2012 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard
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Robert Parker
Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider
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The 2012 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard exhibits great richness, a fabulous bouquet of white flowers, quince, mango, honeyed peaches, caramelized citrus and delicate, spicy oakiness that is very restrained but present. Broad, full-bodied, multi-dimensional and intense, this is a stunner made from a combination of the Mount Eden and Old Wente clones of Chardonnay. Look for it to drink well for 5-8 years.
Beguiling and compelling from the outset, the 2012 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard presents a totally different aromatic, flavor and structural profile from most of the other wines in the range. Elements of petrol, graphite, smoke, slate and white flowers take shape in a Chardonnay built on precision and tension. The flavors are beautifully articluated and very much on the brighter end of the spectrum. This dry-farmed parcel planted on old St. George rootstock is one of the most distinctive in the Kistler range.
The 2012 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is seriously intense, but also understated. Floral aromatics meld into green pear, lemon oil, slate, ash, graphite and white stone fruits. An intensely mineral and floral wine, the 2012, boasts superb balance, not to mention terrific overall harmony. These vines sit at 1,400 feet of elevation with a 30% degree slope. The vines, Mt. Eden clone Chardonnay, are planted on St. George rootstock and dry-farmed. The sensation on Kistler Vineyard is often of wines that are ethereal yet textured. The 2012 is all that, and more.
About the producer
Kistler’s Chardonnays are some of the world’s most sought-after. This cult Californian producer crafts small volumes of exceptional, rich and generous, yet mineral and precise wines. With almost the entire production sold directly to their mailing list, the wines are also incredibly hard to find.