by Patrick on November 22, 2011 in From the Cellar
Have you ever wanted to see what happens inside a wine barrel? You’re not alone. Last summer, our Guest Services staff asked us if it would be possible to create a special see-through barrel, so trade tour and tasting guests could get an inside look at the old-world winemaking art of batonnage. I worked with one of our local cooperages to create Jordan’s first demonstration [...]
by Rob on February 23, 2011 in From the Cellar
Each winter, our barrel cellar is filled with the sound of batons stirring our Chardonnay. The old-world winemaking technique of batonnage, or stirring of the lees, is practiced for every vintage of Jordan Chardonnay. It’s a beautiful cadence that is truly music to a winemaker’s ears. Batonnage is a wonderful tool for winemakers, almost like a spice rack to a chef. [...]
by Patrick on January 19, 2011 in From the Cellar
Our cellar team still practices an old-world winemaking technique that has nearly been lost in modern America’s wine culture: tallowing. Each winter, the barrel blend of our latest vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon is placed in 6,000-gallon oak casks so the flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot can marry, and these vintage doors need to be properly sealed to hold the wine. The [...]
by Lisa on December 4, 2010 in From the Cellar
Assistant Winemaker Maggie Kruse discusses the importance of tasting the grapes and juice throughout the entire winemaking process. Grapes are first tasted during vineyard sampling and once harvested, only the highest quality fruit pressed into juice goes into stainless-steel tanks and is tasted daily during fermentation to monitor heat, aromas and flavors.
by Maggie on July 14, 2010 in From the Cellar
A common perception of winery life during the summer is that the work prior to the harvest is calm, relaxed: the wines are resting peacefully in cask, the winemaker’s boots resting peacefully under the desk. I beg to differ. As Assistant Winemaker at Jordan, one of my primary responsibilities is to manage the entire bottling [...]
by Ronald on April 15, 2010 in From the Cellar
Twice a year our winemaking team spends several weeks conducting a series of blind tastings to assess the merits of each cooperage from which we source barrels. Although we only work with the finest coopers, we still believe it’s important to test their performance every year to ensure the quality and consistency of the oak [...]
by Patrick on March 12, 2010 in From the Cellar
Our recent post about the new barrel inspection process discussed the pristine barrels French and American cooperages deliver to our cellar door every winter. But only one-third of our Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in new oak barrels each vintage, so used barrels play a critical role in our winemaking philosophy. Barrels raise our wine for three [...]
by Ronald on January 13, 2010 in From the Cellar
One of the vital steps to crafting a great Chardonnay involves lees, residual yeast cells that remain in contact with the wine during fermentation and aging. The lees help give Chardonnay its round mouthfeel and mild tannins. When fermentation and aging are complete, we rack our Chardonnay from the lees, leaving the yeast cells as a by-product. In keeping [...]
by Patrick on January 10, 2010 in From the Cellar
Each December before barrel aging begins, we create the barrel blend for our latest vintage of Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. We only blend two Bordeaux varieties with our Cabernet Sauvignon—Merlot and Petit Verdot—the latter of which has been increasing its presence in our final blend, thanks to its amazing blueberry fruit, vibrant color, and soft, [...]
by Maggie on December 19, 2009 in From the Cellar
As the year winds down and the holidays approach, harvest still seems fresh in the minds of the production team. Crafting the final blend of Cabernet before it is transferred to barrels might seem like a pivotal step in the artistry of winemaking for the new vintage, but in fact, it is a quick tasting of [...]
