July 13, 2019 | by Lisa Mattson

We’re excited to announce the official launch of a new Jordan Winery Chateau Block Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Tasting, which takes place at a new six-acre hilltop vineyard across from our iconic chateau, aptly named the Chateau Block. The highlight of this outdoor experience is a seated tasting at the edge of the vineyard, featuring three vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon paired with charcuterie from Journeyman Meat Co., including two custom recipes created in collaboration with Jordan’s chef.

An aerial view of the newly planted Chateau Block Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard at Jordan Winery

After planting the new vineyard in summer 2018, winery owner John Jordan noticed a shady spot on the edge of the woods just above the grapevines with sweeping views of the Alexander Valley and its surrounding mountains, and the idea for this new tasting experience began to take shape.

“We’ve always wanted to take guests into the vineyard without getting into a car,” Jordan said. “This new vineyard not only holds great promise for future vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, but it allows us to offer a memorable outdoor tasting experience in less than two hours.”

Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon pouring into wine glass during new Chateau Block tasting

From the Chateau Block tasting area, guests can see the Alexander Valley, the slope of young grapevines, rolling hills of the 1,200-acre Jordan Estate and the rooftops of a distant property—the home of neighbor Pete Seghesio, owner of Journeyman Meat Co.—which made the decision to offer a curated cabernet sauvignon and charcuterie tasting a natural choice for the winery’s chef, Todd Knoll.

“It’s great to support our neighbors and fellow culinary craftspeople, but our connection goes beyond a share property line,” Knoll said. “Pete’s products are much more wine-friendly than others due to his fermentation style. They are the best salumi I’ve encountered for pairing with a higher-tannin wine like cabernet sauvignon. His roots in a historic wine family have guided his style of salumi making in a direction that is ideal for wine country.”

Overhead view of the salumis featured during the new Chateau Block Cabernet Sauvignon tasting

Knoll shared with Seghesio some of his favorite ingredients for cabernet food pairing, including cocoa powder, fennel, juniper and anise, which resulted in the berry-hued Jordan Salami Buio—only available during this tasting, at Jordan’s Wine & Charcuterie Tasting or as a special harvest offer in Journeyman’s Meat Club. A coppa made with Jordan Chardonnay, turmeric and white pepper became an unexpected favorite pairing with young and old vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, and beat out a third cured meat made with Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon for a spot on the Chateau Block Tasting charcuterie board. Journeyman’s Culatello, Finocchiona and Parmesan Porcini are also served on the tasting with Jordan vintages dating back to 2006.

The seasonal Chateau Block Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Tasting is offered by appointment only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from late June through October at 10:30 a.m. for $75 per person. Reservations can be booked online.

The planting of the Chateau Block in 2018 marked the first time Jordan planted a vineyard near its French-inspired chateau. The vineyard is home to 9,352 cabernet sauvignon grapevines planted in some of the estate’s rockiest soils. The hillside is so rocky that an estimated 4,000 tons of stones were moved to the edge of the vineyard during planting, creating an impressive 50-foot x 184-foot wall.

Learn more about our partnership with Journeyman Meat Co. in the latest issue of Wine Country Table magazine.