Jordan Wines

Jordan Wines (Jardin in the USA) is a wine producer located in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The estate has a 300-year history, although the current proprietors, Gary and Kathy Jordan, have been making wine there since 1993. Jordan makes a range of modern wines from classic South African grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.

The estate vineyards, planted in the hills, show a lot of variation of terroir, facing north, east, south and west at altitudes that range from 525-1345ft (160-410m) above sea level. The danger of frost is minimized by a mild Mediterranean climate and grapes are able to retain acidity with influence from cool coastal breezes and fog from the nearby Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The soil composition at Jordan has evolved from 600 million year-old Cape granite and is complex, ranging from well-drained clay-loam to gravel and sand over clay.

The Jordans purchased the 146-hectare (360-acre) estate in 1982, and set about replanting the vineyards to varieties like Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc, according to preferential soil type and slope. A full decade later, the mountainside cellar, designed around gravity flow, was built, and the first grapes were harvested a year after that.

Jordan's vinification techniques are Old World in style with state-of-the-art winemaking facilities. White wines are fermented in barrel according to classic Burgundian techniques, while red wines are matured and undergo a malolactic fermentation in barrel.

The company produces a range of classic varietal and blended wines under several ranges. Jordan's flagship wines come from the best vineyard sites and include the Nine Yards Chardonnay and Cobblers Hill, a limited-release Bordeaux blend made from 22-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc vines. Jordan Wines produces its range of wines under the label Jardin for the North American market so as not to be confused with Jordan Vineyard and Winery in California.