Kendall Jackson Rose

This bottle is catalogued as a Chardonnay from the United States, with Massachusetts listed as its appellation. The name on the label also carries the word Rosé, so the exact color and style are best confirmed on the bottle itself. The notes below follow the Chardonnay classification and describe what that style usually delivers, not a measured profile of this wine. Chardonnay is a flexible grape. It usually shows orchard and citrus fruit such as green apple, pear and lemon, sometimes moving toward peach or pineapple in warmer sites. Body tends to run from medium to full. Acidity is moderate to crisp, and tannin is negligible, since white and blush wines get almost none from the skins. Cool-climate New England fruit tends to sit at the brighter, higher-acid end of the range, so expect a fresher, leaner profile than a ripe warm-region Chardonnay. If the wine saw oak or malolactic fermentation, you would notice vanilla, toast and a creamier texture, and the finish would lengthen. Without oak, the finish is cleaner and more citrus-driven. The listing doesn't say which approach was used, so the label or a first taste will answer that. At the table, medium-weight whites like this suit roast chicken, pan-seared scallops, lobster or crab with drawn butter, and creamy pasta dishes. A leaner, unoaked bottle also works with oysters, goat cheese and simple grilled fish, while a richer, oaked one can handle butter sauces, corn dishes and mild washed-rind cheeses. Serve it chilled to about 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C). Straight from a cold refrigerator it will taste muted, so give it 15 minutes on the counter. Decanting isn't needed. Use a medium white-wine glass with a slightly wider bowl to open up the aromas. Most Chardonnays in this category are made for drinking within a few years of release, so treat this as a drink-now bottle unless the producer's notes say otherwise.