1979 Jordan, Alexander Valley, California
Found this baby at Monopole Wine in Pasadena yesterday while running around with my fellow-wine geek Peter Kao. 1979 is his birth year, so clearly we had to taste it. I haven’t had a ton of experience with old California wines, but recently Italian Wine Superstar and International Top Sommelier Diego Meraviglia was telling me one of his favorite guilty pleasures are Duckhorn wines form the 1990s… I am officially curious now about the potential of California terroir to age gracefully.
Peter Kao- completely unhinged over Jordan 1979 Cabernet. @ChairmanKao
The 1979 Jordan was simply brilliant. Radiant. Stunning. Initially a little tight and redolent with green peppers and chocolate (nice call, Peter), it flowered open to reveal an earthy-dusty-ripeness that was backed on the palate by an elegant acidity and completely polished tannins. Like holding a piece of beach glass on your tongue- this was smooth. The wine continued to open without falling apart over the next few hours- even after bouncing around in my car, the final sip at home last night was still exciting.
Jordan 1979. Enough to convert even the most stalwart of Italian wine geeks!
The other day I visited the ladies of Culver City’s newly-minted Bar and Garden. Recently Lauren Johnson and Marissa Mandel rehabilitated an antique liquor store, and have turned it into a beautiful, airy, sunlight-filled space. Their selection of natural wines and small-batch spirits is pretty much unparalleled, and the whole operation is overseen by a quiet and affectionate pooch named Banjo. Now that’s what I call a great neighborhood shop!
