Mission Codename Edgy
“Drink well, do good, it’s that simple” says Judy Jordan.
Oh, we done good today!! As in saving you $105 PER BOTTLE on a perennially high scoring (95pts on the 2018), under-the-radar, fresh release from this exciting new project.
And yes if you’re wondering it comes from THAT Jordan. Heiress to the iconic wine family, creator of “J” and a philanthropist like no other.
Jeb Dunnuck ties her story to today’s wine well: “Founded by geologist/vintner Judy Jordan in 2015, Geodesy is named for the Earth science of measuring the shape, orientation, and gravitational field of the earth. Jordan, who founded “J” winery when she was just 27 years old and sold it some 30-odd years later to Gallo, has established an inspiring brand with Geodesy. The wines of Geodesy – which include a beautifully balanced and elegant Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley’s Sage Ridge Vineyard, shine bright and capture one’s attention with their purity of place, fruit, and intention.”
Yet beyond the extraordinary proprietor, there’s a lot more to this wine.
First the vineyard. Sage Ridge is no ordinary site. Russell Bevan (Bevan, PerUs), Helen Keplinger (Carte Blanche, Kerr), Jason Moore (Modus Operandi) and Justin Harmon (Argot) are on the shortlist of celebrity winemakers with access to this magical fruit. Since the inaugural 2016 vintage Wine Enthusiast has consistently picked this wine as a “Cellar Selection” with 94-96 point scores explaining that “from a high-elevation slope in the eastern wilds of the Napa Valley near Pritchard Hill, all of this divine red’s proceeds go to support young women in agriculture.”
The first vintage was immediately picked by Robb Report as one of “10 Superb Wines That Also Do Good in the World” lauding: “With slopes up to almost 1,500 feet, exposed to wind and weather, farming here is decidedly on the proverbial edge. And isn’t that so often the case, with the world’s great wine sites?” they ask, adding that “their first vintage off the land, Geodesy Sage Ridge Vineyard Red ($175), a native yeast fermented and unfined and unfiltered Cabernet-based blend, bodes well.”
Then there’s the winemaker. Megan Baccitich is a protégée of Paul Hobbs with a decade there as Director of Winemaking, where she racked up way too many 95-100 pointers.
Enough name dropping? The point is this wine is easily earns the $175 release price.
But you pay $70 today. And no, that is not a typo.
Onto the wine. This proprietary red is essentially a Cabernet with it constituting 84% of the blend, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Malbec. But it’s a 100% showstopper with superb intensity revealing abundant notes of blueberry, blackberry, and cassis, interwoven with tobacco leaf, charcoal, and coffee bean nuances as well as lead pencil shavings that add mineral depth to the already ample complexity. A WOW wine from head to toes, the long finish makes it clear that it belongs to an upper echelon of the top cult Napa reds.
It’s evident that most of this is ‘made in the vineyard’ with a deft hand like Baccitich catapulting results to the realm of the extraordinary. Mic back to Robb Report on why site is KEY here: “the vineyard Jordan and her team settled on in Napa Valley is itself inspiring and haunting. High on Sage Ridge, not far from the likes of Chappellet and Colgin the vineyard is a steep and wild tapestry of aspects and elevations… exposed to wind and weather, farming here is decidedly on the proverbial edge.”
Why not treat yourself to THE EDGE then, eh? While it lasts that is.
What the Winery Says
2019 Sage Ridge Vineyard Napa Valley Red
- Winemaker
- Megan Baccitich
- Vintage
- 2019
- Varietals
- 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec
- Alcohol
- 15.2%
- Appellation
- Napa Valley
- Vineyard
- Sage Ridge Vineyard
- Harvest dates
- October 15 - 29, 2019
- Elevation
- 850 - 1480 feet
- Average Brix at harvest
- 25.6°
- Aging
- 20 months
- Barrels
- 100% French Oak