(By Guest Author: Matt Lapides, SSU Wine Club President) This
week the SSU Wine Club was hosted by JAQK Cellars. JAQK is a brand new wine line launched last October and they are hoping to open a tasting room and lounge within the next five years. They spell it J-A-Q-K because it stands for Jack, Ace, Queen, and King. Their bottles were not only pieces of art, but they looked like they came out of a deck of cards. The meeting was co-hosted by Joel Templin, the founder/owner, and Craig MacLean their master winemaker. Everyone had the opportunity to ask questions about the production of the wine and what it takes to take on an adventure of launching your own wine brand!
We used the wine score sheets provided by Dr. Liz Thach and everyone scored the wines very well. We got to try two whites and two reds. The first white wine was the California Sauvignon Blanc called Charmed, the second white wine was the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay called Pearl Handel. The first red wine was the California Merlot called Bone Dance, and the second red wine was the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon called The High Roller.
Since we have moved the meeting to Thursday, we had much better attendance! We were able to pour for 42 students this week! When we took the votes the two favorites were the Charmed Sauvignon Blanc and the High Roller Cabernet Sauvignon. The High Roller was the clear favorite raking at 31 votes. For more information on the SSU Wine Club, see http://www.students.sonoma.edu/clubs/winesense/index.html
*****2006 High Roller Cabernet Sauvignon, JAQK Cellars
($70)
Black cherry and milk chocolate coat your mouth as the wine glides smoothly in. Then you realize how rich and concentrated it is, with long-lasting tannins and finish. No wonder – it’s made from 100% Napa Valley grapes. Available at http://jaqkcellars.com/
**** 2007 Charmed Sauvignon Blanc, JAQK Cellars ($23)
A fruity California Sauvignon Blanc made from Lake County grapes. Lovely grapefruit and fruit cocktail aromas with a crisp and delicious freshness. Great with seafood. Available at: http://jaqkcellars.com/