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kistler
Kistler 2020 Cuvee Catheleen Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley
$ 249.99
Kistler Cuvee Cathleen Chardonnay - rare new release.
98 Points Robert Parker: "The Kistler 2020 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen offers exceptionally defined, layered aromas: apricot and peach are complemented by tones of dried lilacs and herbs, honeycomb, almonds, tangerine, pie spices and flinty streaks. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and seamless, with concentrated, peachy fruit, tangy acidity and a tremendously long finish driven by an appealing touch of phenolic texture. It's a rare combination of fruit density carried on an elegant, harmonious structure."
..the single-vineyard wines all represent much smaller quantities of wine. There have been several noticeable changes in the Kistler wines over the last few years, as they are certainly picking the Pinot Noir at an earlier date and going for less extraction, more fragrance and delicacy. The Chardonnays are still powerful wines but they have backed off the new oak to about 40%. (About 10 years ago, it was around 60%.) Other than that they are still potent and rich Chardonnays that are meant to be drunk in their first 4-6 years of life. It is my experience that aging Kistler wine has not been generally as successful as I would have hoped.."
Kistler 2020 Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros
$ 199.99
Kistler Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay - rare new release.
98+ Points Robert Parker: "Coche-Dury fans will love this Kistler 2020 Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard, which turns up the volume and expression of the characteristically tensile, flinty Chardonnay from Hyde Vineyard. Opening with tones of struck match, it takes plenty of time in the glass to unfurl its concentrated white peach, apricot, lime peel, baking spice and pie crust aromas. The palate offers a fantastically satiny texture, seamless acidity and a tremendously long finish."
...Kistler Vineyards remains one of the absolute benchmark producers of great Sonoma Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sitting right up there with the highest quality examples of these grapes from throughout the world. While the wines come from as wide a range of top terroirs as Sonoma can provide, interestingly nearly all of the Chardonnays are produced from a proprietary selection of Wente clones taken from a Larry Hyde block in the early 1980s. The exception is the Kistler Vineyard, which contains some original Martin Ray Mount Eden clonal material. This can be found in the straight Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay bottling, as opposed to the Cuvee Cathleen, which is mainly Wente selection. All the vineyard-designate Chardonnays are produced in precisely the same manner, meaning the differences between them are almost exclusively down to the differences in terroir. And as readers will see from my notes, the differences are striking."
Kistler 2020 Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Valley
$ 209.99
Kistler Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay - rare new release.
97 Points Robert Parker: "The dry-farmed vines at Kistler Vineyard, about 40 years old now, produced a wine with loads of personality. The Kistler 2020 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard unfolds its aromatic layers slowly, blossoming from flint to white peaches and lime peel, plus touches of dried sage, beeswax, almonds and pie crust. The palate is surprisingly powerful and concentrated, with hedonistic layers of stone fruit and candied citrus. All that fruit density is supported by a silky texture and seamless acidity, and a touch of phenolic texture drives its tremendously long finish.
...the single-vineyard wines all represent much smaller quantities of wine. There have been several noticeable changes in the Kistler wines over the last few years, as they are certainly picking the Pinot Noir at an earlier date and going for less extraction, more fragrance and delicacy. The Chardonnays are still powerful wines but they have backed off the new oak to about 40%. (About 10 years ago, it was around 60%.) Other than that they are still potent and rich Chardonnays that are meant to be drunk in their first 4-6 years of life. It is my experience that aging Kistler wine has not been generally as successful as I would have hoped.."
Kistler 2020 Laguna Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley
$ 325.00
Kistler Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay - rare new release.
97 Points Robert Parker: "Always one of my favorite cuvées from Kistler, the 2020 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard has loads of personality and density. Struck match scents give way to white peaches, lime peel, jasmine, spring butter and pie spices, with a singular streak of alluring herbal character. The palate's mouth-coating, expansive texture and concentrated fruit are balanced by tangy acidity and flinty character on the long finish."
...the single-vineyard wines all represent much smaller quantities of wine. There have been several noticeable changes in the Kistler wines over the last few years, as they are certainly picking the Pinot Noir at an earlier date and going for less extraction, more fragrance and delicacy. The Chardonnays are still powerful wines but they have backed off the new oak to about 40%. (About 10 years ago, it was around 60%.) Other than that they are still potent and rich Chardonnays that are meant to be drunk in their first 4-6 years of life. It is my experience that aging Kistler wine has not been generally as successful as I would have hoped.."
Kistler 2020 Silver Belt Vineyard Cuvee Natalie Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
$ 199.00
Very Limited Kistler Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.
94 points Parker: "Medium ruby in color, the Kistler 2020 Pinot Noir Cuvée Natalie Silver Belt Vineyard offers dynamic aromas of cranberries and blueberries with touches of orange peel, lilac and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate offers crunchy red fruit and alluring herbal undertones, with grainy tannins, seamless acidity and a long, layered finish.
Kistler 2020 Trenton Roadhouse Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
$ 199.99
Limited single-vineyard Kistler Chardonnay now available.
previous vintage 96 Points Robert Parker: "The Kistler Chardonnay Trenton Roadhouse is plush, open-knit and gregarious, offering immediate appeal in a portfolio of cellar-worthy 2019s. The nose is toasty and gregarious with a fragrance of golden apples, roasted almonds and beeswax. The full-bodied palate features loads of expansive fruits and savory tones streaked with graphite and finishing very long and energetic."
...Kistler Vineyards remains one of the absolute benchmark producers of great Sonoma Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, sitting right up there with the highest quality examples of these grapes from throughout the world. While the wines come from as wide a range of top terroirs as Sonoma can provide, interestingly nearly all of the Chardonnays are produced from a proprietary selection of Wente clones taken from a Larry Hyde block in the early 1980s. The exception is the Kistler Vineyard, which contains some original Martin Ray Mount Eden clonal material. This can be found in the straight Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay bottling, as opposed to the Cuvee Cathleen, which is mainly Wente selection. All the vineyard-designate Chardonnays are produced in precisely the same manner, meaning the differences between them are almost exclusively down to the differences in terroir. And as readers will see from my notes, the differences are striking."
Kistler 2020 Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma
$ 199.99
Kistler Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay - rare new release.
95 Points Robert Parker: "The Kistler 2020 Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard unfurls scents of yellow apples, lemon-lime, meringue and elderflower with stony notes. The palate is satiny and mouth-coating with concentrated candied citrus flavors. It has a great interplay of creamy, meringue-like character and bright, tangy acidity, and it has a very long, ethereal finish....
...the single-vineyard wines all represent much smaller quantities of wine. There have been several noticeable changes in the Kistler wines over the last few years, as they are certainly picking the Pinot Noir at an earlier date and going for less extraction, more fragrance and delicacy. The Chardonnays are still powerful wines but they have backed off the new oak to about 40%. (About 10 years ago, it was around 60%.) Other than that they are still potent and rich Chardonnays that are meant to be drunk in their first 4-6 years of life. It is my experience that aging Kistler wine has not been generally as successful as I would have hoped."
Kistler 2021 Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay
$ 79.99
New release!
The Kistler Sonoma Mountain Chardonnay is a special blend of wines from Kistler's vineyards.
The Kistler Sonoma Mountain 2021 Chardonnay is of the same high quality as Kistler's single vineyard chardonnays but, through blending, they are able to create a high quality wine, with a consistent flavor profile. Rich, complex smoky aroma of perfect ripe fruit with a delicious noisette note, in a pleasing, Meursault-like style. In the mouth the wine is very delicious, displaying intense, fruit flavors underpinned with toasty oak and smoky flavors. The crisp acidity in the wine highlights the delicious fruit and makes it an excellent accompaniment to a wide range of foods. It is richly textured with a long, lingering finish.
Winery Notes: The Kistler plantings on Sonoma Mountain, situated on a hillside bench perfectly suited for growing world class Chardonnay, are interlaced with the rare combination of red volcanic and fine grained chalky soils. The vineyards are planted to California Heritage clones that were selected specifically over the last 30 years to ripen to our balanced wine standards. They are some of the oldest Chardonnay vineyards in Sonoma County. When coupled with the selections in the vineyard the textbook growing conditions afford a wine that is decidedly Sonoma Mountain in character. Annually some of our earliest vineyard pickings each year, this is a wine driven by a grounded, focused mineral core yet lifted by striking ethereal tones of vibrant light fruit raised at elevation.
Occidental 2021 Pinot Noir, Freestone-Occidental (Kistler)
$ 68.00
New Occidental Pinot Noir release from Kistler. Limited.
95 Points Wine Spectator: "Offers lots of energy, with a burst of plum and blackberry fruit backed by bouncy anise and bramble accents, all carried by fresh, lively acidity. Light savory details add range on the finish, as the fruit takes an encore. A bit showy in style, but most folks won't complain about that. Drink now through 2030. From California."
previous vintage 95+ Points Robert Parker: "The Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental comes mostly from younger vines at the Occidental property but is made with the same attention to detail as the other wines in the portfolio, using free-run juice. Its nose is an aromatic well, offering crushed blueberries, charcuterie, Earl Grey tea leaves, graphite, saline, bitter orange peel and potpourri aromas. In the mouth, it explodes with lush fruits that give way after their initial rush to bitter, citrusy, minerally accents. It has a fine grain, seamless freshness and long, layered finish. It's enjoyable now but will age well over the next five to eight-plus years."
previous vintage 94 Points Antionio Galloni (Vinous): "The Pinot Noir Freestone Occidental is a truly remarkable wine. Maybe that is the vintage, or the added complexity the vines are acquiring with time, but the Freestone Occidental makes me incredibly curious to taste the rest of the 2018s. Bright, focused and beautifully sculpted, the 2018 is a wine of total elegance and finesse. Moreover, it captures the savory, energetic, saline style that is so typical of this part of the Sonoma Coast."
Occidental is Steve Kistler's new Pinot Noir project, which is starting essentially as a spin-out from Kistler Vineyards. Steve Kistler remains CEO of Kistler Vineyards and very much in charge of day to day operations. At the same time, Kistler understandably wanted to manage a small project of his own with an eye towards his two younger daughters who will one day run Occidental.
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