only there was no Colonel Mustard nor any candlesticks.  This is where Claire, our hostess for the day, took us for the tasting.  They said it used to be Tom’s old cellar and where he would smoke cigars at times while sipping wine.  Inside was a wooden table in the middle of the floor that can seat a maximum of 12 people.  There were wooden bookshelves, a fireplace and other antique furniture holding picture displays of the Jordan family including Tom smoking a cigar, of course, as well as several wine bottles.  I think it was a fantastic idea to turn the cellar into a tasting room as it added a little mystery and intrigue not to mention great ambiance in which to taste some wonderful California wines.

The Wines

Jordan only makes wines from the most well-known grapes in California: Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

2007 Chardonnay – Apples, pears and hint of vanilla.  Chardonnay was aged sur lie in French Oak, but the oak is not overbearing at all and adds just a bit of the vanilla and some texture in the mouth.  The wine is well-balanced, somewhat crisp and minerally on the end and paired well with the hamachi tuna provided by Chef Todd.  The 2008 is expected to be a good year too.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – Dark, garnet hue.  Cigar box, blackberries and black cherries on the nose, with black fruits and cassis on the palate.  A lingering finish.

Many thanks to Lisa Matteson, Communications Director, as well as Claire, our great hostess, for allowing us to visit and have a wonderful time!  We can’t wait to return.  Don’t wait for us, though.  If you are taking a trip to Sonoma, Jordan is a must see and ranked in our top 3 experiences on our recent vacation.

Address : 1474 Alexander Valley Road • Healdsburg, California 95448 • 800.654.1213   View Larger Map