Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 6, 2011 - 7

ertainly much has changed at Jordan since our inception in 1976. Technology has
provided a bevy of improvements in communication. Wine equipment has become
more refined with better engineering. Analysis is more specific and far more detailed.
But, I must admit, I never thought that I would work at one winery for so many years.
After graduating from University of California at Davis in 1976, my goal was to experience a harvest
in California and then travel the world, venturing to as many wine countries as possible. It was
beyond my imagination that I could be this satisfied for such a long period of time working for one
family. But the Jordans are so wonderful and dynamic—with such a clear vision for producing the
best wine possible—just like the owners of first growth Bordeaux chateaux.
It has been a privilege to share in such a lofty pursuit. And this year, Jordan is coming off perhaps
our best harvest, and I feel more energized than ever. We’re truly entering a Renaissance period of
winemaking at Jordan.

it began with andré Meeting Russian-born André Tchelistcheff, the inimitable
winemaker who became a principal architect of modern American wine, made me rethink my
original game plan. I never would have met André Tchelistcheff if Tom and Sally Jordan hadn’t had
the wisdom to hire him as their enology consultant when they founded Jordan Vineyard & Winery.
The Jordans told André he could handpick their winemaker, creating his own winemaking legacy.
Enter me. Who knew a 22-year-old kid from Sacramento who started as a pre-med student could
get that lucky? The opportunity to be mentored by such a great man—a man filled with passion,
creativity, learning, winemaking experience and love of life— it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
I had the good fortune to travel with André throughout France: the country where he shared his
enological work with contemporaries that even today define French winemaking. Wherever we
went, doors opened. My 18 years with André were the most memorable times of my career. What I
learned during those years plays into our winemaking every day at Jordan. André’s memory lives on
in every bottle of wine we make at Jordan.
The fundamental lesson André imparted on winemakers was balance. During our first years of
winemaking together, he’d constantly harp during our tastings of young Cabernet and Merlot lots: “Too
damn much tannin, too damn much oak, my dear sir!” I was constantly adjusting the wine’s power to
his palate. In the end, I could see how far he had taken the wine, from a stack of construction materials
to a finely built house, with the fruit, acid and tannin structure nicely knit into a fine mosaic of flavors.
As André noted, “Tannic wines don’t age: only wines of balance.”

’

tom jordan s vision Tom assessed every vintage on our ability to produce a
wine that was fruit forward, silky and very drinkable early on. Far more important than whether the
wine would age 25 years was how well the wine showed in the first two years of release—typically
after a four- to six-year period between harvest and release. Achieving this result, as well as making
a wine that could be cellared for a long time, is a very complex process. Meticulous care is given
to the sourcing of fruit, time of picking, sugar levels, fermentation regime, blending, and final
adjustments before bottling, such as fining and bottle aging. Now, whenever I open a Jordan Cabernet
from the 1980s or 1990s and find it aging gracefully, I smile and think of André’s mantra of balance.
7

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpWMtEthzcs

Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 6, 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 6, 2011