The soils on the Jordan Estate, which are largely characterized by a mixture of clay and alluvial deposits from the adjacent Russian River, are far from homogenous and display a wide range of depths and compositions. This diversity of soils translates directly into the diversity of character in our wines.

We have learned that the shallower, heavier clay soils are more suited to our Merlot. The clay loam soils and gravel subsoils work best for our Cabernet Sauvignon. Our Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vines are planted in Guenoc gravelly silt loam. Our Russian River Chardonnay is planted in Yolo loam and Yolo sandy loam - generally deep, but sometimes with a shallow gravel underlayer.

Compounding these soil factors is the variability of climate. The influence of the nearby ocean plays a key role in the slow development of our fruit. Morning fog drawn into the narrow valley from the Pacific blankets the vineyard throughout the summer. As the season draws to an end, the Indian summer arrives to complete the ripening process.

At the harvest, Jordan Cabernet grapes possess an intense berry, cassis flavor complemented by a soft, round, tannic structure. The Merlot has lingering black cherry fruit and cassis flavors. Our Chardonnay is characterized by green apple, Fuji apple, melon, kiwi, and pear flavors. The Cabernet Franc displays forward black cherry fruit and violets.

All these grapes represent Jordan wines in their infancy, and define the complexity of the finished results.

Jordan vineyards lie mainly in the Alexander Valley, with additional blocks in the Russian River Valley devoted to Chardonnay grapes.

Our Russian River Valley vineyards tend to have a longer ripening period than the Alexander Valley - the river's influence allows for slightly cooler daytime and much cooler nighttime temperatures.

In the Alexander Valley, fog tends to burn off earlier in the day, allowing for higher daytime temperatures. The soils are different as well - the Russian River Valley tends towards sandier and more gravelly soils with small clay percentages, while the Alexander Valley has a heavier clay content in its soils and only small areas where gravel or other rock material are in the subsoil. The parent materials are different, too - the Russian River tends towards weathered river deposits, while the Alexander Valley is far more diverse, with river deposits on the valley floor and weathered volcanic and serpentine rock on the hillsides.