J Vineyards celebrates its sparkling roots while looking to the future with varietal wines!

J Vineyards celebrates its sparkling roots while looking to the future with varietal wines

BY JOHNATHAN L. WRIGHT • JWRIGHT@RGJ.COM • FEBRUARY 9, 2011

It's last fall in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, and it's raining. Biblically, torrentially raining. A pray-for-the-harvest rain. The kind that soaks in quick and deep like petite sirah.

But inside the visitors center at J Vineyards & Winery near Healdsburg, Calif., there's a party in full flower.

Ranks of vintage and Cuvée 20 brut whoosh by on trays. Flutes of brut rosé blush in the Bubble Room, J's sleek pairing space. At the tasting bar, beneath soaring panels of painted steel, a trio shares a bottle of creamy, biscuity '99 Late Disgorged brut.

All of which is to be expected. For 20 years, J has made its name with bubbles, and for some drinkers, the winery's iconic bottle -- a golden J brushed against cool green glass -- has become nearly synonymous with domestic sparkling wine.

But there are other pours at this party: crisp, gently honeyed pinot gris; nicely finishing Russian River Valley chardonnay; and a cluster of pinot noirs from J's nearly 275 vineyard acres.

In fact, even as J's image continues to be strongly shaped by bubbles, it has devoted significant resources in the past several years to expanding and promoting its varietal wines.

"Sparkling is what brought us to the dance, but there are other opportunities in the vineyards," said George Bursick, J's vice president of winemaking. "The future for J is in the varietal wines."

New brand

In 2008, J acquired three new varietal vineyards and sold three vineyards previously devoted to sparkling wine.

In 2009, the winery debuted new labels and the J Vineyards brand to distinguish the varietal wines from the sparklers.

Northern Nevada wine merchants carry the '08 Russian River Valley chardonnay, '09 California pinot gris, the '07 and '08 Russian River Valley pinot noirs, along with the Cuvée 20 and brut rosé sparkling wines.

And Bursick, whom J founder and owner Judy Jordan brought on board in 2006, has a local connection. For many years, he was winemaker at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery, owned by Don and Rhonda Carano of Reno.

The 100 percent barrel-fermented chardonnay is lemony and peachy and flecked with spice. The wine, Bursick said, "is more Montrachet in style, more delicate, than I did at Ferrari-Carano."

Bursick's California pinot gris, crafted using grapes from three appellations, is rounder than an Oregon-style pinot gris, owing some of that character to its vanilla flavors and to Bursick's enthusiasm for mouthfeel.

Pinot and more

J produces several pinot noirs, but only the floral, berried Russian River Valley release is distributed locally. For the vineyard-designate pinots, you'll have to visit J's tasting room, one of the most stylish in the California wine country.

Grapes for the Russian River pinot are drawn from J's estate vineyards and from other growers in the appellation.

The fruit for the '08 vintage was harvested at night. The wine was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, returned to the barrel after blending (and before bottling), and then idled at least six months after bottling.

"All my tricks I learned with sangiovese, I learned with pinot noir," Bursick said. "With both, you have to protect the fruit."

Beyond the core varietal wines, Bursick also is making a vineyard-designate viognier, a Russian River Valley vin gris, and a plush dessert wine fashioned from small amounts of chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir blended with Germain-Robin brandy from Mendocino County to the north.

Bursick is even doing a dusky pinotage, about 400 cases annually, from three acres planted to this red South African varietal.

"We are reinventing ourselves, redefining ourselves," Bursick said of all his and Jordan's varietal efforts. "We hope people keep an open mind."

This aerial view encompasses vineyards of J Vineyards & Winery in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley. J, long celebrated for its sparkling wines, has enthusiastically embraced varietal winemaking in the past several years. (Provided by J Vineyards & Winery)

J Vineyards & Winery produces Russian River Valley pinot noir, shown here, and several vintage-designate pinot noirs not distributed in Northern Nevada but poured at J's stylish tasting room outside Healdsburg. (Provided by J Vineyards & Winery)

WHERE TO BUY

J Cuvée 20 brut sparkling wine, J brut rosé sparkling wine, '08 Russian River Valley chardonnay, '09 California pinot gris, and '07 and '08 Russian River Valley pinot noirs are available locally.

Retailers might not carry every release.

» Aloha Discount Wine & Liquors, 4555 S. Carson St., Carson City, 775-882-5544

» Ben's Fine Wine & Spirits, 3480 Lakeside Drive, 775-829-2367, and 10870 S. Virginia St., 775-853-2367

» Fine Vines Cheese and Wines, 6300 Mae Anne Ave., west of Robb Drive, 775-787-6300

» L'uva Bella Wine Gallery, 13925 S. Virginia St., in the Summit, 775-851-1110

» Whispering Vine Wine Co., 3886 Mayberry Drive, 775-787-9463, and 95 Foothill Road, 775-622-8080

J VINEYARDS & WINERY

11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, Calif.

Phone: 707-431-5400

On the web: www.jwine.com

Lobster Bisque & Viognier @ J Winery: Two of a Perfect Pair

Lobster Bisque & Viognier @ J Winery: Two of a Perfect Pair

by Proximal.Kitchen

January 26th, 2011 08:48am

Forgive the hackneyed analog, but I’ve just eaten a Lennon-McCartney harmony of food and wine over at J Winery; OK, maybe that’s too much, but a solid Bee Gees, at least! Seriously, if we wore socks on our teeth, then Chef Mark Caldwell’s Lobster Bisque, together with winemaker George Bursick’s Hoot Owl Vineyard Viognier, would knock them clean off. And I don’t even like Viognier, as a rule.

Eight-Flavor Local Duck, Tamarind-Orange Glazed Pork Belly, and Yuzu Royale; a vertical of single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, a late-disgorged vintage sparkler. For breakfast, no less. Not that one necessarily needs a special occasion to have wine for breakfast when one lives in wine country, but it helps, especially if you’ve got school pick-up, or anything else marginally productive to do. Fortunately, I had neither, so I got to enjoy all of this at a “Chinese New Year”-inspired pairing of food and wine in J’s Bubble Room; the menu, and the wines, will be featured through February 6th, a great call if you’ve been looking for a something-special to do in Healdsburg.

As good as it all is – and it’s all very good – it’s that Lobster Bisque and Viognier that makes you forget about the door levy. To be sure, $65/head for a 7-course menu hardly qualifies for a budget-oriented visit to the tasting room, but to be fair, it’s a meal more than a tasting (7 substantial plates of very tasty vittles), and ends up as much a miniature course in wine education as it does a tasting (including 8 different glasses of J’s top-shelf offerings); really, my only gripe is that I had to write this review, instead of taking a nap. But back to that bisque: Chef Mark serves it as a “cappuccino”, the “foam” delicately laced with coconut, an intriguing note of lime adding just the right balance to the sweet-spicy decadence of the soup and coaxing a range of citrus flavors from the wine.

 

Now, I don’t know about you and Viognier – with the notable exception of a few of the better examples from the Condrieu region of France, I generally won’t touch the stuff – but I’ve just been converted. The honeyed texture, the white flowers and stone fruit, and, above all, that mysterious note of lime zest in the wine do a little tango with the soup, each getting more from its partner than either had alone, the ultimate goal of all wine-food pairings. I’m going to try to convince Mark to give me his recipe for that bisque, but in the meantime, I’m headed back to J for another bottle, and then to pick up some Thai food to-go, something with coconut and lemongrass, maybe…

About The Proximal Kitchen Blog

The Proximal Kitchen is the bastard lovechild of Scott Kerson, a recovering hedge fund addict, husband, father, and dedicated home cook with a passion for food, wine, and the natural affluence of Sonoma County soils. Since trading in the avenues of Manhattan for the vine rows of the Russian River Valley, Scott has hit upon a simple philosophy: Purchase the best ingredients you can directly from the people who farm them, prepare them with care, and you will eat better and learn something about life in the process. Scott puts this idea into practice with seasonal shopping tips, foodie factoids, classic and original recipes, and observations on everything from getting your kids to eat real food to the importance of sharpening your knives.

92 Points & Outstanding- Anthony Dias Blue Reviews for J NV Brut Rose!

Anthony Dias Blue, The Tasting Panel

January – February 2011

92 POINTS & OUTSTANDING!

J NV Brut Rosé, Russian River Valley

Pale pink; clean, fresh fruit nose; lovely raspberry fruit, elegant small bubbles, creamy texture; raspberry and tangy citrus; long, smooth and charming!

Monique Soltani of Healdsburg Patch Wine Wednesdays "Getting to the Bottom of Bubbly with J Vineyards & Winery"

By Monique Soltani, December 29, 2010

If what you are doing New Year's Eve involves breaking out a bottle of champagne, then we have found just the thing to add a little local twinkle to your New Year's toast. In this week's Wine Wednesday, Patch's Monique Soltani finds out the first step to starting a celebration is popping open a bottle of Healdsburg's own sparkling wine.

George Bursick, J Winemaker

J Vineyards & Winery was founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, and specializes in sparkling wines from the Russian River Valley. Monique talks with Winemaker George Bursick and Executive Chef Mark E. Caldwell to get to the bottom of the bubbly.

Mark E. Caldwell, J Executive Chef

Video Link: http://healdsburg.patch.com/articles/getting-to-the-bottom-of-bubbly#video-4187126

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2010

Sparkling at J Vineyards, Russian River Valley

Not everything that sparkles in California is gold. Sometimes it's J!

With the holiday season approaching, I found myself in Healdsburg in the heart of Sonoma County a week ago speaking at a technology growth and innovation conference. Meeting many cool and impressive techies and social media gurus was a lot of fun. That, plus a picture-perfect 80-degree weather in the middle of November put me in a groovy mood. So on the way back to Palo Alto, I felt like sparkling wine.

Sonoma county is relatively well known for a number of reputable sparkling wine producers, who make bubblies in the traditional Champagne method (i.e. second fermentation in the bottle). In my mind, with all due respect to all other methods of getting CO2 into a wine, the method of Champagne is the only way to go for any serious drinkin'! And while nothing touches Champagne itself (with the exception of perhaps Italy's Franciacorta and Trento DOC), our traditional method domestics from Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino counties, such as Roederer Estate, Domaine Chandon, Mumm, Domaine Carneros, Schramsberg and Gloria Ferrer, are not bad at all, and offer really delicious and cheaper alternatives, and a sense of patriotism.

One of the names that immediately popped in my head was J. I'd enjoyed their bubblies in the past, as well as wonderful food & wine pairings at their Signature Bar and the Bubble Room. Located just 10 min down the road from Healdsburg, in Russian River Valley, J Vineyards are well known for good quality and very elegant bottles. Founded in 1986 by Judy Jordan (thus "J") the daughter of Jordan Winery's founder Tom Jordan, they initially focused entirely on sparkling wine. While other California houses have expanded their sparkling production, J have actually been reducing theirs, as they've tried to assert themselves as a world-class expert in Pinot Noir. Let sparkling wine be more of a boutique item for J, let the French mega-brand-controlled estates churn out volume. Truth be told, sparkling wine is still a specialty item in America, drunk primarily on special occasions and holidays, thus the demand is relatively lower than in France where it's treated more as a versatile food wine - a notion I subscribe to wholeheartedly. On the other hand, America's love affair with Pinot Noir seems at all-time high, with Russian River Valley in Sonoma, Santa-Rita Hills in Central Coast, and Willamette Valley in Oregon carrying significant prestige in the eyes of the American (and even Asian) consumer. So why not try to elevate J's Pinot into the same elite ranks as Williams Selyem, Rochioli, and Gary Farrell?! -- all near-cult Pinot entities that made grand reputations on the soils of the Russian River Valley (or RRV), and in turn applied the strengths of their own brands to make "RRV" a brand name as well.

I tried the 2006 Nicole's Vineyard RRV Pinot Noir - and it was as good as any I've had from Sonoma County, wonderfully textured, with nothing sticking out. But for anyone who's read this blog for any duration of time, you'd know that being a huge Burgundy fan, I need that acid, earth, and veggie. None of that typical sweet balsamic (sensuous?) stuff that enchants millions (sorry, my friends), ever since Sideways.

So I dropped by and met with J Vineyards PR Director George Rose, as well as their winemaker George Bursick, who prior to J had been a founding member and winemaker for 22 years at Ferrari-Carano winery.

Iron Chevsky and George Bursick, the winemaker at J Vineyards since 2006, holding a magnum of J Brut, in front of designer wall which represents the Russian River, the sparkles of the bubbles in J wines, and the soils of the Russian River Valley.

We went through the lineup of their entry-level "Cuvée 20" NV Brut ($22), NV Rose ($30), 2002 Vintage Brut ($40), and 1999 Late Disgorged (after 9 years of cellaring) Vintage Brut ($65). All made from the locally grown classical Champagne varieties - Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. In a word, wonderful wines, great acidity, but also nice roundness. The vintage bruts showed the anticipated yeastiness and brioche, and the '99 in particular hinted at nuttiness that I so enjoy in more mature sparklers. Their Cuvée 20 is the bestseller - they make about 23000 cases, and it flies. I was not surprised because for ~$17 (if you search on wine-searcher.com), it really tasted very good! It boggles my mind that if we can achieve such great acidity in the local sparkling wines, why can't we have some of that in those damn still whites and reds?! It's got to be you - the sweet-toothed consumer!

1999 J Vintage Brut Late Disgorged

During the tasting, I brought up a topic of disclosing disgorgement dates on labels. Most Champagne producers don't to it, but many wine lovers absolutely want to know how old a non-vintage Champagne is. Some wine collectors, in fact, will not buy sparkling wine without knowing the vintages and percentages of the constituent wines in the blend and the disgorgement dates. At J, this question apparently had never come up, especially given they don't even put a label on their designer-shaped bottle. Traditionally, Champagne and other sparkling wine producers have a "house style" for each of their non-vintage cuvées that is supposed to be so consistent from year to year (via blending multiple vintages together) that the question of dates is not necessary. That's a theory that serious winos take with a grain of salt. Plus, as a consumer I want to know how old a non-vintage wine I am looking at is? Without any reference date, a cynic in me says - that's an unfair advantage to the retailer - if they have something that's been sitting there for years past its prime. The impression I got from J is that they envision their bubblies to be consumed relatively soon upon release, and if they wanted you to wait, they would hold on to those bottles, as they do with their vintage bruts.

90 Points - VERY NEW WORLD & TOP-NOTCH BUBBLY! - Wine Review OnLine for J 2002 Vintage Brut

 

Best Bubblies This Side of Champagne

By Robert Whitley

Nov 30, 2010

It is often said that nothing in the vast world of sparkling wine tastes quite like Champagne. It is a fair observation, frequently noted by the Champenoise themselves. Most experts on the subject attribute the unique taste and structure of Champagne to the chalky soils of the region, with a bit of influence from the cool climate.

Still, efforts to replicate Champagne go on, and not without some success. A handful of producers in California make sparkling wines that compare favorably to the real thing. Located in the North Coast region that encompasses Sonoma and Mendocino counties and the Napa Valley, there exists a group of wineries that consistently craft the world's finest sparkling wines outside of Champagne.

They are to be applauded for their tenacity, for producing sparkling wine is an expensive proposition involving long-term cellaring of older stocks, extensive blending trials, and very real pricing constraints that handicap a winery's ability to sell its wine for what it's truly worth. California bubbly from the top sparkling wine producers of the North Coast is probably the greatest value in American wine today.

Wines cited as "Very New World" are most importantly California in style, meaning they've been kissed by the sun and are fruit-driven, albeit with the underlying acidity and structure necessary for top-notch bubbly.

92 POINTS!

VERY NEW WORLD & TOP-NOTCH BUBBLY!

J 2002 Vintage Brut, Russian River Valley ($40)

Probably the most underrated of the top sparkling wine producers, J has a new energy and emphasis on complexity since the arrival of winemaker George Bursick. The beauty of this wine is its distinctly California fruit profile combined with the structure of a fine Champagne.

Rating: 92 Points, Robert Whitley

Double The Pleasure - Sonoma’s J Vineyards produces table and sparkling wines of equal merit!

Winter 2010/2011

by Eleanor and Ray Heald

Double The Pleasure

Sonoma’s J Vineyards produces table and sparkling wines of equal merit.

In each life there comes time for a new challenge. Do we get bored? Do we say, ‘been there, done that?’ Do we experience a mid-life crisis or an epiphany? Judy Jordan, Founder and President of J Vineyards & Winery, has been making world class California sparkling wines for nearly a quarter century. She says that her success has exceeded her wildest dreams, but she needs a new challenge.

Jordan is launching a new J Vineyards varietal wine program of cool-climate, site-specific, Russian River Valley Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. She is creating a two-houses-under-one-roof concept by using the same two grape varieties to make both sparkling and still wines and achieve first-rate quality with both. To guide the winery in its new direction, Jordan hired winemaker George Bursick who guided Ferrari-Carano for 22 years.

“George and I are longtime friends,” Jordan explains, “and it is great to finally be working together. He did such an amazing job at Ferrari-Carano that it is a real thrill to have him here, taking his career to another level. This project is really a new beginning for both of us.” According to Bursick, “J Vineyards will never abandon the sparkling wine business, but Jordan is passionate about making great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley.” Although the same grape varieties are used for making still and sparkling wines, Bursick employs radically different pruning, viticultural techniques and vineyard sites for the still wine program. “I was charged with making the best wines possible. Judy said go out and get the finest grapes that you need. If we aren’t growing them, let’s sell those vineyards and buy vineyards that will, and we have done that.”

Jordan recently purchased three vineyards on well-drained hillside and bench sites in the Russian River Valley, dedicated exclusively to making varietal wines. This acquisition followed the sale of three sparkling wine vineyards and confirms J Vineyards’ goal to produce the finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Each vineyard is mapped for soil composition, mineral content and moisture level and subdivided into various blocks, which are harvested and fermented separately.

J Vineyards grows 13 Pinot Noir clones. Bursick explains that lower numbered Dijon clones 113, 115 and 117 are sparkling wine clones with large clusters and big berries that give a lot of juice without much color. The higher numbered clones such as 667, 777 and 828 are artisan Pinot Noir clones that produce fruit with very small berries, significant color and big flavor for still wine. “Grapes for sparkling and still wines are different, not even related.”

Thinking outside the box
“When I came to work at J Vineyards & Winery,” Bursick admits, “I knew this would be a very serious, yet exciting, project with direct comparisons to France.” Bursick and Jordan have spent considerable time visiting major producers in Burgundy, but their “two-house” concept is not possible in France. “I knew,” says Jordan, “that we needed to create something new, bright, fresh and exciting or we would be just another also-ran. I think that is why we are receiving such an enthusiastic reception, because we are shocking. We have broken the mold. We are driving this whole thing to the extreme.” Bursick is taking California fruit and stretching it to a French-like wine style.

Bursick’s style includes impressive mouthfeel and supple textures and he is not opposed to trying something radically different to achieve those goals. Since Pinot Noir grape seeds can add bitterness and astringency to the wine, he removes the seeds during fermentation. Bitter seed tannins are alcohol soluble, so they need to be removed at the beginning of fermentation. During fermentation, grape skins float and seeds sink. To remove the seeds, Bursick purchased special tanks that sweep out the seeds. No seeds, no bitterness.

Bursick uses what he calls ‘wimpy yeasts’ to extend fermentation. After malolactic fermentation is complete, he uses a white wine technique called batonnage, where yeasts in the barrel are stirred, giving the texture he desires in the wine. He does this with over 120 lots of Pinot Noir. Then every barrel is tasted and hand selected for each wine program. His effort also focuses on the wine’s fruit character rather than oak. His rule of thumb is to use no more than 20 percent new oak when aging Pinot Noir, a practice used in Burgundy.

Sparkling wine
“I have no desire,” Bursick admits, “to change the basic style of J sparkling wines. After all, they have 20 years of success. Higher-end J sparkling wines have much smaller production, so that gives me latitude to have some fun. I’m using my still wine experience for the sparkling wines. This will not change the house style of J Cuvée 20, our mainstream product. It will always show apple and pear characters with a little white peach. But the higher-end sparkling wines will change because we have implemented oak oval tank fermentation, similar to Champagne Krug. We have secured malolactic strains from Champagne and are putting our high-end wines through malolactic fermentation to give them added richness and depth.”

According to George Rose, J Vineyards & Winery Public Relations Director, “The popular J Cuvée 20 will continue to be the driver on the sparkling wine side, and then consumers will have all of these neat small production late-disgorged, vintage Brut and Brut Rosé wines available through the wine club and in some retail markets. Sparkling wines are a tidy profit center for J, but it is not the growth segment of our production.”

Best of the Best from J
• 2008 Russian River Valley Pinot Gris, $16. Aromas of peach and lychee with mirrored flavors of melon and honeysuckle.

• 2007 Russian River Valley Chardonnay, $28. High-tone apple, pear and brioche aromas with rich, creamy palate impression.

• 2007 Russian River Valley “Nicole’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir, $50. Warm vineyard characteristics of black cherry, dark plums, chocolate and toasty oak in a generous rendition. Twenty-five lots are harvested and fermented separately to capture the vineyards’ flavor gems.

• 2007 Russian River Valley “Robert Thomas Vineyard” Pinot Noir, $50. Cool vineyard notes of bright cherry and full flavors with impressive depth and length.

• 2007 Russian River Valley “Nonny’s Vineyard” Pinot Noir, $50. Headlines black raspberry, cherry, currant, tobacco and chocolate with smoky notes and a full, rich palate impression.

• 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, $50. Great balance is highlighted by a supple mouthfeel and great cherry berry and raspberry flavors with an extended finish. Outstanding.

J VINEYARDS & WINERY 2010 HARVEST COMES TO A CLOSE!

HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA— (October 25, 2010) — J Vineyards & Winery concluded its 2010 wine harvest last Friday, and not a moment too soon. Early fall rains drenched most of Northern California over the weekend, bringing an end to a most unusual grape-growing season.

“We beat the rains,” said J Winemaker George Bursick. “The irony is that for all the anguish about a late season, we managed to end four days earlier than last year.”

A final load of grapes from Jewell Vineyard in Sebastopol, destined for J’s Russian River Valley Chardonnay, made its way into the winery just as the skies let loose.

“Although harvest started late, the long hang time during a mostly cool summer played an important role in building great acidity and delicious flavors,” said Bursick. “We had to pick around some ripening issues in the vineyard, and crop tonnage is lower than average, but 2010 is going to be another superb year for Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay producers.”

With J’s varietal Chardonnay settling into a slow winter-long “bâtonnage,” (a sur-lie barrel aging technique), and Pinot Noir wines still moving through barrel fermentation, a quick survey of pulled samples reveals a vintage packed with rich color, ripe flavors, and balanced acidity.

Martin Guzman, J Production Director, is happy about the pinot noir wine quality.

The grape harvest for J’s sparkling wines was completed three weeks ago as those grapes are picked at lower sugar and higher acidity levels.

J Vineyards & Winery, located on Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg, focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris varietal wines, produced from grapes farmed primarily within Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation.

Founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, J Vineyards & Winery is an independently-owned Sonoma County winery. J will begin celebrating its 25th Anniversary next year. To learn more, or to join the J Wine Club, please call (707) 431-3646, or go to www.jwine.com. 

Year in the Life of J Vineyards

Check out this cool "Year in the Life of J Vineyards" video posted yesterday on YouTube!

Photography & Video created by George Rose, J Public Relations / Communications Director

Wine Spectator 90 & 91 Points: 2001 J Vintage Brut & 1999 J Vintage Brut Late Disgorged, Russian River Valley

J and Daytime TV - Sonoma County Wineries Series!

Here is a recent video segment from Florida-based Daytime TV featuring George Bursick (J Winemaker) of J Vineyards & Winery!

Hosted by Cyndi Edwards of Daytime TV

September 2010

J VINEYARDS & WINERY WRAPS UP SPARKLING WINE HARVEST

J Vineyards & Winery Wraps Up Sparkling Wine Harvest

J Vineyards & Winery concluded its 2010 Russian River Valley sparkling wine harvest with a flourish this past Tuesday.

Pinot Noir grapes destined for Cuvée 20 and Brut Rosé were hand-picked in the early morning hours from “Nicole’s Vineyard,” the winery’s Russian River Valley estate located on Eastside Road. A load of Chardonnay from the “Ross Ranch Vineyard” near Sebastopol brought a close to what J Winemaker George Bursick is describing as “a very compressed harvest.”

Heavy coastal fog and low clouds have shrouded the region for most of the summer, pushing the annual grape harvest back about three to four weeks. Temperatures did warm up in early September helping to jumpstart the sluggish harvest. With the sparkling wine grapes safely fermenting in the winery, the varietal wine harvest throughout J’s ten Russian River Valley estate vineyards is expected to continue into early October.

“Though yields are down about 10%, tasting the Pinot Noir grapes now at the winery, we find them to be delicately balanced with luscious aromatics of raspberry and strawberry,” said Bursick. “This harvest appears to have similarities to the 1999 vintage, which was also a late harvest. The wines from 1999 were delicate and delicious.”

The winery, located on Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg, focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris varietal wines, produced from grapes farmed primarily within Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation.

Founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, J Vineyards & Winery is an independently-owned Sonoma County winery. J will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary next year. To learn more, or to join the J Wine Club, please call (707) 431-3646, or go to www.jwine.com.

J VINEYARDS & WINERY 2010 HARVEST KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR

J VINEYARDS & WINERY 2010 HARVEST KICKS INTO HIGH GEAR

HEALDSBURG, CALIFORNIA— (August 25, 2010) — With the arrival of warmer weather along Sonoma County’s coastal hills and valleys, the 2010 grape harvest at J Vineyards & Winery kicked into high gear. Harvest crews were busy picking Pinot Noir grapes from J’s “Nicole’s” and “Robert Thomas” Russian River Valley estate vineyards throughout the early morning hours, arriving just in time for a short “Blessing of the Grapes” ceremony at the winery.

Heavy coastal fog and low clouds shrouded the region in June, July, and most of August, pushing the annual grape harvest back about three weeks. Temperatures, however, began to spike warmer this week, pushing the coastal clouds offshore and helping grapes destined for sparkling wine to mature to their desired ripeness and bright acidity. The varietal wine harvest throughout J’s ten Russian River Valley estate vineyards is expected to begin by mid-September.

“We finally hit our optimum sugar levels for sparkling wine,” said J Viticulturalist John Erbe. “We will continue concentrating on sparkling wine for the next three weeks, and then follow up with a three-week harvest of our grapes bound for varietal wines.”

With the harvest delayed due to the unusually cool weather, both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay appear to be ripening on a parallel path. Such a compressed, rigorous harvest can push a winery to its limits. At J Vineyards & Winery, a complex “battle plan” has been put in place by winemaker George Bursick to make both the sparkling wine and varietal wine harvest transition smoothly.

“J’s ‘two wineries under one roof’ production concept comes naturally to our team,” said George Bursick, Vice President of Winemaking. “Everyone has a key role — whether making sparkling wine or varietal wines — to ensure that the grapes John Erbe has nurtured are turned into extraordinary wines.”

“Mother Nature definitely threw us a curve ball this year; however, the extended grape hang-time has allowed for some stunning flavors to develop. Everyone at the winery is excited about vintage 2010’s quality,” Bursick added.

The winery, located on Old Redwood Highway south of Healdsburg, focuses on Brut and Brut Rosé sparkling wines, as well as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris varietal wines, produced from grapes farmed primarily within Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley appellation.

The winery, founded by Judy Jordan in 1986, will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary next year.

To learn more about the winery, or to join the J Wine Club, please call (707) 431-3646, or go to www.jwine.com.

Dry Creek Kitchen Presents Winemaker George Bursick of J Vineyards & Winery at the Sonoma County Wine Pioneers Series on July 17 ~ SONOMA COUNTY SPARKLERS

Reserve Your Seat Today

Seating is Limited to Ensure an Intimate Experience

Reservations: 707.431.033

Very Good Pinot Gris! - PinotFile for J 2009 Pinot Gris, California

Very Good Pinot Gris!

A superb food wine and the best example of Pinot Gris produced in California.

2009 J California Pinot Gris

Sourced from the Russian River Valley, Monterey County and the Sacramento River Delta region. Fermented in stainless steel tanks with no MLF. Winemaker George Bursick.

Slight frizz upon pouring. Attractive aromas of tropical fruits, bananas, and lemon meringue tart. Bright and tasty with crisp flavors of yuzu, lemon curd, lychee, pear and pineapple. Very creamy in the mouth with a slightly tart finish.

Truly Exceptional Pinot Noir! - PinotFile for J Vineyards 2007 Barrel 16 Pinot Noir

Truly Exceptional Pinot Noir!

2007 J Vineyards Barrel 16 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

16 special barrels chosen by the winemaker, George Bursick. 100% destemmed. Aged 12 months in 30% new French oak barrels and 3 additional months after blending.

Nicely composed array of aromas including red berries and cherries, sassafras and oak spices. Wow! Delicious berry melange nicely spiced with hints of mocha, sassafras and melon. Almost a spiced muffin flavor. A unique wine of modest intensity with a silky smooth texture, mild fine-grain tannins and admirable finesse. Decant if you pop the cork now.

A special occasion Pinot Noir.

Highly Recommended! - Miami Herald for J 2009 Pinot Gris, California

Beat the heat with cool, crisp wines

By FRED TASKER

June 10, 2010

2009 J Vineyards Pinot Gris, California

Summertime, and the livin' is easy. We tuck away the big cabernet sauvignons and barolos to mellow until fall. We break out the crisp, cool, light-bodied whites to go with fish grilled on the patio or chicken salads packed into picnic baskets.

These days, the wine of choice for such endeavors is pinot grigio. Or pinot gris, if you want to be French about it. It probably originated in northern Italy, where pinot means pine, for the pine-cone shape of the grape bunches, and grigio means gray, for the frequent hue of the grapes.

A decade ago you hardly saw the wine in U.S. shops and supermarkets. Today it's one of the fastest-growing grapes, with California acreage soaring five-fold since 2000.

At its best, pinot grigio is light and crisp, with aromas of camellias, flavors of white peaches and a nice, tart, lime-tinged finish.

At its worst, it's never worse than neutral, unlike, say, a bad sauvignon blanc, which can be absolutely stinky.

In a practical world, this is one of its biggest advantages. From a hideously overpriced wine list, one can always order the cheapest pinot grigio. You might not dazzle your guests, but you won't offend them.

But let's not damn with faint praise. A good pinot grigio is a delight -- fragrant, crisp, light, cool, tangy, refreshing, fruity -- and cheap. That's the other nice thing about it. You seldom see a bottle over $15.

Winemakers know a good thing. They wisely make pinot grigio/gris in ways that emphasize its advantages.

They pick it in the cool early mornings, rush it to the crushing pads, ferment it cool in temperature-controlled stainless-steel tanks and forgo the oak-barrel aging that might dull the intensity of its fruit.

The better winemakers age it on its lies, that is, the detritus of its grape skins, stems and leaves, and stir it occasionally, which adds a silky quality. They bottle it in airtight screw caps because it is best drunk within a year of its release.

Typically, a pinot grigio is lighter, crisper, higher in acid. A pinot gris is fuller, richer, higher in alcohol. In France's Alsace region, a pinot gris might even be slightly sweet.

So, with summer here and vacations nearing, the pinot grigio season has begun.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
• 2009 J Vineyards Pinot Gris, Calif.: crisp and intensely fruity, with flavors of oranges, hints of vanilla, silky texture and a tart finish; $15.

• 2008 Marco Felluga Pinot Grigio ``Mongris,'' DOC Collio, Italy: aromas and flavors of camellias and green apples, silky and smooth, lemon-lime finish; $18.

RECOMMENDED
• 2008 Hahn SLH Estate Pinot Gris, Santa Lucia Highlands: big, bold and creamy, with golden apple flavors and a hint of honey; $20.
• 2008 Murphy-Goode Pinot Grigio, Calif.: golden apples and spice, with a tart lemony finish; $12.50.
• 2007 Robert Pepi Pinot Grigio, Calif.: light and crisp, with green melon and green apple flavors, tart finish; $11.
• Nonvintage Barefoot Cellars Pinot Grigio, Calif. (pinot grigio, symphony, muscat, viognier and malvasia bianca grapes): light and crisp and slightly sweet, with ripe peach flavors; $7.
• 2009 Woodbridge Pinot Grigio, by Robert Mondavi, Calif. (pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, semillon, other aromatic white grapes): light and crisp, with aromas and flavors of white peaches and tart lime finish; $8.

90 Points & Best Buy! - Wine Enthusiast for J 2009 Pinot Gris, California

2009 J Pinot Gris, California

August Issue

90 Points!

BEST BUY!