Lemon butter, apple pie crust and hazelnut are first to the aroma party on this carefully crafted Jackson family offering from a vineyard about 400 feet up in limestone-dotted soils. On the palate, strong but integrated acidity carries the myriad citrus, apple and spice flavors to completion.

Extremely concentrated and full-bodied Californian Chardonnay: toasted almond and butterscotch from generous oak aging. Aromas and flavours of pear, peach and apple.

An extreme California chard with dark color, rich texture and creamy, sweet flavors; rich oak and ripe fruit; concentrated and loaded.

Readers looking for more caramelized tropical fruit and honeysuckle characteristics as well as more opulence and flesh should check out the 2009 Grand Reserve Chardonnay (a blend of equal parts Santa Barbara and Monterey fruit). This 100% Chardonnay was aged 9 months in primarily French oak, and was put through 100% barrel and malolactic fermentation with lots of lees stirring. Kendall-Jackson's Chardonnay program has always been a reference point for how to get the most out of this grape and this cuvee highlights the buttery melon, tropical fruit and peach-like characteristics of Chardonnay. It also possesses medium to full body, well-integrated wood and a long, heady, rich finish. Kendall-Jackson enjoys a well-deserved reputation for over-delivering quality vis à vis price for its wines.

Classic! Toasty oak, green apple and white peach. Richly layered and full-bodied but not heavy. Top rated White Wine.

Winemaker Randy Ullom hits all the right notes with this delicious floral, spicy, green apple, peachy melon nose flecked with guava, vanilla, light lychee, lime and a dusting of nutty lees. The palate is fresh and crisp with elegant styling, juicy acidity and rich minerality. Baked green apple, floral, spicy, mango, pineapple, honey, buttery, vanilla, nutty, lime and melon flavours. Good complexity and balance in a brighter style than in the past. Drink now or over the next few years. This wine really deserves a better name than 'Grand Reserve.'

A new price point tier for K-J, in between Grand Reserve and Highland Estates. Bright and racy in cool-climate acidity, with layered flavors of lemondrop candy, lemon chiffon pie and buttered toast. Delicious and savory. The grapes are from the Santa Maria Valley and the Los Alamos region.

The 2008 Chardonnay Jackson Hills from Santa Barbara exhibits the classic pineapple, smoky hazelnut, mango, and orange marmalade fruit notes in a full-bodied, exuberant, flamboyant style.

Lovely and rich with butter-oak richness. White peach, lime and green apple. Full-bodied.

The 2008 Highland Estates Chardonnay Camelot Vineyard is a creamy, full-bodied wine with lots of tropical fruit flavors, from pineapple to mango. Some buttered brioche/shortbread notes as well as creme brulee also make and appearance in this full-bodied, heady wine, which can be drunk over the next 3-4 years.

Monterey's cool-climate flavors of lemons and limes marry richer, more tropical Santa Barbara notes in this creamy smooth Chardonnay. Oak plays a prominent role, lending an edge of vanilla and buttered toast. This is a very good price for the quality.

This is a great expression of what winemaker Randy Ullom calls the Santa Maria Bench. Full malolactic fermentation has softened the wine, while barrel fermentation adds to the honeyed, creamy texture. Yet there's enough acidity to balance the lush tropical fruit-pie filling, kumquat, pineapple, apricot, vanilla custard and buttered toast richness.

It is a serious, unmistakably California Chardonnay exhibiting loads of honeyed tropical fruit, medium to full body, and admirable freshness as well as texture. Drink it over the next 2-3 years.

Signature K-J chardonnay with maximum treble and base. The tri-county blend represents only three percent of all K-J chardonnay. The nose is a mix of honey, orange, floral, mango notes mix with green apple skin and melon aromas. Round, elegant, supple style with plenty of texture.

Here's a Chard with great interest and distinction. Strikes the mouth with a mineral and steel firmness that's sleek and streamlined, but then a rich tone of sweet tropical fruits, vanilla and buttered toast bursts on the palate. The pineapple and mango is very intense, and coats the tongue through a long finish. Nervy, balanced and quite delicious.

A blend of Santa Barbara, Monterey and Sonoma in true K-J style, and very good in a generic sort of way. What it lacks in terroir it makes up for in flamboyantly ripe fruit. Impresses for its lush, creamy texture, layers of smoky oak and long spicy finish.

On the surface, this appears to be a simple strawberry red with tarry notes to the tannins. As it opens, it reveals more depth, offering lovely tannins with mineral precision to fill out the satin texture of the wine. Harmonious, sleek and spicy, this is a wine to decant for Provençal roast lamb.

This is a meaty merlot with dark, smoky oak tannins structuring the silky black-plum flavors. It’s a compelling contrast of firm and rich, suited to a year or two in the cellar, or a thick-cut sirloin steak.

This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from down under opens with a black cherry bouquet with hints of cola, leather and oak. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced, smooth and savory. The flavor profile is a smoky oak influenced black currant with notes of coffee. We also detected hints of blueberry and black olive. The finish is dry and its flavors and moderate tannins show nice length. The Panel thought this Cab would pair well with a New York strip steak.

This robust red manages to find elegance amidst power. The nose starts out quiet, needing some swirling to open up and show plush blue and red fruit, floral notes and baking spice. The juicy palate is sandy-textured from superfine tannins, yet there’s enough heft and structure to take this well into the future, from 2028 and beyond.

Weekend Picks Australian Charlie Seppelt and American Chris Carpenter have combined their winemaking talents at Hickinbotham to produce what they term is the pinnacle of Clarendon Cabernet. The wine is shaped by its tannins which are rich and dense, framing the wine’s structure from front to back. Expect rich and pure black fruit with a whiff of green pepper, menthol and dark chocolate. First planted in 1971 by Alan Hickinbotham, the vineyard remains well cared for today under the Jackson Family Farms banner.

Australian Charlie Seppelt and American Chris Carpenter have combined their winemaking talents at Hickinbotham to produce what they term is the pinnacle of Clarendon cabernet. The wine is shaped by its tannins which are rich and dense, framing the wine’s structure from front to back. Expect rich and pure black fruit with a whiff of green pepper, menthol and dark chocolate. The fruit is hand-picked from Clarendon high country at 220 metres where it enjoys warm mornings and cool nights, lending ripeness yet holding bright acidity. At 14.5 percent the alcohol is up a full point over last year but to little overall effect. First planted in 1971 by Alan Hickinbotham it remains in good hands today under the Jackson Family Farms banner.

Graceful and perfumed, with notes of candied violet and gingerbread adding richness to the plum, cassis, fudge and black walnut liqueur flavors. Features dense, polished tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2026. 238 cases made.

Smooth and spicy with dense, earthy with a not unpleasant hint of herbs; lush, rich and long with balance and style.

Shows an incredible array of spice notes layered over cola and black cherry flavors. Cinnamon, mint, and anise highlight the aromas and finish. Like all of the Hartford offerings, the mouthfeel is smooth and expansive.