12 Bottles.

Made of estate grown Monterey and Santa Barbara fruit, this Chardonnay is from a handful of vineyard blocks that Kendall-Jackson looks to year after year for optimal quality. Older vines and artisan winemaking add to the complexity of the wine. Kendall-Jackson is a family-owned and managed winery which was founded in 1982 by Jess Jackson. Today the family grow grapes on 14,000 acres of California Coastal vineyards.

Wine Advocate 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. Score: 91. —Robert Parker, February 2011.