Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 10, 2015 - 4

Rob's
WELCOME

s the senses are awakened after months of chilly weather, we are excited about the opportunity of working with a new
vintage. Matching our enthusiasm for new beginnings is the joy that comes with the annual spring release of our wines:
2013 Russian River Chardonnay and 2011 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2013 Jordan Chardonnay represents the blessings of Mother Nature at her absolute best. Moderate temperatures prevailed
throughout the entire growing season, resulting in a stunning combination of intense fruit, acidity and minerality in the finished
wine. And the 2011 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon is a true validation of being further blessed by our incredibly gifted growers,
whose vineyards possess soil compositions that provided extraordinary fruit in what was, for many vintners, a very challenging year.
The direction John Jordan offered in his first year to make consistent improvements in our wines didn't stop with just the grapes.
Because of the added depth and multifaceted dimension of fruit we've achieved in recent Cabernet Sauvignon vintages, we've
shifted our wine aging program away from the usual combination of American and French oak to 100% French oak. That quality
decision also represents a huge financial commitment-$480 for one American oak barrel compared to $1,200 for a single
barrel made from the finest French oak. Vintages 2011 and beyond will have increased percentages of French oak with 2014
being our first entirely French-oak aged Jordan in history, further defining our Bordelais-inspired style of Cabernet Sauvignon.
The amplification of Tonnellerie Française (French for "barrel maker") elevates our signature style of elegance and finesse.
There's more news. One might think that the true challenge of ensuring a quality wine is the successful processing of fruit during
the harvest-between the long hours laboring in the field and cellar to the constant sampling of grapes. However, nothing
compares to the summer toil of bottling season. The challenge of delivering a great wine to your table has many variables. From
barrel to bottling tank to the bottle filler and finally being finished off with a cork, the wine can suffer the same effects similar
to a traveler logging long hours in a plane-serious jet lag. The one factor that contributes most to this is the pick up of small
amounts of oxygen in the filling process. This year, no more jet lag for Jordan bottles. John Jordan made the decision to invest
in a state-of-the-art bottling line that, with the latest technology, has greatly minimized the negative effects that come with the
filling process. We noticed this in our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, our first vintage to be bottled on the new line. Normally it takes
six months for the wine to recover from bottling and for the wine's bouquet to emerge. But our winemaking team was amazed
at how wonderful the 2011 Cabernet tasted in only three weeks. Already we were using the terms, "lively," "fruit forward" and
"long finish" in our initial tasting notes. That had never before happened in my career.
I look forward to hearing what you think of the new releases.
Cheers,

Rob Davis
Winemaker

http://www.jordanwinery.com/about/rob-davis http://blog.jordanwinery.com/2013/06/the-ferrari-of-bottling-lines-unveiled-at-jordan-winery/

Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 10, 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jordan Estate Tales - Volume 10, 2015