Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay

Description

Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay is a Californian Wine Icon: it became the best-selling Chardonnay in America in 1992 and remains number one to this day.

Kendall-Jackson was where is all began for Jess Jackson. Jess had initially purchased 80 acres of orchards in Lake County north of Napa Valley in 1974. By 1982 he has set out to make an affordable, but premium Californian wine. The very first vintage of Kendall-Jackson Vinters Reserve Chardonnay won the first ever Platinum Award for an American Chardonnay at The American Wine Competition in 1983. The rest is history!

Today, Kendall-Jackson is owned by Jackson Family Wines (JFW). The Chairman and Proprietor of Jackson Family Wines is Barbara Banke who took over from her husband Jess on death of Jess in 2011. JFW has a vision to create a global wine company known for its extraordinary premium and luxury wines from many of the greatest wine-growing regions of the world. Indeed, under Barbara’s stewardship, they have since become one of the world’s largest, and high quality, wine companies with interests in California (La Crema, Hartford Court, Camelot Highlands and many more), Chile, Italy, France and South Africa, with their new Capensis project. Each winery has its own winemaker, vineyards, varietal focus and unique style.

Kendall-Jackson’s vineyards are situated throughout California’s cool-climate, coastal winegrowing regions atop mountains, ridges, hillsides, and benchlands. Achieving “coastal” status is no simple feat. While most vineyards are deemed “inland,” only 15% of California’s vineyards earn the coveted coastal classification, and of those, a mere 5% are nestled on mountains, ridges, benchlands, and hillsides. Farming these elevated sites presents unique challenges for both vintners and vines, but the reward is undeniable—grapes grown in these rugged terrains develop the most concentrated flavours and bold character. 

The 100% Chardonnay grapes are whole cluster pressed to retain the fresh fruit qualities. The wine undergoes “sur lie” ageing with monthly battonage (lees stirring) which helps to produce the signature velvety, silky texture and creamy flavour. The wine is aged 5 months in 41% French Oak (5% new) and
46% American Oak (6% new).

The fruit for the Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay is sourced from 47% Monterey County, 25% Mendocino County, 18% Santa Barbara County and 10% Santa Maria Valley.