May 2007 Wine Tasting Notes.
2004 Kendall-Jackson Camelot Highlands Chardonnay, Santa Barbara County.
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This Chardonnay is golden-yellow in color with excellent clarity. The nose opens with medium intensity with creamy, warm butter aromas that stray into fresh peanut butter. This leads into light intensity citrus and tropical aromas of pineapple and papaya. On the palate, medium intensity candied citrus flavors precede light intensity mineral and cream. Leesy pineapple notes are present. The mouthfeel of this medium-bodied Chardonnay is rich and creamy with a distinct mineral character, zesty acids and big alcohol that comes off hot. An interplay of citrus, minerals and tropical fruit make up the moderate finish. |
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14.1% Alcohol $25.00 Retail (from winery/producer): 3,974 cases produced |
With a crème brûlée-like buttery character this wine is what it aspires to be: a very buttery, oaked Chardonnay, big on tropical flavors, in the tradition of the one that started it all. This is primarily a social wine but may do well with strongly flavored seafood (owing to its acidity), such a macadamia nut-crusted halibut over the next 5 years. Will have greatest appeal with fans of the oaked California style of Chardonnay. |
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| Supplemental/Repeat tasting: None. | ||
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More Kendall-Jackson reviews. More on Los Alamos Valley More on Santa Barbara County |
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Detail: Production | Producer | Vineyard | Grapes | Vintage
1005 Chardonnay from the higher elevations of the Santa Maria Bench. Whole cluster pressed and fermented in oak. Aged 10 months sur lie in all French oak (35% new barrels) with semi-monthly manual bâtonnage).
Kendall-Jackson’s 12,000+ acre California holdings include vineyards in four counties: Mendocino, Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara. With an estimated 1.7 to 1.8 million cases produced annually, Kendall-Jackson the 13th largest wine producer in the US. The new direction at Kendall-Jackson indicates an attempt to make terroir-driven, (or at least site-designated) wines. To this end, a selection of wines with AVA and even vineyard designation have been produced - including the Highland Estates label.
Kendall-Jackson wines are made by a team of three wine makers: Randy Ullom, Chris Johnson and Mark Theis. The team is headed by Michigan native, Ullom as Winemaster. Chris Johnson oversees production of Kendall-Jackson’s red wines. Mark Theis supervises white wine production for KJ.
For the most part, K-J wines are quite consistent with current trends and standards of style for each variety. Whole cluster pressing and fermenting Chardonnay in oak with liberal use of new French and American oak in aging (sur lie with manual bâtonnage). Other whites are fermented in steel tanks. Reds undergo a cold soak and extended maceration. These wines are then transferred into French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and aging. Individual vineyard lots are kept separate until the final blend and generally released without much significant bottle age. (read more)
The Camelot Highlands are a higher elevation block (350-500 feet above sea level) in the western end of the Cambria estate. The Cambria property grows Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Viognier. In 1986, Barbara Banke and her husband Jess Jackson (Founder of Kendall-Jackson Wines), purchased a portion of the original Tepusquet Vineyard (planted by Louis Lucas, his brother George and their partner Alfred Gagnon in 1970 and 1971). On that land, they created a 1,405-acre estate complete with a winery and cellar. The current Cambria estate, with southwestern sun exposure, is subject to marine influences (the Pacific is just 17 miles to the west). Morning and evening fog cools the vines allowing them a nighttime rest. The vineyard's location on the gently sloping Santa Maria bench (above the Santa Maria River bed) at the foot of the San Rafael Mountains also protects it form the strong winds blowing through the Santa Maria Valley. The vineyard soil is composed of sedimentary rock (calcium carbonate and limestone) and well-draining sand which encourage growth of fruit with dense and concentrated flavors. The cooling effect of the Pacific air helps preserve optimal acid levels and varietal characteristics.
Chardonnay, the white grape of Burgundy, can range from subtle to distinct – depending on winemaking style. Its best examples come from cooler climates. Also called Beaunois and Morillon, it displays crisp aromas and flavors of apples, apricots, citrus, peaches, pears as well as tropical fruit. Floral notes of acacia are also common. Terroir can gain distinct expression in the form of flint, mineral or mint characteristics. The small, thin-skinned Chardonnay grapes tend to make wines that express traits acquired during vinification. such as: butter or cream, vanilla and hazelnuts. Chardonnay also is apt to take on oak characteristics during barrel aging. Perhaps this characteristic may be the reason for the current departure from an overly oaky style which was initially intended to mimic great Burgundian whites. (read more)
The hot 2004 growing season was one of the shortest in the history of the state. Harvest came two to three weeks earlier than usual, at the start of August. Statewide reports of light to normal yields of excellent quality fruit with superb extraction raised anticipation of the wines to come. However, red wines from this vintage are proving variable by our experience. While this "crop of crops" was lauded as producing highly extracted fruit, some wines have been rather unbalanced while others were stunning an memorable. This seems to depend more on the combination of AVA and vineyard management, rather than winemaking techniques. Each offering from this vintage should be judged individually and not by virtue of vintage alone since the shortened growing season affected different varietals in different AVAs and even vineyards.
Rating
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Color |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Nose |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Palate |
3 points |
(5 points max) |
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Finish |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Astringency/Minerality |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Acidity |
5 points |
(5 points max) |
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Alcohol |
4 points |
(5 points max) |
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Aging potential |
2 points |
(5 points max) |
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Overall quality |
7 points |
(10 points max) |
Cumulative Score: 89
Rating System & Scoring Criteria explained
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