So last Tuesday we drove through the Alexander Valley arriving at a beautiful French Chateau inspired winery for our wine tasting appointment. Although it was only built in 1976, it looked as though it had been there much longer with the beautiful ivy vines along the expansive brick walls.
We were greeted by three of the cutest black dogs- a large, medium and small! They were so excited to see us they even jumped in the car! Claire Smith welcomed us and guided us through our wine tasting. She led us into the Library where we enjoyed our first wine which was the 2011 Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley. The Chardonnay was new to me and boy had I been missing out on a delicious one! Aromas of freshly cut Fuji and Granny Smith apples, stone fruits and white flowers lead to vibrant minerality and bright fruit flavors. These grapes were picked in the coolness of the night and spent three months of sur-lie aging and five weeks of batonnage. Malolactic fermentation was limited to only 30% in order to retain the wine's bright acidity and natural expression of fruit intensity. The wine matured in French oak barrels for more than six months before nine months of bottle age. It was just released on May 1st so we are some of the first to enjoy this latest vintage. Executive Chef Todd Knoll had created the perfect pairing of Hawaiian Blue Prawns with Tomato Fondue.
As we enjoyed the Chardonnay, Claire explained that the owner, when designing the winery, thought that every Chateau needed a hidden door and we were to guess where the entrance was to the "secret room". It was .... I'm not telling! But it led to our next wines, the Cabernet Sauvignons. (If you didn't already know, Jordan produces a singular Chardonnay and a singular Cabernet Sauvignon, which they have perfected for more than 40 years.)
We began with the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage has deep color and a full mouthfeel. The vibrant blueberry qualities of Petite Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and contribute to the complexity of the masculine, tannic nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has very rich texture, opulent flavors of black cherry, a restrained oak framework, and a lingering finish of subtle earth, cigar tobacco and cedar. After malolactic fermentation in large, upright oak casks, the wine was then aged in 68% French and 32% American oak barrels for 12 months, and in large, upright oak casks for an additional three months. The wine was bottled and held for another 17 months prior to release. Whew! I guess this is what they mean by "no wine before it's time"! This blend consists of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Delicious :).
Now the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was totally different than the previous 2003 but very delightful! With concentrated aromas of cassis, cherry, cedar, red rose petal and tobacco, this wine's complexity continues through the flavors, which include red currant, cherry, blackberry with a hint of vanilla from the oak aging. This wine shows beautifully in it's youth and will continue to age gracefully for a decade or more. This vintage spent 22 days in stainless steel tanks for primary fermentation, followed by two weeks in large upright oak tanks for malolactic fermentation. The wine was then aged in 64% French and 36% American oak barrels for 12 months. The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot. Again, amazing!!
Last but not least the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was a dream vintage for the winemaker. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry and cassis are supported by subtle hints of baking spice and vanilla from oak aging. The mouthfeel is soft and silky with a seemingly never ending finish. Enjoy now or through 2025. ( I don't think my bottles will last that long.) This vintage is a "barrel blend" from lots not only from the Jordan Estate but also from only the top blocks of selected family growers. After separate primary fermentation, the wine was transferred to French and American oak barrels and aged for 12 months. The blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec matured in bottle for and additional two years before release.
After thoroughly enjoying the wine tasting, we as a group decided to take a couple of the 2003 Cabs and a Chardonnay back to the house we rented to enjoy with our evening meal of Beef Bourguignon prepared by "Chef" Bart. What a delightful day!
Cheers!
Lisa
Once we located our hidden entrance, we filed through and saw a beautifully set table for our tasting and were presented with three Cabernets-2003,2005 and 2009, all of which are from the Alexander Valley.
We began with the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon. This vintage has deep color and a full mouthfeel. The vibrant blueberry qualities of Petite Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and contribute to the complexity of the masculine, tannic nature of the Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has very rich texture, opulent flavors of black cherry, a restrained oak framework, and a lingering finish of subtle earth, cigar tobacco and cedar. After malolactic fermentation in large, upright oak casks, the wine was then aged in 68% French and 32% American oak barrels for 12 months, and in large, upright oak casks for an additional three months. The wine was bottled and held for another 17 months prior to release. Whew! I guess this is what they mean by "no wine before it's time"! This blend consists of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Petite Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Delicious :).
Now the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon was totally different than the previous 2003 but very delightful! With concentrated aromas of cassis, cherry, cedar, red rose petal and tobacco, this wine's complexity continues through the flavors, which include red currant, cherry, blackberry with a hint of vanilla from the oak aging. This wine shows beautifully in it's youth and will continue to age gracefully for a decade or more. This vintage spent 22 days in stainless steel tanks for primary fermentation, followed by two weeks in large upright oak tanks for malolactic fermentation. The wine was then aged in 64% French and 36% American oak barrels for 12 months. The blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot and 5% Petite Verdot. Again, amazing!!
Last but not least the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon was a dream vintage for the winemaker. Aromas of blackberry, black cherry and cassis are supported by subtle hints of baking spice and vanilla from oak aging. The mouthfeel is soft and silky with a seemingly never ending finish. Enjoy now or through 2025. ( I don't think my bottles will last that long.) This vintage is a "barrel blend" from lots not only from the Jordan Estate but also from only the top blocks of selected family growers. After separate primary fermentation, the wine was transferred to French and American oak barrels and aged for 12 months. The blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petite Verdot and 1% Malbec matured in bottle for and additional two years before release.
Along with these scrumptious wines, pairings of 2011 Jordan Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Black Truffle Triple Creme Brie, Ossau-Iraty (sheep's milk cheese) and Beemster Classic (extra-aged gouda). All of these cheeses were perfect with all three wines, but who can go wrong with extra-aged gouda!!After thoroughly enjoying the wine tasting, we as a group decided to take a couple of the 2003 Cabs and a Chardonnay back to the house we rented to enjoy with our evening meal of Beef Bourguignon prepared by "Chef" Bart. What a delightful day!
Cheers!
Lisa
Wine Word of the Week
Sur Lie - The process of leaving the wine in contact the lees (remnants of yeast after fermentation). This process can add complexity and nuance to the wine.
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