Kendall Jackson Chardonnay Review
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay comes from Santa Rosa, California, USA.
According to Kendall Jackson, they “farm the land with long term stewardship in mind” and are committed to sustainability.
They also say they employ 100% renewable energy to make their wines, which sounds pretty smart to me!
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay Wine Review
From the bottle label:
Our Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay showcases the vivid fruit flavors from California’s coastal vineyards. Fermenting in small oak barrels adds rich undertones of vanilla and toast to the vibrant tropical aromas and flavors of pineapple, mango and papaya.
I tasted the 2019 vintage of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay.
Appearance
In the glass, this wine sports a translucent golden color.
It’s quite leggy, with thick, slow-falling legs that streamed down the glass.
Aroma
While not overly aromatic, I did note pleasant and light juicy pear aromas with floral overtones.
Additionally, there was little to no alcohol burn in the nose, even with a good strong sniff!
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay alcohol content 13.5% by volume, per the bottle.
Taste
On the palate, this wine starts off with notes of vanilla and pear.
From there, it quickly moves to a non-tart pineapple citrus flavor.
Overall, I found it very tasty and an easy breezy sipper!
Mouthfeel
Mouthfeel was juicy and silky; I believe thanks to the vanilla aging.
Finish
The wine’s finish was medium in length and dominated by the aforementioned pineapple flavor.
Overall Opinion
Overall, Kendall Jackson Chardonnay is a tasty chardonnay with a little sweetness on the front end that I think most will enjoy.
When I purchased this wine, I noticed my wine store had a lot of spaces set aside on the shelves for this wine.
And, it seemed to be one of the most purchased Chardonnays, as I had to reach toward the back of the shelf to grab a bottle.
With that said, I can see why it’s so popular, as its taste is downright enjoyable!
Kendall Jackson Chardonnay price $11.99.
Suggested Food Pairing
Drink this as a standalone sipper or pair with a tender and moist pan-seared sea bass.
Yesterday I purchased a bottle KJ 2022 Grand Reserve Chardonnay. I have been buying KJ Chard for years. I bought the Grand reserve because the reviews said it was oaky. What a disappointment. I tasted like it had been distilled yesterday and may they have driven by the in the truck because it NO oaky flavor. I would not recommend this anyone. I left a message on the KJ hotline and have had no response.
Thanks for sharing your experience with everyone, Rand. I wonder if it’s the entire vintage that’s having an issue, hard to know.
Here’s hoping your next glass of wine is better!
Cheers!
Jon
KJ Chard Vintner’s Reserve has been my go to for over a decade.
However, with the 2022 Bronze cap changing to the 2023 gold cap, I have notice an undesirable taste change.
The 2022 now has a pungent taste while, the 2023 has the same crisp KJ taste I enjoy.
Unfortunately, with any curb side orders, you never know what you’re going to get. I have 3 bottles that are undrinkable.
What is the plan/timeframe to replace the bronze cap 2022 100%?
Hi Patricia,
Thanks for visiting Honest Wine Reviews, my wine review site. My site isn’t directly related to, or owned by, Kendall Jackson. It’s just my wine blog where I review lots of different wines.
Kendall Jackson has a contact page on their website. You might try asking your question there.
With that said, it’s interesting to hear you’ve experienced some bad bottles that seem to be related to a change in caps. I wonder if others are noticing that too and maybe someone will share their experience as well in the comments.
Cheers!
Jon
Kendall Jackson Chard low calorie is “nasty”. I will take the calories anyday.
Not worth the extra money.
I have purchased a lot of KJ VR Chardonnay over the years, however in the past 3 months, I’ve gotten 2 bottle of this wine that have been really bad, musty, dark urine yellow and undrinkable. They were of the vintage 2015 and 2016. The more recent vintages have been fine. Just wonder if you have had others comment similarly. Thanks.
Thanks for commenting, William!
I haven’t seen any other similar comments, but it makes me wonder if your wines had cork taint given the musty experienced you mentioned.
Anyway, I’ll be paying attention to see if a trend develops in the comments.
Cheers and may your next bottle be better!
Jon
Where did you find those vintages at this point in time. Wines of this type are usually drunk when they are young. They don’t improve with age and as you have observed may well deteriorate in taste, clarity and overall quality!
I just opened a 2016 bottle of KJ Chardonnay and it is wonderful. I usually don’t choose chardonnay, but the oak smell and butter tones really amaze me. I think I may become a chardonnay lover!
Thanks for commenting RB, and for sharing your thoughts… Much appreciated!