The Story of the Nine Yards Chardonnay

From: ICONS 2008 – South Africa’s Best Wines Reviewed

Kim Maxwell – June 2008

Jordan 2006 Nine Yards Chardonnay

There’s a tale about this wine that deserves repeating. It has to do with geological faults, mobster movies and honey badgers. Actor Bruce Willis played Jimmy “The Tulip” Tudeski, who in typical mobster fashion made life challenging for his new Canadian dentist neighbour (Matthew Perry) in the film “The Whole Nine Yards”.

The plot of the movie was furthest from Gary Jordan’s mind while showing game lodge guests his as-yet unnamed Chardonnay a few years back. After a honey badger startled everyone by running through the camp, Gary impressed on his audience that the wine was from their best single vineyard, so could handle more oak. And one guest was quick with a retort:” It sounds as if you go the whole nine yards…”

Back at the farm in Stellenbosch, Gary asked his wife Kathy for input. She said she’d rather have made a wine called Nine Yards with Bruce Willis!

Nevertheless, the Jordan’s new flagship white became the Nine Yards Chardonnay from the 2002 vintage. And then the story became a little twisted… “I was attending an event for the travel and hotel industry,” chuckles Gary, “when an attractive lady came up to me and asked if I’m the guy with nine inches!”

The vines are on a geological fault with white quartz pebbles over deep clay loam soils. “This 18-year old vineyard has always stood head and shoulders above the rest, with richer, lemon and lime flavours,” says Gary. The wine undergoes partial malolactic in oak, using a combination of cultured yeasts and natural fermentation. Burgundian barrels are sourced from a mix of coopers. “At least 80% of the wine has new oak,” says Gary.

“Did I mention that 2006 was an exceptional vintage?”