{"id":18731,"date":"2011-03-30T11:05:09","date_gmt":"2011-03-30T09:05:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.whalecottage.com\/blog\/?p=18731"},"modified":"2011-03-30T16:24:45","modified_gmt":"2011-03-30T14:24:45","slug":"jordan-the-outlier-and-the-prospector-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chrisvonulmenstein.com\/blog\/wine-news\/jordan-the-outlier-and-the-prospector-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Jordan The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc and The Prospector Syrah rock!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The new Jordan 2009 The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 The Prospector Syrah were launched to about sixty invited\u00a0bloggers and\/or Twitterers at the Jordan Wine Estate on Monday, and the launch was celebrated\u00a0with a superb\u00a0outdoors\u00a0three-course meal prepared by Eat Out <\/strong>Top 10 Restaurant chef George Jardine, of Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gary Jordan\u2019s background as a geologist is reflected in the names of the two new wines.\u00a0\u00a0 The 2009 The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc was made from a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc located on the highest and coolest spot on the wine estate.\u00a0 Jordan explained the origin of the ‘Outlier’ name, by explaining that it is a phenomenon which is outside of the norm, in scientific terms.\u00a0 The ‘Outlier’ predecessor vintages, previously named Jordan Blanc Fum\u00e9, have been highly regarded, and the 2008 vintage received a Gold medal and Best in Class at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, thus deserving the new ‘Outlier’ name.\u00a0Geologically, an outlier is “an outcrop of rocks that is entirely surrounded by older rocks”, Jordan explained.\u00a0 “The quartzite formation underlying the Sauvignon Blanc vineyard used for this wine is surrounded by older (600 million years old) mineral-rich granites”, he added.\u00a0It is the barrel fermentation of this Sauvignon Blanc that puts it into ‘a different class, a true outlier’.\u00a0 The cooler location of this vineyard makes the grapes ripen up to three weeks later than the other Sauvignon Blanc vineyards at Jordan.<\/p>\n

The new 2008 The Prospector Syrah also has an interesting background.\u00a0 Recently Jordan Wine Estate was one of the leading estates\u00a0that put an end to plans to mine for minerals on\u00a0key wine farms in the area.\u00a0 The Jordan Syrah vineyards contain traces of tin as well as other minerals, going back to the gold rush of the 1800’s, and it is the minerals that give the Syrah a particular characteristic: “rich, dense, dark chocolate, black fruit and fynbos flavours interlaced with white pepper.\u00a0 Barrel fermentation adds toasty nuances to the richly textured structure”.\u00a0 As a Shiraz lover, The Prospector Syrah ‘spoke’ to me.<\/p>\n

To reflect the geological theme of the new wines, small stones from the estate decorated the tables.\u00a0 Each guest presentation pack had a small pouch with a very shiny stone in it, demonstrating the minerality of the soil at Jordan.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Guests were spoilt by the craft of Chef George Jardine.\u00a0 Served on his trademark slate plate was a square of ‘barrel smoked pole caught yellow fin tuna, miso charred aubergine’, which was paired with the Jordan The Outlier.\u00a0 \u00a0I\u00a0ate the starter\u00a0with Chef George’s wonderful wholewheat bread, which his wife Louise generously gave me a loaf of when I asked her if she had one to sell. \"\"<\/a>\u00a0 The main course was a pan roasted blesbok, served with foie gras and a bourguigon garnish.\u00a0 This course was served with the Jordan The Prospector.\u00a0 The dessert was French imported Valrhona guanaja chocolate royaltine, which was served with Jordan Mellifera, a lovely dessert wine, and with a good foamy cappuccino.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Kathy Jordan was a lovely table hostess, and I enjoyed the company of Allan Mullins of Woolworths, Hennie Coetzee and Maggie Mostert of Batonage blog, and a UK couple who are regular guests at High Timber, the restaurant which the Jordans co-own in London.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Disclosure:<\/strong>\u00a0 All guests received a gift pack of the new Jordan The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc 2009\u00a0and The Prospector Syrah 2008.<\/p>\n

Jordan Wine Estate<\/strong>, Stellenbosch Kloof Road, Vlottenburg, Stellenbosch.\u00a0 Tel (021) 881-3441.\u00a0 www.jordanwines.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com<\/a>\u00a0 Twitter: @WhaleCottage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The new Jordan 2009 The Outlier Sauvignon Blanc and 2008 The Prospector Syrah were launched to about sixty invited\u00a0bloggers and\/or Twitterers at the Jordan Wine Estate on Monday, and the launch was celebrated\u00a0with a superb\u00a0outdoors\u00a0three-course meal prepared by Eat Out Top 10 Restaurant chef George Jardine, of Jordan Restaurant with George Jardine.\u00a0 Gary Jordan\u2019s background […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false},"categories":[124,31,21,19],"tags":[10787,10784,10788,3638,32378,6301,3955,10781,2185,7713,1209,10783,10782,10786,6251,1211,10780,7712,422,3244,10778,10779,10785,5439,32373,171],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t