Kendall-Jackson Avant Unoaked Chardonnay 2018
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Wilfred
Wong
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This refreshing wine is cold fermented in stainless steel tanks to create a pure expression of this exceptional grape. Showcasing crisp green apple, citrus, and tropical fruit notes, the resulting wine is youthful and lively, providing a superb affinity for food.
Vegan
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Kendall-Jackson Avant Unoaked Chardonnay is an excellent example of an unoaked effort. TASTING NOTES: This wine is pleasant, simple, and clean. Pair its aromas and flavors of apple jelly and brisk minerality with steamed clams over noodles. (Tasted: April 30, 2019, San Francisco, CA)
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2021-
Wine
Enthusiast
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Wilfred
Wong
Back in 1974, Jess Jackson saw in the fine vineyards of California's cool coastal regions fruit with a variety of outstanding flavors. What if there was a way to produce from this abundance, a single outstanding "cuvée" that offered both quality and value? The result, first released in 1983, was Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, a rich, round and flavorful wine, made with hand-crafted methods. That same year, Grand Reserve was introduced, a line of ultra-premium wines that represented the full potential of California's finest vineyards and winemaking.
Today, over 5,000 acres of vineyard in California's coastal regions are farmed by Kendall-Jackson. Four separate wineries house what is possibly the single largest barrel-fermentation project in the world. But perhaps most important, is that Kendall-Jackson remains a family-owned winery.
California’s most praised white wine, Chardonnay is also the state’s most planted white grape variety. Diverse terrain and microclimates allow for an incredible range of wine styles.
Chardonnay planted in the cooler, coastal zones takes on bright characteristics like lemon zest, key lime, green apple and wet flint. For this style, look to the chilly Sonoma Coast, Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands and Edna Valley.
The inland zones of California’s coast, such as the Russian River, Sonoma, Napa and Livermore Valleys maintain a more Goldilocks-esque climate where both styles go. Early picking retains acidity and creates a leaner style but leaving the grapes to hang creates an approachable Chardonnay, balancing richness and finesse.
Chardonnay also plays a major part in the sparkling wine production of the Anderson Valley and Carneros.