The creamy Kendall-Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay can stand up to the gumbo's intense flavors.

Rich - but not over the top - aromas of banana, pineapple and cream soda, with sophisticated spice notes. A big wine with significant flavors of oak and vanilla that are balanced by a cavalcade of tropical fruit.

Kendall-Jackson's self-evidently stylish, full-flavoured and well-balanced 2006 Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay was the only white I really wanted to drink.

For a good 25 years, this has been the gold standard for value-priced Chardonnay. Yes, you can crab at me for that statement, but its commercial availability, and its competitive price sometimes blur people's vision regarding this wine, but the palate tells it all - - it's an excellent Chardonnay. The nose has that apple-pear tango going on, with the butterscotch of toasted oak; and the palate is sweet and tart at the same time. Flavors have real punch, with lime zest, orange and minerality to punctuate the sweet apple-pear-nectarine fruit.

Kendall-Jackson's Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay is a generally well-regarded midpriced Chard.

The Kendall-Jackson 2006 California Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, still sweetly fruity and characteristically oaky but slimmed down a bit from earlier incarnations and thus more refreshing.

A toasty, tropical chardonnay. Aromas and flavors of apricot, mango, apple, vanilla and honey. A popular pick.

Jackson is justifiably famous for his Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, which has only gotten better as the winery has shifted solely to using grapes from its own vineyards.

Look for fresh mango, honey and pineapple nuances with a brushing of oak and cool, mineral, citrus and peach flavours. A terrific holiday party wine.

The 2005 Grand Reserve Chardonnay is a lighter-bodied, creamy textured selection with apple flavors, butterscotch notes and a hint of coconut on the finish.

K-J's Grand Reserve 2005 Chardonnay does justice to the reputation of the brand - it's a succulent mix of tropical and citrus fruits, polished and racy with a pleasing minerality.

A full-blown example of the grand style of contemporary California chardonnay -- big, sweet and smoky with oak, but exquisitely balanced, with a length that leaves you marveling about how tiny grapes can yield juice with so much impact.

With grapes grown on the Jackson Estate, this well-made chardonnay has lots of personality and ripe tropical fruit, citrus flavors. Soft, rich texture.

...from the Arroyo Seco region near Monterey, which offers a buttery mouthful of pear, banana, and custard with a touch of spearmint.

Intense aromas of pear, grapefruit, peach and lots of citrus, such as tangerine, lemon and grapefruit. It is fun and refreshing with a note of hazelnut.

Crisp, green apple, citrus, peach skin, pear and buttery lees flavours.

Fresh, fruity white. Crisp green apple, citrus, peach skin, pear and buttery lees flavours.

A feminine chardonnay. Ripe and showy. Notes of butter, baked apple, caramel and toast. Medium complexity.

Aromas and flavors of ripe apricots, peaches, caramel; rich and creamy.

Unusually grassy and green for a west coast Chard, this is zesty on the nose but then the full unctuous mango and passion fruit works show through the palate.

Here are two things to know about Kendall-Jackson's Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay: More than two million cases are made each year, and every single grape that goes into those bottles comes from vineyards owned by Kendall-Jackson. Vineyard ownership means control over viticultural practices, and that's why this wine-despite its vast production-remains so delicious: rich but finely focused, its flavors suggesting ripe mangoes and pears.