Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon - vintages other than 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010 is Not Vegan Friendly

by Jordan Winery
Address: 1474 Alexander Valley Road
Healdsburg, CA, 95448-9003
USA
Phone: 800-654-1213
Fax:
Email: info@jordanwinery.com
URL: http://jordanwinery.com/
Checked by: Megan
Double checked by: Elizabeth, Richard
Added: over 11 years ago

Company email (December 2015):
"Some vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon are vegan and others are not, while all vintages of Jordan Chardonnay use dairy-based products in the winemaking process. In some Cabernet Sauvignon vintages, our winemaking team will add egg whites during the fining process—an old-world tradition that helps soften the tannins, ensuring a more approachable mouthfeel. After our Chardonnay is pressed, we use a bento casein, which is a water soluble dairy-based product, to fine the juice and help preserve the wine against oxidation.

"Most recent vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon that are vegan:
2003
2008
2009
2010"

Company email (November 2012):
"Many vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon are egg white fined. However, the 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages do not have any animal ingredients. Unfortunately all of our Chardonnay is fined at the juice stage with casein, a milk bi-product.
Our product is only manufactured at our winery in Healdsburg, CA."

Company email:
"Thank-you for emailing your question regarding the use of fining agents on our wine. I don't know if you are referring to our Chardonnay or our Cabernet so I will attempt to answer both.

Chardonnay: we use a combination of bentonite (earth based ) which is a montmorillonite clay that is used to drop out any protein that may cause a haze in our white wine. For the juice, prior to fermentation, a combination of both bentonite and casein (a milk derived protein) is used which softens the astringent nature of our wine by minimizing the effect of the skins from the grape pressing. The sediment (lees) from the deposition of the fining agent and the proteins, phenolics from the juice are racked (drawn) off and sent out for disposal (actually another winery uses the settlings). Of course our Chardonnay is filtered prior to bottling.

Cabernet: the only fining agents we use are protein/animal based: gelatin and egg white. The gelatin is used in very small quantities and helps remove amorphous material as well as microbial (yeasts and malolactic bacteria) that cloud the wine. Fresh egg whites (not the yolk) is added as a way of balancing out the oak tannins and the fruit derived tannins. It is a very common procedure used throughout the world; but some winemakers elect not to use egg whites as they fear it will remove flavor components. We use egg whites because we feel the flavor components are enhanced. I don't know if it is possible for residual egg whites to be present in our wine. We filter our wine prior to bottling and after fining (0.65 microns absolute- which means nothing passes through the filter larger than 0.65 microns. This is to eliminate any residual yeast and most malolactic bacteria) so I would imagine that the bound egg white with the tannin complex is removed."

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