Camelot — a New Label Offers Quality and Economy
We seldom feature product lines in our California Wine articles and reviews, so this feature may come as a surprise. But we believe that it's a story worth telling.
It's nothing new for a large winery to develop a product line aimed at specific sectors of the consumer market, most often the economy conscious. New labels abound; and similarities in style abound. You can count on varietal wines priced in the $7-9 range to be modest examples of the named varietal, usually made from inferior fruit and stretched with as much as 25% unnamed blending varietals. Typically, they are simple and decent, and rarely worth paying very much attention to.
Kendall-Jackson's new Camelot wines are a cut above similarly priced varietal wines. Every Camelot varietal drinks like a small batch, hand-crafted wine. The lineup includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah - all listed at $8.99 and may be found soon on supermarket shelves at prices as low as $6.99.
Winemaker Michael Leven says of this new lineup, "Our focus for Camelot is to make wines that are consistently flavorful, approachable and affordable. My goal is to deliver a wine that exceeds expectations, and excites the consumer." In our judgment, Camelot's winemaker has succeeded in his stated goal.
Not many of us can afford to enjoy the finest wines on a daily basis. Even the most knowledgeable and experienced wine lovers are seen scrutinizing the aisles of discount stores and supermarkets for affordable wines which offer good QPR (quality-price ratio). They look especially hard at offerings from Chile, Argentina, and Australia, believing that this is where the best values often lie.
The Camelot line offers direct domestic competition to the international bargain wines. In the case of Pinot Noir and Merlot, we think Camelot has actually leapfrogged ahead of its competition.
Here are our tasting notes:
2000 Camelot Sauvignon Blanc California; 13.5% alc., $8.99
Attractive, pale straw color suggests a clean, refreshing wine. Fruity and floral, rather than herbal. Moderately light flavors, but balanced and long lasting on the palate. Stylistically, this wine aims for the middle - not too grassy, not at all oakey (the roundness comes from Semillon). A slight impression of sweet fruit will make this wine appealing to a wide range of wine lovers. At it's price point, an especially good value. Recommended.
1999 Camelot Chardonnay California; 13.7% alc., $8.99
Light straw color - light for a California Chardonnay. Clean varietal nose of pineapple, vanilla, and sweet oak. Boldly flavored. Round in the mouth, but finishes with a dry aftertaste that hints of tannin. 100% Chardonnay; 100% Central Coast. A good value.
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