Jordan Winery - Sonoma's Reliable Class Act with a Newly Invigorated Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2019 vintage marks Jordan Chardonnay's 40th anniversary. As ever, the Jordan Chardonnay wildly over-delivers in quality and price with this decade-marking, birthday vintage. I can't believe the winery still only charges for $35 for this class act, but I'm very happy that such an attractive and age-worthy Sonoma Chardonnay is available at such an (all things relative) incredibly accessible price.  

The Jordan Winery team is also releasing its 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon. While the winemaking team was challenged to the maximum during this vintage as two of its members tragically lost their homes in the devastating Tubbs Fire, the wine is surely the prettiest new Cabernet release from Jordan that I have ever tasted.

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Jordan 2019 Chardonnay Russian River Valley 13.7% $35
Showing touches of butterscotch and toast on the nose, this wine tastes succulent yet shies away from decadence. It is juicy with a yellow apple core dancing with baking spice zing and a touch of ginger powder and white blooms. Even-keeled acidity with a very light tannic grip give this excellent focus and structure. This is hard to resist now yet will hold well in the mid-term and possibly beyond. Fermented half-and-half in stainless steel and new French oak with 32% malolactic fermentation, the aging process saw a combination of sur-lie and bâttonage in both vessel styles during the 5.5 months of aging.
Drink: 2021-25 

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Jordan 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma 13.8% $58
Bright, fresh and focused, this is beautifully open and approachable now. Smelling of red cherries and blackberries with hints of underbrush, this wine's palate is razor-focused by crisp acidity and fine, streamlined tannins that add a lightly drying sensation to the blueberry, vanilla bean and mildly ganache finish. Moreover, its polished structure and layered flavors will allow this blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec, 0.3% (what a tiny measure to keep track of!) Cabernet Franc to develop nicely in bottle. N.B. This wine was aged entirely in French oak (as has been the new program since the 2015 vintage) - 47% new and 53% once-used barrels for 13 months.
Drink: 2021-27