Founded in 1986, J Vineyards and Winery has always provided high-quality wines that reflect their AVA and vineyards. And, while not inexpensive, they offer good value. These reviews of their most-readily available wines below are based on samples.

2016 J Vineyards Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sonoma County 91 14.3% 750ml $40

This tasty Pinot Noir gives Russian River Valley AVA fans exactly what they hope for. Aromas of ripe red cherries, lightly toasted oak, subtle cinnamon, sweet herb, and orange pith swirl from the ruby-colored wine. The palate offers slightly darker red cherry and the oak is less present. Instead, attractively savory flavors of earth and damp forest floor promise good pairings with dishes such as mushroom-stuffed quail. Well-balanced on the generous side of medium in body, acidity and tannins, it’s supple in the mouth with fine-grained and structural, but softish, texture. This balance and structure make it a good candidate for moderate aging. Drink now through 2024.

2016 J Vineyards Chardonnay Russian River Valley Sonoma County 91 14.3% 750ml $31

Another good representation of the Russian River Valley AVA as a whole, it has the freshness of a moderately cool climate with a complex assortment of fruit and just enough oak. It’s yellow-green in the glass with fetching aromas of yellow and red apples, nutmeg, oak, and hints of tropical fruit. It’s smooth on the palate with medium-plus body and juicy flavors of fresh and poached yellow apples, peach, toasty oak, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

J Vineyards Sparkling Wines

J Vineyards makes all of its sparkling wines using the traditional method. [That’s the same technique used in Champagne, but producers outside of that region no longer use the term “methode Champenoise” because it’s a trademark of Champagne.] They also use a Coquard press, which is traditional to Champagne, but not widely used these days because they take up more space and can be less efficient. It’s a very broad, shallow basket press which juices the grapes very gently and consistently, without extracting tannins or flavors from the skins and seeds.

The key element of the traditional method is that the secondary fermentation, which creates the bubbles, takes place in bottle rather than in a large tank. That process, and the subsequent aging of the wine with the yeast in the bottle, creates the savory flavors (brioche, toast, mushroom, etc.) and creamy mousse for which Champagne is well known. In Champagne, the minimum time on lees allowed by law is 12 months, and total bottle aging must be at least 15 months. Some producers outside Champagne don’t let the wines mature that long, because time is money. However, even J Vineyards “entry level” sparkling wines average about 24 months on the lees and another six months in bottle afterward.

NV J Cuvée 20 Brut Russian River Valley 90 12.5% 750ml $38

The J Cuvée 20 Brut is 54% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir, and 3% Pinot Meunier. The straw-colored wine shows tiny, swiftly moving bubbles in the glass and smells of dried lemon grass, dried Meyer lemon zest, yellow apple, pear, and subtle baking spices. The palate is fresh with good length and flavors of toasted bread, crisp yellow apple, pear, baking spice, and dried lemon grass. It’s ready to drink now but will also do well with another three-to-five years of bottle age.

NV J Brut Rosé Russian River Valley 91 12.5% 750ml $45

The J Brut Rosé is 58% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Meunier. The color is light salmon and the bubbles quite tiny. The nose reflects the Pinot-forward blend with underripe strawberry and raspberry, tangerine pith, cream, delicate spice, and a hint of basil. In the mouth, there’s slightly riper and more intense red fruit, along with green apple, lemon, and a smidge of toast. It’s a very juicy wine, with length driven by that acidity, and the still Pinot Noir added for color also contributes a trace of very fine, grippy texture.

Copyright Fred Swan 2019. Photos courtesy of J Vineyard and Winery. All rights reserved.