We had enjoyed our time as members of the nearby country club, but as Sonja became pregnant with our second child and we took a good long look at our budget, we quickly realized the need to start trimming away the fat in preparation for the arrival of our little girl this coming April. With that in mind, we had a food minimum we needed to burn through at the club before suspending our membership, at least until the kids are old enough to take advantage of the pool.  Tonight, our second family meal there in three days, I had the sea bass and risotto special, and I wanted something to pair it with. I asked for a Chablis but was told there was nothing available by the glass. I recently heard rumor that one of my favorite sommeliers hates blind tasting Chardonnay because he always ends up picking the K-J, and seeing that on the list, I decided to give it a try.

For good reason, people like this wine. The Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve 2014 Chardonnay drinks way above its price point. Leading with mild buttery notes yet no detectable trace of oak, the minerality and citrus that are so prominent in this wine give it more of a classic Chardonnay feel, and less of the malolactic heart attack sort of personality that has made “cougar juice” so popular of late (and also caused me begin avoiding Chardonnay). The 2014 paired nicely with my sea bass and risotto tonight, though I suspect it to be far more diverse than that. As I said, I haven’t been a huge Chardonnay drinker lately, but wines like this one are an argument I’m willing to listen to… and taste through. An excellent QPR, I highly recommend this wine.

Cheers,