It seems fitting to finish up this short series on Mendocino County and Coro Mendocino wines by going back to where it started at Jaxon Keys when winemaker Antoine Favero first showed us a bottle of Coro a couple of years ago. Since that trip was all about the brandy and we hadn’t reported on the Jaxon Keys wines in about six years, it was time to revisit the property, even without the added attraction of Coro.
Not only did we revisit the property, we stayed there. The Wilson Artisan Wineries have several properties at which one can stay, both at vineyards and also at B&Bs. The ones we have been able to stay at have been wonderful. We don’t want to play favorites, but there is something truly magical staying at the Jaxon Keys guest house, high on the hill overlooking the vineyards and surrounding wilderness. We saw deer and other animals and even an egret in the winery vegetable garden.
It was a fairly short trek from the guest house to the tasting room where we were scheduled to meet with Antoine, but the walk was relatively steep. We felt we could probably hoof it there, but getting back might be a problem, especially knowing that we were going to love the wines we’d be tasting and bringing several bottles back to the guest house. So, we drove.
The tasting room and the entire property have an interesting history. The property was part of a Mexican land grant provided in 1844 to Fernando Feliz. The parcel that would eventually become Jaxon Keys was purchased in 1858 by John McGlashen, a Scottish immigrant. McGlashen built the farmhouse in 1880 that is now the tasting room for Jaxon Keys, where we were going to meet with Antoine.
Knowing that Antoine is always extremely busy, we began our visit being hosted by tasting room associate Monica on the farmhouse’s expansive deck overlooking the vineyards while we waited for the main event. Monica provided us with a great sample of wines to try before Antoine was able to temporarily break free of his winemaking duties:
2023 Sauvignon Blanc – from the Estate (as all the JK whites are), light and crisp with a whisper of oak on the finish. For people who prefer lower acid SBs, this is for you (and us)!
2023 Viognier – With jasmine on the nose this delicate Viognier had delicious melon and pineapple notes. Too many Viogniers have too much residual sugar for our palates. Not this one!
2023 Chardonnay – a combination of steel and oak aging create a wonderful wine that totally emphasizes the fruit. Medium body and acidity with a kiss of toasted bread on the finish.
2023 Rosé – 85% Zinfandel and 15% Primitivo from the Dry Creek Valley result in a wine that makes you forgot all that aversion to white zin nonsense. Deep pink in color and fruit forward with ripe apricot and peach notes. A serious and delicious blend.
2022 Primitivo Michael’s Reserve – 96% Primitivo with 4% Petite Sirah, both from the Estate. This wine has a very full mouthfeel with notes of black cherry, caramel and cranberry.
2022 Primitivo Blackberry Patch – this 100% Primitivo’s name says it all. Rich berries, chocolate and spice are all part of what makes this so delicious. From the Estate.
2021 Burnee Hill – a classic blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot from Dry Creek Valley grapes. Black currant and baked plum notes with a whiff of cocoa on the finish. A well-deserved Double Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle event.
2021 Cabernet Sauvignon RSV – 100% Cab Sauv from Alexander Valley. Nice rich mouthfeel with chocolate and plum notes.
2021 Coro – Finally! Another Coro Mendocino wine! All estate with 65% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 10% Syrah and 5% Primitivo. Deep garnet color with stone fruit and spice notes. Medium to long finish. This blend truly showcases the amazing wines this area can produce.
Just before we were to taste the Coro, winemaker Antoine had arrived. We expressed to him that the Coro Mendocino project really elevates the entire region and we hope more wineries become involved in it.
When we finished tasting the Coro, Antoine graciously gave us an updated tour of the winery including tastes of a few barrel samples along the way. The newly installed outdoor tanks were especially impressive, along with the process of how they were able to fill the tanks from the other side of the winery.
We really appreciate how much time Antoine spent with us. Alas, when we got back to the tasting room deck, he had to get back to his winemaking duties. It was our good fortune though to taste a few more wines. Knowing our love of Rhone varietals, Antoine had asked Monica to pour the following for us to wrap up our tasting:
2021 Grenache, Jon Vincent – 97% Grenache and 3% Syrah, all estate. Nice ripe plum fruit with a kiss of oregano. Medium acids and balanced tannins. 94 points and a gold medal at the Sunset International Competition and 95 points and a double gold at the 2024 Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge.
2022 GPS – a creative riff on the classic GSM, this blend of 35% Grenache, 13% Petite Sirah and 52% Syrah had mouthwatering highlights of dark ripe cherries and cloves with a luscious lengthy finish.
2022 Syrah, Anna Mac – from the estate, 97% Syrah with a 3% touch of Zinfandel, this wine delivered everything a Syrah should. High acidity and big tannins, earthy and fruity. Cassis notes with a whiff of rosemary, it keeps you going back for more.
Our tasting was not quite finished though. As that old commercial said, “But wait, there’s more!”
It seems like a visit to Jaxon Keys isn’t complete without a tasting of the brandies. We had sampled the four available: Rare (aged 5 years), Cornerstone (aged 7 years), Private Stock (aged 17 years) and Signature (aged 25 years). We marveled at the smoothness and complexity of flavors, which only intensified as we moved from youngest to oldest. We did not use the dump bucket for these and savored every drop.
We were glad we had driven down to the tasting room. We got our steps in touring the winery with Antoine, and as expected, carrying our purchases up the steep hill back to the guest house would have been a little difficult – we enjoyed these wines so much and are looking forward to having them in the future. A big thank you to Antoine for his hospitality and winemaking skills and also to Monica for taking such great care of us even though it might have felt that we were never going to leave!
Our short visit to Mendocino County left us wanting more, both from the Coro Mendocino project and from the entire area. We are looking forward to exploring the region and encourage you to do so. You won’t be sorry.
Jaxon Keys Winery – Truly Historic. Truly Hopland.
10400 US-101, Hopland, CA 95449
Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.
