I have no intention of selling you this wine. That being said, there are times that a great icon of a wine comes to us, at a tremendous discount, with minimal buying constraints. I would be derelict in my duties as the finder of great value wines and not offer it to you even though I have no pressure to sell you this wine. So I just got back from tasting this wine with our wine staff. OMG, you are going to want to have some of this Jordan Cab. No pressure.

Living in Denver in the 1960s, Tom, a trained geologist in the oil and gas business, and Sally Jordan were "foodies" suffering in what they described as a gastronomic desert. They loved to visit gourmet restaurants in the U.S. and Europe and invariably ordered French wine, especially Bordeaux. They fell in love with the Bordeaux region and planned to retire there. They were so enamored by the area they tried to buy Chateau Margaux in the late 1960s until the French realized they were American. They mixed in a few trips to California, and an epiphany occurred in 1972 on a visit to San Francisco and dinner at Ernie's Restaurant. Tom asked the sommelier what Bordeaux wine the restaurant had. He suggested Jordan try a California Cabernet Sauvignon 'very much in the Bordeaux style.' Jordan had heard this pitch before and balked. The sommelier persisted and offered him a money-back guarantee if the wine did not meet his expectations, no questions asked. Later, Tom Jordan's only question was how he could get more of this fantastic wine. The wine was a 1968 Beaulieu Vineyards Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon and it changed Tom's retirement plans to make a Bordeaux-style Cabernet wine in California.

Tom and Sally immediately started looking for suitable land for a winery and vineyards. They hired consultants to find the best sites to grow Bordeaux-style wine. The two regions they suggested were the Stags Leap area in Napa and Alexander Valleys in Sonoma. The site was ultimately not in Napa Valley because they thought the area (even in those days) was too built up. They preferred the bucolic rolling hills of Sonoma. They fell in love with a 1,200 acres property in the Alexander Valley, a parcel of rolling hills covered with pastures, and oak forests, overlooking a valley-floor vineyard and prune orchards. The only problem was the owners, the Budge family from San Francisco, were not interested in selling. Not to be so easily dissuaded, the Jordans did some research and discovered that the Budges were searching for a fly fishing property in Oregon. The Jordans purchased the Oregon property and swapped the fly fishing land with the Budges' Alexander Valley estate. There's more than one way to peel a grape. A few years later, Sally Jordan, pregnant with her son John, signed the papers to purchase about 1,200 acres in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County. She went into labor and gave birth later that day. 

Work started on building a signature French-inspired chateau containing the original huge oak barrels holding about 24,000 liters of wine, which were installed before the walls went up in the 1970s. The Jordans, having tasted the excellence of the Beaulieu Reserve Cab made by famed winemaker André Tchelistcheff, wanted him for their fledgling winery. Sally wined and dined him to convince him to oversee the winemaking at their chateau. He agreed with the condition that he select the winemaker. He chose Rob Davis, who was 22 years old. Davis spent his entire career at Jordan, retiring in 2019 and handing over the winemaking to Maggie Kruse, who joined the winery in 2006. Davis was the longest-tenured winemaker in Sonoma.

1976 was the first vintage of the Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Fun fact; the first vintage of Jordan Alexander Valley Cabernet had 1% Pinot Noir in the blend. The inclusion of pinot noir in Jordan's first vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon was not intentional. Back then, Winemaker Rob Davis made the Jordan malolactic fermentation culture in-house, and to prepare enough culture for the inaugural harvest, he needed mature grapes that could be fermented into wine, inoculated with the malolactic culture, and ready when Jordan's first merlot grapes finished their primary alcohol fermentation. Because pinot noir is an early-maturing grape, six tons were purchased from a nearby grower in Alexander Valley, and It wasn't until Rob had to configure the varietal percentages for the government label before bottling that he realized the pinot noir malolactic culture had to be legally recorded.

In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States and discovered that the White House wine cellar (for official events) was essentially a tribute to the fine winemaking skills of French winemakers. He was familiar with California wine, having served two terms as governor of California. He instructed the biggest oenophile among his 'California mafia' (as the group of advisors he brought with him were affectionately known), Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver, to make it a cellar that treated American wine as a first-class citizen. Later, Deaver was interviewed by 'Les Amis du Vin' wine magazine and asked what his favorite wine was. He announced that it was 1976 Jordan Cabernet (he was even photographed with a bottle), and that set off a frenzy among wine lovers to taste this cult wine from California. Jordan's 1976 Alexander Cabernet became an instant cult classic, and Jordan Winery never looked back.

The phylloxera louse devastated Jordan as it did many northern California vineyards in the 1980s. The winery used it as an opportunity to relocate its estate vineyards to the hillsides of the estate rather than the valley floor. This was a departure from the mindset of the 1960s of the original vineyards that were more concerned with higher yields and accessibility. Grapes were planted in widely-spaced rows for machine harvesting. Vineyards were flat and located close to access roads. With grape pricing in the late 1980s rising to a level that they had never seen before, it was worth unique cultivation rules to maximize the value of the final bottled product: hand harvesting with multiple passes, closer rows of vines, and well-drained hillsides were the preferred locations. Jordan's property had the flexibility to be redesigned, and they took it. 

Today, Jordon Alexander Valley vineyards are 112 acres planted in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. There are six different types, including serpentine (clay-heavy and doesn't drain well) and terra rossa (thick clay). It is where the top-performing vineyards are planted. And a soil called cortina, a gravelly loam. All viticulture is Sonoma Sustainable and certified. The estate was certified carbon neutral in 2009, and solar arrays were installed in 2012. These supply 95% of the estate's power (the remainder being renewables). There is also a conservation focus. Rescue donkeys and dogs are kept as they are territorial and protect the goats and chickens from predators like coyotes. "Otherwise," as Lisa Mattson (Director of Marketing) says, "they are just here to enjoy the Jordan life."

In a time of corporate buyouts, Jordan Winery is still a family-run operation. Tom and Sally's son, John Jordan, born the day they signed the papers for the vineyards, became CEO in 2005, who had previously had a life outside the winery. John Jordan is one of those horrible overachievers in life. He's been an interrogator in the Navy, a lawyer, and a pilot; he has an economics degree and an MBA and speaks Russian and German fluently. Tom's duties as general manager include working closely with every department on day-to-day operations and have fostered a culture of excellence where passionate people are encouraged to perfect their respective crafts. Jordan Winery remains the icon of Sonoma Cabernet for the foreseeable future.

A vintage remarkably similar to 2012, the 2018 was the first vintage in recent memory that returned to the "usual normal." Bloom occurred under normal conditions, followed by longer hang-time due to the cooler summer and fall weather. This allowed the smaller berries to develop a very intense level of dark fruit flavors and mature tannins, making this a vintage that will age gracefully." —Maggie Kruse, winemaker.

Rich aromas of ripe black cherry, Mission fig, and dark chocolate mingle with a spice box of clove and nutmeg. The palate is filled with flavors of juicy blackberry and boysenberry that are enveloped in silky tannins, showing complexity beyond its years. Enticing flavors of fresh vanilla bean and hazelnut carry through a velvety richness that lingers on the finish. Enjoy now after decanting for 45 minutes or cellar through 2038.

Blend: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

Elegant, plush blue fruit melds with satin-lined tan- nins as violets, cassis, fig, beetroot, and hazelnut contribute richness. This is an Alexander Valley blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec with a French accent, tasting of terroir as much as it does sunshine and power. Aged in 100% French oak for 13 months (35% new and 65% one-year-old barrels). Tasting Panel 95 pts

There's a sleek and fragrant richness to this easygoing cabernet, its depth of fruit lightened by a lean structure—what Patrick Comiskey described as "a classic Alexander Valley leafiness." A mountain blueberry scent lasts in the end, the wine sturdy and set to open over the next four years. Wine & Spirits 93 pts

The 2018 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon is focused, stylish, and lovely from start to finish. The wine's soft yet persistent tannins give it a good elevation on the palate. This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of red and blue fruits. Its berry nuances are balanced nicely with suggestions of subtle oak. Pair it with slow-roasted garlic and rosemary-infused leg of lamb. Wine.com 92 pts

Blending in 11% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec, this elegant wine displays the great conditions of the vintage, allowing blackberry fruit, fig, cedar, and a note of dark chocolate to mingle over a medium-bodied palate of refined tannin, and oak. Wine Enthusiast 90 pts

Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Tasting this wine was a real treat. I was sorry Tim was on vacation because this is exactly his style of wine. A Californian Cabernet with a Bordeaux perspective. When analyzing the wine, I was struck by the quality of the fruit in the wine. An abundance of fruit that was as if it was picked just before it turned into an overripe sweet fruit. It has aromas and flavors of young blackberries that you could almost hear the crunch as you bit into the fruit. Bitter cherry and watermelon rind with fine noticeable tannins. Hints of Earl Grey tea and a long bitter cherry finish. I can see why this wine is so popular in restaurants because I immediately thought of what cuts of steak this would complement. This is not your typical ponderous Californian Cab that can be quite frankly hard to match with food, but a wine that will make your steak and potatoes a meal to remember for a long time. Our supplier had to move some cases, and we wanted to help; in doing so got the selling price close to our original wholesale cost. I have a very limited amount, and you will never be able to get this price again for this wine. No pressure.

Regular Price: $72.99

*Sale Price is on 2 or more bottles

Wine is packed in a 12-bottle case

*Wine pricing for these wine promotions are held for two weeks after the email offer.

We can hold wines in unpaid reserves for two weeks to allow you time to pick up your wine. If it takes you longer than that to pick up your wines, give us a call, and we can process your wine and move it to paid reserves.

Orders must be done by replying to this email. The reason is that I need to keep control of the inventory in one central spot. Emailing or calling your favorite wine geek at one of our four stores may not get your orders in on time to be counted or processed and this creates a helter-skelter for us to get you the wine. For the same reason, ordering on our online Web Store is linked to our regular price, and this sale price is only offered on the email platform. It is also why it takes me some time to respond due to the deluge of orders that I sometimes get. We haven't reached the efficiency or volume of Amazon yet. Thank you in advance for your patience.

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