2007-12-28
‘Only the Finest’ at Chateau St. Jean Winery
With the dramatic profile of Sugarloaf Ridge as a backdrop, the exquisitely landscaped grounds at Chateau St. Jean Winery in Kenwood evoke the image of a country estate. The Chateau itself dates to the 1920s, but it wasn’t until 1973 that a family of Central Valley, California, growers of table grapes founded the winery. They named it after a favorite relative and, with a tongue in cheek, placed a statue of “St. Jean” in the garden.
The winery building was constructed from the ground up to suit Chateau St. Jean’s particular style of winemaking. The founders believed in the European practice of creating vineyard-designated wines, so they designed the winery to accommodate numerous lots of grapes, which could be kept separate throughout the winemaking process. Wines from each special vineyard are also bottled and marketed separately, with the vineyard on the name of the label. The winery produces eleven vineyard-designated wines from the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, and Carneros appellations. The winery also makes other premium varietals and one famously successful blend. Chateau St. Jean became the first Sonoma winery to be awarded the prestigious “Wine of the Year” award from Wine Spectator magazine for its 1996 Cabernet Sauvignon Cinq Cépages, a Bordeaux-style blend of five varieties.
Recently promoted winemaker Margo Van Staaveren has played a pivotal role in every facet of the winemaking process at Chateau St. Jean dating back to 1979. A superb winemaker, she draws on the benefit of this vast experience to insure that all wines meet the highest standards of quality and consistency.
“Our credo, ‘only the finest,’ says it all,” she explains. “From grapes to glass, Chateau St. Jean doesn’t compromise on quality, and it shows in the wines.”
In the summer of 2000, Chateau St. Jean opened the doors to its new Visitor Center and Gardens. A formal Mediterranean-style garden contains roses, herbs and citrus trees planted in oversized terra-cotta urns that are arranged to create a number of open-air “rooms.” Picnickers have always been welcome to relax on the winery’s redwood-studded grounds, but now the setting is enhanced by the extensive plantings, making the one-acre garden attractive throughout the year.
Beyond the Mediterranean garden is the new tasting room with a stunning, custom-made bar. Fashioned from mahogany with ebony accents, the thirty-five-foot-long bar is topped with sheet zinc. The elegant chateau now houses the Reserve tasting room.
Visitors who would like to learn more about Chateau St. Jean wines are encouraged to attend the winery’s educational seminars. The Visitor Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call (707) 833-4134 or visit the website www.chateaustjean.com.
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