Jam Brut Toast California

Introduction

Juicy aromas of melon, white peach, and orange blossom explode into tropical pineapple and ripe honeydew, with tiny bubbles and a crisp, light toastiness on the palate. Producer Information JaM Cellars is a California wine producer, its name coming from an acronym of the founders’ first names: John and Michelle Truchard. The winery produces popular, high-volume varietal wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay as well as sparkling and sweet wines all from fruit sourced thoughout the state, although the winery is headquartered in Napa Valley. It was established in 2009 to tap into a market focused on good-value wines priced at less than $20. The Truchards had already founded the boutique Napa winery John Anthony Wines in 2003 but, after the 2008 economic collapse, premium-priced wines were struggling to sell, while cheaper, bulk wines were still popular. As a result, the couple along with (former) winemaker Rob Lloyd sought to create a larger-production wine brand to couple with the small-scale John Anthony Wines. The inaugural Jam Cabernet Sauvignon was released in 2009 and was initially sourced from Napa fruit. As demand and production grew, the Butter Chardonnay was added and larger sources of fruit had to be found. JaM wines are now sourced from several regions including Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties, and the wines carry the broad California designation. From an initial 1000 cases made in 2009, Jam has grown to a production of more than 450,000 cases in 2015. The Toast Sparkling Chardonnay was also added to the selection. In 2014 Jam Cellars paired with actress Gabrielle Union to make and release the limited 2012 Vanilla Puddin’ Brand Chardonnay. In 2020, former winemaker Rob Lloyd sued the John Truchard for lost income, alleging that as a minority shareholder, he had not received a fair share of profits while he was a shareholder. With no news of the case at the time of publishing (Aug 2021), the conflict appears to have been settled out of court.