The turn-around in quality of this winery's red wines is profoundly obvious when tasting the new vintages of the Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the proprietary wine called Cardinale. The luxury-priced Cardinale has been disappointing - until 1991. Yes I know the wine has received rave reviews from the West Coast wine press but all readers need do is go back and taste it in vintages such as 1987 1988 1989 and 1990. They offer an objective lesson in California's oenologically correct winemaking. Today all of these wines taste too acidic are devoid of any aromatic development and texturally are compact and attenuated. Beginning in 1991 the wines reveal far less acidity a more natural layered taste and elegance allied to considerable richness. The Cardinale is not meant to have the blockbuster juicy succulent fruitiness of the Grand Reserve so readers should not expect it to be as ostentatious. The 1991 Cardinale (to be released in early 1995) should drink well for 15 or more years. I do not know of anyone who has ever complained about the quality of Kendall-Jackson's white wines. In contrast the red wines until the 1991 vintage tasted shrill (too much added acidity) sterile devoid of aromatic profiles sharp compact and ungenerous. This has all changed under the new winemaker John Hawley who has drastically reduced the acidification. Moreover he is bottling the top red wines naturally aiming for no filtration if possible.Tel. (707) 263-9333; Fax (707) 263-9510