Jordan Winery (Photo: Caitlin McCaffrey)

Balancing Act

Sonoma’s Jordan Winery is equally adept at two wines: Cabernet and Chardonnay.

Larry Walker

If you take Alexander Valley Road exit off Redwood Highway in Sonoma County and drive east toward the Russian River, you will shortly come to a driveway sporting a neatly hand-painted sign reading: “This Is Not Jordan Winery.” You are almost there. The next driveway is Jordan, although without the disclaimer a few yards away, there is no way the unannounced visitor would know that. A long one-lane driveway curves uphill, leading toward what looks like a Bordeaux Châteaux, inexplicably dropped down in Sonoma County. Some say the building is over-the-top. I can’t imagine anyone saying the same about the wines. Year in, year out, winemaker Rob Davis turns out a silky, harmonious Cabernet that is always best of class. The Chardonnay is consistently elegant, lean and lively.

Tom Jordan, a geologist with a taste for fine wine, developed 275 acres of vineyard and built the winery in the mid-1970s. Davis was there for the first vintage in 1976. Working with André Tchelistcheff, he developed the subtle, somewhat understated flavor profile that has been Jordan’s trademark for almost 30 years.

A picture of Tchelistcheff hangs on the wall in the staff tasting room at Jordan and Davis refers to himself as one of “André’s kids.” Davis took the job at Jordan right after he graduated from the University of California at Davis with a degree in oenology. He likes to say he went to two schools to learn winemaking: U.C. Davis and the “school of André Tchelistcheff.”

Tchelistcheff, whose work at Beaulieu Vineyards in the 1940s and 1950s virtually created the model for California Cabernet, spoke often of balance in wine. Nothing in excess. “One of the important things I learned from him is that your palate is the best tool you have in winemaking,” Davis said, glancing at the picture of Tchelistcheff.

Balance is what Jordan Cabernet is all about, although Davis says it all starts with the fruit. “I like fruit-driven wines. I love the taste of grapes at harvest. I’ve got to admit that I think wine starts going downhill right after fermentation.”

It was a surprising statement, given how well Jordan Cabernets age. A few years ago I had the opportunity to taste a vertical selection of Jordan Cabernet, including the inaugural 1976. There wasn’t a dud in the lineup. Some, of course, were better than others and the older wines were mere whispers of what they had been in their youth, but they had aged gracefully. (Also, despite what Davis said about liking “fruit-driven” wines, he clearly is not talking about the grotesque fruit “bombs” that many wine critics have taken to with such enthusiasm.)

It’s the old story, really: a young wine that is balanced will, in most cases, develop nicely in the bottle. Davis learned from Tchelistcheff to be very careful in the use of oak. “Anything that overshadows the fruit alters the balance of the wine and therefore should be avoided. Oak used in excess can not only overshadow the fruit but it can hide defects in the wine, especially American oak,” Davis said, during a tasting recently at Jordan.

“Of course, what is too much for someone can be just the right amount for someone else. Who can really define balance? Oenology students at U.C. Davis are taught about ‘threshold values’ and ‘minimal detectable differences.’ I find that as our palates become more experienced or evolved over time, they become more sensitive. I certainly have found that true with residual sugar in wine,” Davis said. He added that younger winemakers might prefer more oak than he does. “I would also assume that most winemakers regard French oak as more complex than American oak. It seems to me that American oak, which is a simpler but more aggressive oak, is favored not so much for its aging effect on wine but more for its aromatic quality. Simple wines, less fruity wines, can be elevated in perceived quality by the addition of a good whack of oak,” he added.

We had been tasting some experimental wines that Davis had made a decade earlier, looking at the different ways American and French oak can affect a wine, in this case Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the years, Davis has moved toward a greater use of French wood at Jordan. From a 50—50 split for the first vintage in 1976, it is now 70% French and 30% American oak for the Cabernet. The Chardonnay is 100% French oak.

On a purely economic basis, that would be hard to justify. With the weak dollar, a French oak barrel costs abut $900 in California, compared to about $300 for an American oak barrel. But it isn’t all about money. Davis likes the flavor profile of the French oak better than the American oak. In tasting the experimental wines, it was evident that the wines in French oak were a better match for Jordan’s fruit character. “I find that across the board, French oak is more subtle and complements our fruit. We’ve never been into big oak at Jordan,” Davis said.

The grape sources for Jordan’s Cabernet are always more than 75% from Alexander Valley, a viticultural area established in 1984. The valley, which is divided lengthwise by the Russian River, is some 20 miles long and averages one mile in width. The Mayacamas Mountains form the eastern boundary. It was part of the original Sotoyome Ranch (Mexican land grant). Most soils are alluvial, deposited over thousands of years by the Russian River and its tributaries. Jordan has vineyards planted on both rich valley floor and hillside vineyards made up of volcanic soils. Climatically, the valley is a blend of cool coastal and warmer inland influences, with sharp temperature swings between night and day. Marine fog moving inland following the Russian River often lingers until late morning.

Jordan Chardonnay is often overlooked, lost in the glow of the Cabernet, which is a pity for it is an excellent wine. The grapes are now sourced from growers in the Russian River Valley appellation, a much cooler area than Alexander Valley, with generally infertile soils with a high gravel content. The wine, with its crisp acidity and creamy center, is a spiritual sister to Meursault. The 2005 vintage features upfront citrus flavors with lingering pear tones, touched with spice, laid over a flinty base. Marvelous.

But no matter how good the Chardonnay, I have to agree that the top hand is the Cabernet Sauvignon. There is a small percentage of Mendocino County grapes in the blend, which includes about one-third grapes from hillside plantings on the Alexander Valley estate. Typically, the Cabernet is fermented in stainless steel, followed by four weeks in large oak cooperage, then 12 months in 66% French and 34% American oak barrels, and finished for six months in large oak cooperage before bottling. The bottled wine is generally held about 18 months before release. (Tom Jordan insisted early on that his wine be ready to drink when he sends it to market.)

My favorite of the last decade is the Jordan Cabernet 2001. It is a glorious wine with a marvelous depth of flavor and mouthfeel, no doubt enhanced by the hillside fruit. On the palate, the wine shows luscious fruit, a touch of cherry, a dash of ripe raspberry and maybe a smidgen of cassis snuggled against an oaky backbone. It is ready to drink now but should continue to improve in the bottle for six to eight more years. The current release, 2004, is, in my opinion, not quite the match of the 2001, but that would be asking too much. It is a lovely wine, with lively wraparound flavors, balanced fruit and a silky finish. It is ready to drink now or hold for the next four to five years.

Summing up, and repeating: Jordan Cabernet is all about balance, harmony and elegance, combined with richness and grace. It doesn’t get much better.

André would be pleased.