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Letter From Jess Jackson
KENDALL-JACKSON WINES CONTINUE TO EVOLVE
The wine landscape continues to change. A little more than a year ago
I commented in a similar letter about how Kendall-Jackson's
Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay had changed over the years, holding
its own against an oversupply of wine and a raft of aggressively priced
domestic and international competitors. I'm proud to say that our
family has withstood the challenging business environment of the past
few years and secured a foundation for Kendall-Jackson that keeps us
ahead of the competition for years to come.
Today, Kendall-Jackson announces an entirely new direction with our
Vintner's Reserve wines. In keeping with our commitment to family
farming and holding firm on our notion that Kendall-Jackson is the
premier "affordable luxury wine," the 2004 Kendall-Jackson
Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay now proudly features the words
"Jackson Estates Grown" on the label. What this means is that
all the Chardonnay grapes used to make this wine were grown on vineyards
we own or control. And for those who know anything about farming,
controlling one's own vineyards means that you control grape quality.
Every change in grape sourcing, every tweak of the label, is designed
to deliver to the consumer more information and a higher quality bottle
of America's favorite premium Chardonnay. For this boost in quality,
we are priced a little higher than other competitors, but delivering far
greater value.
There are major changes in grape sourcing for our Vintner's Reserve
Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon as well. With the next vintages, the 2003
Vintner's Reserve Merlot and 2002 Vintner's Reserve Cabernet
Sauvignon move to a tri-appellation identification on the label,
specifically featuring the three important North Coast viticultural
regions of Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino. The extremely concentrated and
complex grapes in the '03 Merlot and '02 Cabernet Sauvignon wines
are from our mountain estate vineyards, grown high above the Napa,
Alexander, and Anderson Valleys.
As I've said for two decades, growing grapes on the sides of
California's cool coastal mountains and ridges builds character-not
only in the character of the wine, but also the character of the people
growing the grapes. It's not easy growing grapes on mountains. Nor
is it inexpensive. It's a real test of patience and determination. A
key ingredient in producing these exceptional wines is the institution
of sustainable farming practices, combined with hard work by our
vineyard crews and winemakers.
Understanding these truths about wine quality, we've planted our
Kendall-Jackson estate vineyards in some of the highest elevations and
top micro-climates of Napa, Sonoma, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and
Mendocino counties. We're proud of our new Vintner's Reserve wines,
and equally proud of our upper-tier wines - Grand Reserve, Highland
Estates and Stature.
My family and I are dedicated to delivering wines of consistent quality
and richly intense flavors, and we hope you enjoy the ever-evolving
wines of Kendall-Jackson for years to come.
Signed,
Jess Jackson, Owner & Proprietor
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