A spicy, warm layer of oaky vanilla and cinnamon wraps the ripe black-cherry and blackberry flavors in this expansive, full-bodied wine. It is big in mouthfeel, coating the palate with a chocolaty richness.\n \n Producer Information\n Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates is one of California's largest wine producers. It has an extensive portfolio of wines, covering various wine styles and price ranges. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are arguably Kendall-Jackson's most important grape varieties, but wines are also produced from Pinot Noir, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel, among others. The estate was founded in 1974, when Jess Jackson purchased an 80 acre (32 hectare) on land that would later be part of the Sonoma Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). His first wine, a Chardonnay from the 1982 vintage, found great success and helped cement the variety's place in Californian wine. Jackson was also a pioneer for sustainability in Sonoma, which has affected practices in both the vineyard and in the winery. The size of the estate means that there is a range of terroirs, stretching throughout Northern California and the Central Coast. Kendall-Jackson sources grapes from cool-climate vineyards in the Anderson Valley, Monterey and Santa Barbara, as well as from Sonoma and Napa. Vineyards are planted on hillsides and in valleys as well as in cooler coastal areas, which means that Kendall-Jackson can produce a wide range of grape varieties in different styles. In the winery, individual plots of grapes are kept separate and only blended after fermentation. Vinification depends on the wine, but the use of oak is important at Kendall-Jackson – Jess Jackson set up his own mill in France and had shares in a cooperage in Missouri. Kendall-Jackson has several ranges in its portfolio with Stature as the flagship collection. The red is a Bordeaux Blend wine, the grapes for which are grown on a low-yielding hillside vineyard in Napa Valley. The white is produced from Chardonnay, sourced from the Camelot vineyard in Santa Maria Valley. The Grand Reserve range forms the core of Kendall-Jackson's portfolio, and is produced from estate-grown grapes. The Vintner's Reserve and Avant ranges cover varietal wines from across California, and the new K-J range provides an entry-level range. Kendall-Jackson comes under the umbrella of the Jackson Family Wines Group, also founded by Jess Jackson. This is a multinational wine company and owns various wineries throughout the world, including Cardinale and Lokoya in America, Château Lassegue in France, Yangarra in Australia and Capensis in South Africa.
