2015 Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma Valley
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Tasting notes
The 2015 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is boldly scented of warm apricots, apple crumble, fresh pineapple and pear tart with touches of butterscotch, cashews and candied ginger. Medium to full-bodied, the palate possesses incredible poise, featuring super intense spiced apples and savory layers with a beautiful creamy texture and a very long, seamless finish. So. Good.
Critic scores
Jancis Robinson MW
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2015 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is stellar. In this range, the Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay is distinguished by its bright aromatics, lift and nuance, all of which confer a great deal of freshness. This hillside site, with its myriad exposures, volcanic ash soils and a mix of Wente and Mount Eden clone Chardonnay on St. George rootstock yields Chardonnays of unparallelled class and distinction. This is a dazzling wine from Kistler.
The 2015 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard is the deepest, richest and most phenolically intense of the Chardonnays. A wine of almost raw intensity, the 2015 exudes power and mountain structure. The 2015 has the potential to develop into something special, but it is not especially available today.
Bottled in December 2016. The original vineyard planted in 1979 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler at about 600m elevation in the Mayacamas mountains, just half a mile from the Napa County line. The clonal material is mostly from Mount Eden vineyard. 17,040 bottles filled. Deep greenish gold. Powerful aroma of ripe green fruits with really bright, fresh expression. Very focused and linear. Super pure and a little bit reminiscent of an Arnaud Ente wine but with an extra layer of ripeness and sunshine. Really rich palate entry with the tiniest hint of popcorn. Very firm finish. Nothing sweet and simple about this. (JR)
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.