“Now is a great time to
arrange for a visit.”
yards on either side where there is hillside. Still only 112 acres are
planted, Now in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit
Verdot. All viticulture is Sonoma Sustainable and certified in the
Sonoma Green Business Program (1999) and Bay Area Green Busi-
ness Program (2000). The estate was certified carbon neutral in
2009, and solar arrays installed in 2012. These supply 95% of the
estate’s power (the remainder being renewables).
Soil types are highly varied. There are six different types in-
cluding surpentine (clay heavy and doesn’t drain well), terra rossa
(a thick clay). It is where the top performing vineyards are planted.
A few growers have mentioned a soil called cortina, a gravelly
loam, and yolo.
The Jordan offices and hospitality center are right next to
the winery. Indeed, I attended a ‘long table’ dinner and tasting
right in the ageng room. Barrels were lined from one end of the
hall to the other as we 60 guests ate in the center aisle while en-
ergetic service staff ran up and down the space behind us. On a
more recent visit our media group of twelve was seated at round
tables just off the expansive balcony (the weather was little too
cool, given the time of year, for al fresco dining). Resident execu-
tive chef Todd Knoll prepared a cheese and meat buffet almost
entirely from local product. Vegetables came from the winery
gardens.
A new direction for the hospitality staff is the organization
of ‘experiences’. For example, a walk through the château block
(a 6.6 acre vineyard of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes) and a verti-
cal tasting in the vineyard, accompanied by a charcuterie board,
and a talk about Cabernet Sauvignon as the grape of Alexander
Valley for up to 10 guests. Another one is a Champagne breakfast
at the estate accompanied by Champagne AR Lenoble, a family
grower winery in the Vallée de la Marne subregion of Champagne
sourcing grapes from several parts of Champagne. Jordan and AR
Lenoble have had a handshake agreement to serve each other’s
wines to visitors since 2016.
In fact, now is a great time to arrange a visit to the winery
that Tom Jordan thought could not be created. In the meantime,
their current vintages are great as well.
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