Saturday Night – When life gives you lemons… - Part 2

The next course was a request from Mick – Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese, bagel crisps, capers, red onion, cucumber and (of course) lemon.  I paired this with a 2007 Kendall Jackson Grand Reserve Chardonnay.  Smoked Salmon and Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve (Grand Reserve’s less expensive cousin) is in my opinion the greatest food and wine pairing on the planet.

"Smoked Salmon with friends"

In pouring out the Grand Reserve Chardonnay, one views a nice golden colour that one would expect from a Chardonnay.  The nose was very inviting with butterscotch, vanilla and tropical fruit notes.  Tasting the wine before the food got a wow from me; beautiful balance, fruit forward, oak there but not overdone and a stunning caramel finish that just lingers forever.  This is what a California Chardonnay should be.  I was however a bit disappointed with it as a pairing with the Salmon; it was very good but the Vintner’s Reserve is actually a better pairing as it is sharper than the Grand Reserve and in this case that flaw works to its benefit.  I find it gives the pairing a certain magical pop that the Grand Reserve didn’t.  I suspect that, other than this pairing, the Grand Reserve would be a hands down better pairing than the Vintner’s Reserve with any food that matches up well with Chardonnay.

"Another Zippy Sauce Top Ten White"

Here is the group rating for the wine - Mick – 90, Mark - 91, Kathy - 90, Amy -89, Overall – 90.

Here is the LCBO information on this wine –


KENDALL-JACKSON GRAND RESERVE CHARDONNAY 2007


Vintages 59576
750 mL bottle
Price: $ 29.95
Wine, White Wine
13.5% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content : D
Made in: California/Californie, United States
By: Jackson Wine Estates International
Release Date: Sep 4, 2010


Tasting Note - There are nearly 260,000 cases of the 2007 Grand Reserve Chardonnay, which comes from Jess Jackson's estate holdings in Santa Barbara and Monterey. Some serious vineyards' fruit is included in this wine, which no doubt explains the big, tropical fruit-scented nose, fine acidity, and medium to full-bodied flavors. Despite the fact that this cuvee sees 100% barrel fermentation with full malolactic, there is little evidence of oak. The wine is aged eight months, on its lees, in one-third French oak. It is an amazing Chardonnay for the price. Score - 90. (Robert Parker Jr., www.erobertparker.com, Dec. 2008)


They still have stock on this wine and at $30 this wine is too good to pass up – do yourself a favour a pick up a bottle or two before it is gone, you won’t be disappointed.


The 90 Overall rating gets this wine on to the Zippy Sauce Top Ten Whites. As three of the Top Ten Whites are Kendall Jackson wines, I’d like to assure my 3 or 4 loyal readers that KJ isn’t paying me anything, it is just that they make damn good Chardonnays!


Click here for Part 3