About This Wine:

A luscious fruit-forward Cabernet Sauvignon with power and depth. Bramble fruit and dark red cherries, a hint of pepper and toasted oak with a hint of smokiness on the nose. Enjoy the striking, long-action finish. Just the right balance between tannins, acidity, and fruit, this unfined wine was aged in French, American and Hungarian oak. 100% Mendocino county!

Winemaking: Morning harvest, select picked from a well established sustainably farmed Cabernet vineyard on classic redvine soils from the rolling hill benchlands outside the town of Calpella, near Lake Mendocino. Crushed and cold soaked for 48 hours. Fermented and held on skins for 18 days. 19 months in oak.

About The Winery:

Jaxon Keys’ wine making philosophy is to produce wines and brandies grown only from their estate vineyards. We believe our wines should showcase the unique characteristics of the vineyards, while building upon the classical interpretations of each varietal.

Jaxon Keys; A Historical Perspective on Grape Growing in Mendocino County

Tucked in the rolling hills of Mendocino County, just north of sleepy little Hopland, California, lies a rare gem of a winery. Combining knowledgeable tasting room staff with genuinely friendly service and great wines, Jaxon Keys Winery and Distillery provides Northern California travelers and wine tasters a grand tasting experience.

This family winery is comfortably small, but has all the amenities of a larger commercial winery. They offer wines in a variety of styles from big, full reds, to delightfully lighter wines such as their new release Barbera Rose and Sauvignon Blanc.

As noted in the Wine Spectator from January 9, 2009, Ken and Diane Wilson, the owners of Sonoma-based Wilson Winery and Mazzocco Winery, recently purchased this beautiful winery and its 1,200-acre property in Mendocino County. This new acquisition, which includes 121 acres of vineyards, adds another property to the Wilsons’ growing list of wineries.

Staring out in 1844 as a Mexican Land Grant, Don Fernando Feliz located his headquarters here. In 1858 Don Fernando sold 1580 acres to a Scottish immigrant to the United States, John McGlashen, who had come to California during the Gold Rush. He named his new property “Burnee Hill Ranch” (Burn in Scots meaning “on a hill”.) The ranch was used for sheep raising, and the original house, which will soon be the tasting room, was built then.

In 1889 John married Chicago native Ana and they had daughter Jeanne Wilson McGlashen (Interesting to note this is not the first time the “Wilson” name has been associated with this property. Jeanne married Ern Hawn, and the two ran the ranch after her parents passed away. Their son Floyd was an employee of the County of Mendocino, and said that his father liked the agricultural part of running the farm, and was the first person to put grapes in on the property, to use in home winemaking. In the 1950’s the ranch was sold to Bill Cook.

Bill held this for investment property and never lived at the ranch. The Lucchetti family then became involved, and planted the French Columbard in the vineyard alongside Hwy 101, that is used for the brandy making. These vines grew to be six feet tall, mimicking the prune trees that grew alongside! Eventually other varietals were planted and the winery established in 1985.

Now, Jaxon Keys is planted in Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, French Columbard, Zinfandel, Petite Syrah, Viognier and Grenache Noir. Our featured Zinfandel from Etta’s Block, comes from the 8.97 Zinfandel acres planted on the gentle south-east facing hillsides of the property.

Technical Analysis:

Composition: 100% Cabernet

pH: 3.66

Acidity: .50 grams/100 ml

Alcohol: 15.8%

Production: 150 Cases bottled 6/8/09

Cellaring: Recommended cellaring time 4 to 5 years. Optimal storage temperature 55-60 F (13-16 C)