Classic varietal identity. Pungent aromas of hay alongside orange rind and apricot. Crisp, lemony flavors.

This pale straw colored Sauvignon Blanc from Kendall Jackson displays green apple, pear, pineapple and banana aromas on the nose. It is refreshingly crisp, pleasantly acidic with soft notes of lychee and lime that are tempered by a hint of minerality. It has a long and lingering finish for Sauvignon Blanc. We would pair it with swordfish skewers and grilled asparagus or with an asparagus or fiddlehead risotto. We really enjoyed this wine. Very good+.

Lush and smooth with bright, juicy flavors and racy acidity; rich and peachy with depth and style.

Carefully selected from the top 1% of all Kendall-Jackson Sauvignon Blanc lots, this Grand Reserve represents qualities that Sauvignon Blanc lovers enjoy. The color is a brilliant light gold with a pale green cast, while the nose displays hints of vanilla, citrus and a blend of floral and subtle grassy notes. Dry and textured, the flavors show inviting mineral accents. Nicely balanced with juicy flavors, this Grand Reserve finishes with 14.3% alcohol and layers of fruit.

A charismatic white blend for warm days. Relatively new to the market is Kendall-Jackson Summation, a charismatic kitchen-sink concoction of eight different grapes from five different California wine regions (mostly Lake, Mendocino and Santa Barbara counties). Sauvignon Blanc gives it a crisp backbone and minerality, Viognier and Chardonnay add body and a lush texture and Rousanne, White Riesling and Muscat Canelli add bright fruit and floral aromas.

This new blend from K-J focuses on Rhône varieties (viognier, roussanne, marsanne, grenache blanc) and Loire varieties (sauvignon and chenin blanc) along with some chardonnay, semillon and gewurztraminer. The biggest portion comes from Lake County (43 percent), with contributions from a range of other coastal regions. Randy Ullom blends it into a credible alternative to chardonnay, the variety that K-J made its name on. This has a rich mouthfeel and honeyed character, here appropriately tied to scents of orange rind, fresh nuts and subdued floral tones.

"Even better is the outstanding 1999...low-acid, fleshy, full-bodied Chardonnay. Offering up notes of passion fruit, apricot, peach, and honeysuckle, it is full-bodied, rich and ostentatious." *Mr. Parker originally reviewed this wine prior to its release. At the time of his initial review, it was known as the "Clark Vineyard" Chardonnay. Today, that product is known as "Arroyo Seco" and is the same wine.

This seductive, creamy Chard wraps smoky, spicy, vanilla-laden oak flavors around the core of lush tropical fruit. There's lively acidity and a lot to like here. The finish shows a slight edge that may smooth out in another three or four months.

Taste this wine and you'll agree: It's big. even fat. A fragrant, buttery apple-floral bouquet opens into a banana, orange ad hay palate. The mouth-feel is creamy, round and lively -- it's full-flavored without being too weighty. Pear and butterscotch linger on the finish.

Separate lots of Sonoma fruit with some Santa Barbara, and aged in French oak. Layers of tropical fruit, pear, apple and citrus aromas complemented by well-integrated vanilla, spice, clove and smoke notes. We like the wood restraint and its bright spicy apple, toasty lees, honey and citrus butter flavours. Better than a simple California appellation indicates.

"It displays some tropical fruit, but is more dominated by a flinty, lime, and citrus character. Rich, with medium to full body, this classy, concentrated Chardonnay should drink well for 1-2 years.

Engaging nose of spices, toasted almonds, apples and honey. Slightly exotic, with par, melon and butterscotch flavors, and a chalky-mineral note. The ripe, almost candied fruit works against the relatively high acidity. Lengthy finish. Displays character and finesse.

A superlative effort from K-J in what is shaping up to be a rather tough vintage for premium California Chardonnay. Sporting a floral and honeyed nose, this wine speaks volumes about the power of fruit over oak, and about multiple sources of quality fruit. While there are some sweet vanilla and wood nuances courtesy of nine months of aging in small barrels, the high point of the wine is its vibrant pear and apple flavors. Layered and rich, this wine is extremely clean. It also has the perfect level of acidity to handle foods with aromatic spices. I enjoyed it with lightly cured prawns and couscous with apples and raisins. It was just right for that aromatic and flavorful dish. While there may "only" be a California appellation on this wine, which in many cases denotes that the grapes were harvested from inferior vineyards, in this case it simply means that K-J has sourced excellent fruit from its top vineyards throughout the state.

More vinous aromas of dried tropical fruits, honey and nuts. Quite dense and tactile; sweeter than the Paradise Vineyard bottling but also livelier in the mouth, with enough harmonious acidity to frame the thick, tropical fruit. Big, rich and impressive, but distinctly sweet.

.copious quantities of tropical fruit intermixed with butter, honey, and toasty oak. In the mouth, this spicy wine reveals excellent balance, honeyed citrus and fruit cocktail-like flavors, and a lush, rich, fleshy, personality.

For example, the 1995 chardonnay (900 cases) was made with 100% native yeast fermentation, put through full malolactic fermentation, completely barrel fermented, and aged in 75% new oak for nearly 18 months, and bottled without filtration. There was considerable stirring of the lees to encourage greater complexity and richness. It is an impressive, young, burgundian-styled chardonnay with a smoky, hazelnut, buttery popcorn, honeyed pineapple-scented nose and flavors, full body, great purity and ripeness, and a long, lusty finish. It could easily stand up to just about any Batard-Montrachet made in France, although I doubt it will be long-lived. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

Intense yet with a sense of elegance and finesse with ripe pear, melon, nutmeg and apple flavors. Finishes with a light touch of oak and a fruity aftertaste.

I have long been an enthusiastic fan of Kendall-Jackson's Grand Reserve Chardonnay and the 1994 is an outstanding wine. This 100% barrel-fermented Chardonnay is made in surprisingly large quantities (about 45,000-50,000 cases), but there is no doubting its lavish display of tropical fruit, butter, and spicy, toasty barrel aromas. This delicious wine is authoritatively rich and full-bodied, with low acidity. While it will not make old bones, it will drink well for 1-2 years.

Exhibits an intense, honeyed, tropical fruit-scented nose. Rich, expansive, and chewy with loads of fruit, terrific purity, and a long finish, this knock-out Chardonnay should drink well for 12-16 months.

Smooth, ripe and creamy, striking a nice balance between its rich pear, fig, melon and spice character and the toasty, buttery oak. Finishes with a creamy flavor and texture. Keeps up the track record for this leading California winery.

A terrific, exotic, tropical fruit-scented and flavored, full-bodied Chardonnay that is bursting with extract and fruit. A flamboyant, delicious wine, it offers copious quantities of pleasure-giving fruit, glycerin, and alcohol. The intense honeyed pineapple scents, tinged with toasted new oak notes, will please anybody who 'drinks' wine.

Effusively fruity, with pretty pear, spice pineapple and creamy vanilla flavors that fold together nicely in a seamless, elegant package.

Lavishly rich, honeyed, buttery, in-your-face. The wine is extremely full-bodied and concentrated, ideal for drinking over the next year. A sumptuous, decadently-styled Chardonnay for hedonists!

Wonderfully delicious Santa Maria Chardonnay. Broad, ripe, smooth, rich and creamy with pretty pear, spice and hazelnut flavors that are elegant and lively, showing toasty oak notes on the finish. Bracing acidity keeps the fruit fresh and lively.

Cinnamon and butterscotch nuances define a fragrant bouquet. In the mouth it is medium-bodied with moderate acidity and a lush character throughout the tropical fruit finish.