Paradoxically, the “Vintner’s Reserve” designation is pretty much Kendall-Jackson’s lowest-end bottling, but let’s not get too caught up in the names. The 2014 vintages of its iconic California white wines are finally here, so let’s give them a spin.

2014 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Sauvignon Blanc California – Almost New Zealand in style, this super-sweet sauvignon blanc boosts the tropical notes while keeping the minerals and herbs to a minimum. The finish offers notes of sugar-coated lemon and orange candies, which might be fine on the deck of your yacht, but which clashes at mealtime. C+ / $13

2014 Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay California – A considerable improvement over the sauvignon blanc, this chardonnay keeps the butter and oak in check while pushing notes of baked apples, vanilla cookies, and a sweetness that I’ll call cereal milk. B / $17

kj.com

2014 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay California

$17

8

Rating

8.0/10