The 2009 Red Wine Trace Ridge is an attractive wine, but it doesn’t quite offer the same visceral thrill of Kendall-Jackson’s top 100% Cabernets. Hints of mint, crushed flowers and licorice add a measure of complexity on the finish. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot from Kellogg Vineyard in Knights Valley. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021. I must say I was deeply impressed with the wines I tasted from Kendall-Jackson. Qualitatively the wine are head and shoulders above the vast majority of what is available in the same price points, but what amazes me most is Kendall-Jackson’s ability to achieve such a high average level of quality with production levels that are truly eye-popping. In 2010, which was not an abundant year, Kendall-Jackson produced nearly 2,000,000 cases of the flagship Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. This is a brilliant showing from winemaker Randy Ullom and his team comprised of Matthew Smith (reds) and Mark Theis (whites).Tel. (800) 769-3649; www.kj.com

Shows good, deep, classic blackberry and cassis flavors, richly oaked, as well as some hard tannins. Fundamentally closed and aloof now, hiding its riches beneath an impenetrable coating of astringency. Give it 6–8 years in a cool cellar. ——S.H.(5/1/2011)—— 90

The 2007 Highland Estates Proprietary Red Trace Ridge (66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, and the rest Malbec) is a beauty. Dark ruby/purple with a Graves-like nose of unsmoked cigar tobacco, crushed rocks, blueberries, black currant, and cherries, the wine is full-bodied, with silky tannins, an endearing, full-bodied texture, and a long finish. It is another impressive wine that should evolve for at least 15 or more years. The lowest level of the Kendall-Jackson empire, the Vintner’s Reserve series, goes from strength to strength. For consumers hoping to maximize their dollar value, these serious wines are consistent choices. Their Chardonnay has always been good, but dramatic increases in quality have taken place in the Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon programs.Tel. (800) 769-3649; kjwines@kj.com

Doesn’t have quite the sheer ravishing power of the winery’s Trace Ridge Cabernet, but this Cab-based Bordeaux blend is nuanced and possibly more complex and Bordeaux-like. The flavors are of currants, blackberries, cherries, anise and cedar, aged in 78% new French oak. Give it until 2011 to mellow.——S.H.(6/1/2010)—— 92

The most limited production cuvee is the 2006 Trace Ridge Proprietary Red, a spectacular offering composed of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 7% Petit Verdot aged 19 months in French oak. Its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by notes of sweet cassis, crushed rocks, licorice, earth, and graphite. Full-bodied and deep, it is another excellent example of what Knight’s Valley can produce. As I wrote last year, despite a production of two million bottles of the Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay, 110,000 bottles of the Vintner’s Reserve Merlot, and 170,000 bottles of the Vintner’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, these are all good as well as value-priced wines. The third level in the Kendall-Jackson hierarchy is the Highland Estates cuvees, all essentially single vineyard wines from some of Jess Jackson’s finest sites. The brilliance of the Chardonnays in this portfolio needs to be addressed. Kendall-Jackson’s Highland Estates is also showcasing some very fine Pinot Noirs, generally made from the newer Dijon clones planted in cool vineyard sites. The Bordeaux varietal blends are all well-made wines, but except for the 2006 Merlot Taylor Peak (1,500 cases), production ranges from a low of 340 cases for the 2006 Trace Ridge Proprietary Red, to 870 cases of the 2006 Trace Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon.Available through Vin Lux Fine Wines, tel.(866) 462-4641; Fax (866) 853-1707; www.vinluxfinewines.com