Region: California
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier
Alcohol: 12.5%
Notes on the Wine
The inaugural release of our vibrant and approachable California Cuvée opens with a pop of tart pineapple and orange blossom on the wonderfully aromatic nose. The palate is lively and rich with layered notes of Asian pear and honeysuckle, overlaying hints of fresh mandarin peel and marzipan before a zesty, focused finish.
Notes on the Producer
As a 25-year-old Stanford University graduate in Earth Sciences/Geology, Judy understood the land. Her belief that soil enriches the flavors of the fruit of the vine influenced her pursuit of unique terroir and “a sense of place” for growing wine grapes. This journey led her to Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, known for cool climate grape growing and a great diversity of soils - perfect for Champagne method wines.
After a few years of making critically-acclaimed sparkling wines like her signature J Vintage Brut and J Late-Disgorged Vintage Brut, she came to the realization that her Russian River Valley vineyards would also be ideal for producing site-specific, varietal wines. Judy Jordan, always curious and innovating, launched a single vineyard Pinot Noir in 1994, charmingly named after her eldest child, Nicole. Not one to show sides, soon thereafter she released a second single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Robert Thomas.
With a continuing story that involves a flood as well as new vineyard purchases, the winery has thrived since that first Pinot Noir release. Today, we count estate-grown Russian River Valley Chardonnay and as well as single-vineyard Pinot Gris made from Cooper Vineyard, a location which dates back to 1997, among our wines.
The exploration of terroir in our nine, sustainably farmed estate vineyards, while over two decades in the making, has only just begun. The wide variety of alluvial soils found in our more than 200 acres in the Russian River Valley have been forming for millions of years and are continually revealing their nuances to us. In geologic terms, we are still in the embryonic stage and we look forward to more exploration vintage after vintage.
