The nose is herb, crushed rock, graphite and licorice. The palate entry is bright, chiseled red plum and hard cranberry leading to a core of sleek purity finishing with well-defined acidity. Drink 2022-2030.

Firm and concentrated, this wine is aromatic in cedar and cinnamon,
laced with delicious blueberries, blackberries and a hint of cocoa, and lifted by medium tannins that give a lightly gripping texture. It represents the top tier of the Kendall-Jackson organization’s Cabernets. —J.G.

A rather closed aroma gives way to subtle but rich almonds, butter and vanilla bean in the flavors. This exceptional wine is full-bodied, broad and creamy in texture. Its pastry-like flavors glide into a lingering finish.

Tempting spicy, earthy, toasted oak aromas lead to densely layered pears, almonds,wood char and crème brûlée flavors that fill the palate and echo for minutes on the finish. The wine is full-bodied, almost thick in texture and powerful in flavor.

There’s a steely minerality on the leading edge of the nose of this bottling,
which also includes Mandarin orange zest and a touch of dairy. A grippy tension wraps around the lemon pith and apple flesh core of the palate, which picks up a toasty note by the finish.

Subtle and yet expressive in measured ways, this bottling offers lychee, lemongrass, Mandarin orange pith and wet rock aromas on the nose. The palate lands softly at first and then comes the rising acidity and chalky texture, framing lemon-spiked meringue and toasted pine nut
flavors.

Restrained aromas of nectarine, apricot blossom and wet stone converge on the nose of this bottling. There’s a crushed oyster shell texture to the palate, where baked apple and lemon flavors arise.

The nose is lead pencil, juniper and hard cherry. The palate entry is concentrated black plum with a polished core of baking spice and blossoms finishing with fine acidity. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is direct, silky mint and tart red fruits. The palate entry is packed with green garden herbs leading to a concentrated day and tobacco core finishing with black cherry and polished acidity. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is lavender and Luxardo cherries with faint sources of menthol. The palate entry is silky-textured with a polished core of dark fruits accented with herb and blossoms. The finish is tight with graphite and hard plum. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is subtle wet stone underbrush and juniper with crunchy blueberry. The palate entry is bright and sleek leading to a robust and polished core of plum and cool forest floor finishing with a punctuation of herbal acidity. Drink 2023 – 2028.

The nose is lavender and strawberry with deep silkiness. The palate entry is densely packed Luxardo cherry, herb leading to a velvet-like core of jasmine and tea-like grip. Beautiful wine. Drink 2023 – 2027.

The nose is dusty herb, rose petal and soaked cherries. The palate entry is supple spice, layered cherry, plum and tart cranberry that continue through the core finishing with a dry pink grapefruit. Drink 2023 – 2028.

The nose is crisp, perfumed red fruit backed by notes of buttercream. The palate entry is light and fresh with pomegranate, cranberry and strawberry in the core that are luxuriously interwoven. It finishes with mouth-coating rhubarb and herbs. A very solid wine! Drink 2023 - 2027.

The nose is warm blueberry and plum-filled pastry with baking spice. The palate entry is lithe watermelon, peach and plum with a textured core of baked stone fruit, finishing with silky acidity. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is briary mineral, rhubarb and spice-kissed blossom. The palate entry offers vibrant red raspberry leading to a savory core of tobacco and brown spices that persist through the finish. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is rhubarb and plum with notes of graphite. The palate entry is fresh and lively with cranberry crispness leading to a core of wild cherry and tobacco and finishing with a sleek polished feel. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is concentrated plum, black pepper and cedar with hints of cocoa dust. The palate entry offers youthful acidity to a chocolate and spiced plum core. Overall, the wine is tightly structured with well-integrated tannins. Spit-roasted goat would be great with this. Drink 2023-2030.

The nose is licorice. blueberry and menthol. The palate entry is rich black plum and cherry with a supple core of tobacco and dried plum finishing with silky red fruits. Drink 2023 - 2027.

The nose is a seductive black plum and cherry with a lingering orange-chocolate feel. The palate entry is firm and lengthy with well defined polished red berry acidity in the core. Drink 2022 - 2028.

The nose is cranberry and strawberry with underlying dried herb and licorice. The palate entry offers beautifully-balanced red plum, velvet-like core of black cherry and spice leading to a long, tapering finish. Drink 2023-2032.

The nose is ripe peach and pear with hints of crème brulee and sweet lemon. The palate is rich and vibrant, lemon and butterscotch. The core is an oily textured nut and grain finishing with ripe pear and crisp grapefruit. Drink 2023-2027.

The 2019 Fijnbosch, which is not produced every year, is aged for 11 months in 50% new French oak. This is quite different from the regular Capensis Chardonnay insofar that is more airy and ethereal, with hints of pine, pressed white flowers and orange blossom, the new oak barely noticeable. The palate is medium-bodied with a seductive, slightly honeyed texture, the keen thread of acidity counterbalancing the richness. There's just a touch of bitter lemon bite on the finish. This is a sophisticated Chardonnay that will age with style.

The 2018 Chardonnay Capensis is sourced just under half from the Fijnbosch vineyard and aged in French oak, 38% new. This has a more Burgundian bouquet, light fume scents intermixed with hints of peach skin and yellow flowers, the oak neatly integrated. The palate is well-balanced with the waxy texture that I found in the bottle last year, quite saline, with a silver bead of acidity, fine weight and a focused finish. This is drinking beautifully now but will age over the next decade.

This pleasant,oak-scented wine from the Kendall-Jackson team was made in small quantities and shows tasty, concentrated black and red fruit flavors, a lively mouthfeel and pretty firm tannins. Enjoyable now–2030.
—J.G