Team C&J
It’s not unusual for companies to cover the expenses for professional development courses. Depending on the industry, these could mean learning to use a new technology or a new language. If you work in the wine and spirits industry, it also means you have the opportunity to take a deep dive into wine.
When Seagram, the company David Jeffery worked for in the 1980s, allowed someone like him, who worked in corporate finance, to take an immersive 10-week course in wine with one of Manhattan’s top wine instructors, he jumped at the chance. Little did he know this course would lead him down a path that would be life-altering.
Because this was the 80s and Bordeauxs and Robert Parker was all the rage after he completed the class, David began collecting wines from France; he and his wife, Marla, even talked about retiring to a vineyard.
The couple’s plan for a vineyard was fast-tracked in 2000 when a business venture David was involved in went belly-up, and he was presented with a choice: find a new job in New York or travel to California and pursue the vineyard dream.
David would later joke that if you’re going to pursue winemaking as a career, you need a spouse with a real job because growing grapes, making wine, barrel aging it, bottle aging it, and then trying to sell it is a very long process and you need someone to help support you along the way, at least until you’re a bit further along in the process – thankfully, David’s wife Marla shares his passion for wine.
David took his new career pursuit seriously and enrolled in Fresno State’s enology and viticulture program. He also apprenticed in Bordeaux with Alain Raynaud, who today supervises Château Lascombes in Margaux, and consultants for Colgin Cellars, one of Napa Valley’s more impressive cabernet producers.
Most winemakers will tell you that finding the right vineyard site isn’t easy. They will also tell you that when you find the right site, it may be financially out of reach. This was exactly what happened with the Jefferys. After a years-long search, David stumbled upon an MSL listing for what he thought would be a good match for the Bordeaux grapes he wanted to cultivate.
The problem? The site was 80 acres, immensely larger than his original property strategy. Ever the savvy businessman, David put together a business plan with Marla and proposed an investment opportunity with a few close friends and family members. As David puts it, these were friends who constantly sought his advice on good wines, so he invited them to be part of the journey.
The idea paid off, and with a little help from their friends, the Jefferys had their new vineyard site.
Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill AVA is an appellation whose winemakers don’t do a lot of talking about how great this microclimate is for grape growing, rather they let their wines speak for themselves.
The Chalk Hill AVA is right in between Knight’s Valley on the east and the broader Russian River appellation on the west. Cleverly, Chalk Hill takes its name from the volcanic soil which was formed from chalky white ash in the region millions of years ago.
When it comes to grape varieties, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot dominate the vineyards. Depending on the angle of the slope, some winemakers can produce good examples of semillon, syrah, sangiovese, and zinfandel.
The AVA is also home to Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards, which is one of Russian River’s most popular wineries, and not to be confused with the Calluna Estate wine from Chalk Hill.
Wines from Calluna Vineyards regularly receive high marks across the board from critics. Of Calluna wines, Ian Cauble of SommSelect has said, “Critics and sommeliers have rhapsodized about these extraordinary Cabernet blends… few will be able to pry their senses away from its flawlessly knit layers.”
And, according to the folks at Wine Enthusiast, David Jeffery wines overdeliver for the price point.
On the winemaker notes on the Calluna website, David says that the winery’s Estate Cabernet Blend aims to “deliver both the classic balance of Old World wines and the richness inherent in our Sonoma terroir.”
If the 2012 vintage we tried is any indication, he hit the nail on the head. The color of the wine is a brooding garnet. The nose dances with dark fruit in the form of prunes, black currant, and black cherry, as well as smoke and cedar. You get a preview of this wine’s minerality with the sneaking wet gravel that follows the robust fruit.
The palate on the 2012 Calluna Estate Chalk Hill Cabernet Blend is elegantly assertive. A powerful comingling of raisin, rippling black fruits, smoke, an earthiness like fresh potting soil, and oak.
When you try this wine, which is a blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, and 4% Malbec, you begin to appreciate how the extended barrel aging has benefited this well-balanced blend. This is a very smooth wine with a great finish. The blend is masterful, and winemaker David Jeffery deserves big kudos for the final result.
USA
Sonoma
14.2
David Jeffrey
62–68°F / 16–20°C
Large Bordeaux
30 to 90 Minutes
Now to 2032
Calluna Vineyards
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