Though Sonoma County doesn’t technically have any “grand cru” wineries, it does have some very well established wine estates with stellar reputations for producing award winning cabernet sauvignons from Alexander Valley. At the last SSU Winesense Club tasting of the year, we were graced by two such wineries — Jordan and Silver Oak, both established in 1972. Indeed, these two legendary wineries have so much brand power, that students waited in line to get into the tasting, and some were turned away when the room maxed out at 50 people.
Silver Oak Rocks
Silver Oak winery was represented by Romana Behrens and Veronica Jauregui (an SSU grad!) who poured the 2008 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon to rave reviews (one of the top favorites of the evening), as well as two wines from Twomey – the pre-release of 2012 Twomey Sauvignon Blanc (they sold out of it last year immediately) and the 2010 Twomey Merlot. The merlot was nice, but the floral sauvignon blanc with hints of grass, grapefruit and honey stole the affections of the crowd, and was voted in at number one wine of the evening.
Jordan Sings
Jordan Winery was represented by Sean Brosnihan and Joseph Lozinto Jr (an SSU Wine MBA grad!). They poured the 2010 Jordan Chardonnay, which reminded me of how incredibly good Sonoma County chardonnay can be. This wine was exquisitely crafted with a touch of creamy ML and toasted oak, and loads of crisp apple notes, minerality, and a refreshing acidity. They compared it to a Meursault, and I would have to agree. Yum! The 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon reminded me of a Pessac Leognan with plush tannins, complex cassis and earth notes, and classic elegance. It wasn’t your typical powerful and tannic Alexander Valley, but a much more approachable version, that I believe spoke to the 2009 weather conditions. It was also one of the top favorites of the evening.
Cheers to the SSU Winesense Board
The complete SSU Winesense Board of Directors showed up in full force this evening, lead by president, Chelsa Robinson. In celebration of the last tasting of the semester, they provided free wine glasses filled with candies, as well as next semester’s tasting dates. Free T-shirts were handed out, and two lucky students were awarded prizes for answering questions about Silver Oak and Jordan correctly. The tasting was supplemented by wonderful food treats of cheeses, salami, crackers, and desserts. A very nice way to end the Spring semester of 2013.