The Wine
We’ve been working with and on this singular clone of Chardonnay since the mid 1980’s. Its parent material was imported from Burgundy in the early part of the 20th century. Its long history in California means that it has been selected for and by California farmers and winemakers over decades to ripen well in Californian growing conditions. We’ve gone through further selections of the clone over the years, honing in and propagating based on the characters that we find the most compelling; low yields, small berries, great concentration in the fruit and its distinct ability to retain its natural acidity during the ripening process.
The Vintage
The 2021 vintage had all the ingredients to make incredible wines: hot and dry weather, modest yields, and low disease pressure, critical in our consistently damp prowing region. Oregon broke records when i June, a normally wet and fickle month, brought a heat dome to the estate blanketing the Willamette Valley in extreme temperatures. And all before there were even grapes on the vines ! The trend continued throughout summer and finally cooled off in October, allowing the grapes vital hang-time to develop complex, mature tannins. The Pinot noirs from this vintage are darkly colored and concentrated, with flavors of marionberry and blueberry. Delicate aromatics lift out of the glass and tease of violets and herbs. Expect these wines to age gorgeously.
Vineyard/Appelation
Bottled since 1986. Just shy of 1800 feet in elevation, in a small bowl on the western edge of the Mayacama mountains lies the original Kistler planting. Forty-year old dry farmed vines grow in deep red volcanic soils, producing a wine with an intense sense of its mountain heritage.
Winemaking
 
Tasting notes
The Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay has delicate and bright lifted stone fruit and faintly floral like tones, like its McCrea cousin, yet also a firmer nature with a stronger core and added layers of texture.
The Estate
One heritage Californian selection of Chardonnay planted across fifteen vineyards, from Carneros to Sonoma Valley, to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. From those sites we produce eleven vineyard designate Chardonnays. We are wholly dedicated to the ideal of wines of site. It’s an unparalleled approach in the new world.