JORDAN VINEYARD & WINERY
W
Jordan Vineyard Winery 1474 Alexander Valley Rd., Healdsburg 800-654-1213 jordanwinery.com Open by appointment only, Monday through Saturday, and also Sundays from mid-April to mid-November.
ith its steeply-pitched dormer roof, ochre-yellow stucco walls crawling with ivy, stony courtyards and meticulously manicured lawns and hedges, a visit to Jordan Vineyard & Winery is like stepping onto the grounds of an ancient French chateau. Perched atop a vine-covered hill (another tradition borrowed from Bordeaux), the 38-year-old building was indeed inspired by founders Tom and Sally Jordan’s love of all things French. The Jordan chateau is the cornerstone of the winery. Opened in 1976 in time to accept the winery’s first vintage, the Chateau serves as the winery’s label image, its working production facility and as the visual representation of the French-inspired winemaking philosophy. Located in the heart of the Alexander Valley, Jordan produces just two wine varieties — the Bordeaux-inspired Cabernet Sauvignon and the Burgundianstyle Chardonnay. Both are designed to be food-friendly and balanced, in the style of their Old World predecessors. For all of the French-tinged flourish, Jordan’s wines are also quintessentially Sonoma County, full and flavorful with rich fruit notes. The winery, now managed by Tom and Sally’s son, John, is also deeply committed to sustainable farming practices. Of the estate’s 1,200 acres, less than 200 acres are planted to vines or orchards. Much of the rest of the property is left as an open-space wildlife preserve. Centuries-old oak trees are found throughout the property, even amidst vineyard blocks. The importance was placed not on maximizing vineyard production but on minimizing the impact these vines would have on the natural landscape. It’s this directive that also guides the winery’s food sourcing for executive chef Todd Knoll. A three-season chef’s garden grows much of what Knoll uses for his daily food pairings. A chicken coop provides fresh eggs, while floral gardens are used for the fresh flowers used by hospitality staff. What the winery cannot produce itself, it partners with as many local purveyors as it can. Visitors are welcomed to Jordan by appointment only, and only at pre-set times. There are three tasting experience options for guests. The first is a onehour seated Library Tasting for $30. For visitors who have a bit more flexibility in time, there is a 90-minute Winery Tour and Library Tasting for $40, which adds on a 30-minute walking tour of the chateau and its terraces and gardens. For those looking to fully explore the Jordan estate, the winery offers a 3-hour Estate Tour & Tasting for $120 (mid-April to mid-November only). Each of the three tasting experiences offers sips of not only the current vintages of both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also one library selection of Cabernet Sauvignon. Estate Tour guests are also given a library selection of Chardonnay. This method of tasting highlights not only the differences between vintage years, but also demonstrates how the wines evolve through time. The tastings also feature a small hors d’oeuvre created each day by executive chef Todd Knoll to pair with the wines. Jordan’s estate-grown olive oil is also offered for tasting. Service and presentation are key here. The plates are gorgeous, creative and delicious. On my visit, I opted for the Estate Tour, which takes guests from the impressive historic tank room, where 23,000-liter oak tanks are used to age the wines, to the winery’s Vista Point tasting pavilion. At the property’s highest point, this spot offers a full, 360-degree view of the Alexander and Russian River valleys, the Mayacamas Mountains and more. In between, guests visit the chef’s garden, where you’re encouraged to wander and taste, and out to a stone tasting terrace overlooking the estate’s stocked fishing lake. Because of the structure of Jordan’s tastings and tours, promptness is required. Late guests cannot disturb the in-progress tastings and tours of other visitors, and while the winery does try to be as accommodating as possible, tastings may not be able to be rescheduled for another time that day. While the rules may seem stringent at first glance, this preserves the elegance and integrity of their tasting experiences. fall 2014 +
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