Haddad Estates & Vineyards Jordan River Wines
My brush with Jordanian wine comes thanks to my friend E who travels extensively for work. She bought me two bottles of Jordan River wine from Haddad Estates & Vineyards on her last trip to Amman. The first winery in Jordan, its wines were not released internationally, under the name Jordan River, until 2004.
Some interesting facts about Hadded Estates & Vineyards/Jordan River:
- Founded in 1953 by Muthieb M. Haddad
- Located at 850 meters above sea level in the basalt soils of the Mountain Heights Plateau
- White grapes cultivated include: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, and Viognier
- Black grapes include: Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Tempranillo
Having not heard especially flattering things about Jordanian wine I was a little concerned about these. Even at the shop where E bought these the salesman kept trying to steer her to the French wines and seemed perplexed that anyone wanted Jordanian wine. In the end…well I’ve had worse.
Jordan River Crispy White, 2018
The Crispy White comes from Jordan River’s entry level series. The blend (which was not specified) includes 15, yes 15! different grapes from the Ajloun Mountains and Morfraq Plateau.
Intense lemon on the pour with pale green highlights. Hesitant aromas of yellow fruits, chamomile, daisy, and flint expressed themselves on the nose. And if the nose was hesitant, the palate was downright recalcitrant. Citrus oil and freshly-squeezed lemon juice flavors with crisp acidity, a medium body, 13% alcohol, and a short finish.
A cheerful enough wine but such a complicated blend had me expecting, well, more. I would love to know which 15 grapes make up the blend and what as the thought process behind it.
Jordan River Classic Sauvignon Blanc, 2019
The single varietal Sauvignon Blanc from Jordan River’s Classic line was more intriguing and showed a lot of varietal character. The Sauvignon Blanc grapes for this wine came from the winery’s Morfraq Plateau vineyards-one of the most fertile areas in Jordan.
Clean and bright lemon on the pour, the wine released a cloud of delicate white flowers, citrus, and smoky flint aromas. The palate was dry, medium-bodied with lively acidity and medium alcohol at 13% abv. A very citrussy flavor profile, it tasted like a combination of everything you can possibly do with citrus. Pomelo came first followed by smoky lemon peel, candied grapefruit peel, and more flint.
Jordan River Classic Shiraz, 2019
The Jordan River Classic Shiraz, sourced from vineyards in the Ajloun Mountains and Morfraq Plateau was not my favorite wine ever. Or really even recently.
Intended to be drunk young in an unoaked, nouveau style, the Shiraz glowed a deep purple-ruby in the glass. It started out well. The nose hinted at aromas of plum and prune, brown spices, black pepper, and even a glimmer of vanilla. Unfortunately I felt let down by the palate. Slightly fizzy, sour, and unpleasantly tannic; and this from someone who loves a tannic wine! I struggled to find any of the fruit and spice I sensed on the nose. Not even decanting and letting the wine breath for a time helped bring it back to life. I tasted largely bitter flavors of green stem and over-brewed black tea which persisted from the start to the blessedly short finish.