Kistler Vineyards: A Chardonnay Lover’s Dream
Tasting room at Kistler
First and foremost, Kistler Vineyards is a beautiful setting. It sits high on a hill with a lovely house and gorgeous views of the surroundings. Vines, hills, and slopes abound and capture the beauty of the winery. This is a short drive into the Sebastopol, CA area and well worth it for the beauty of the setting alone.
Yet the only reason truly to make the trip is to explore the beauty of the wines. Kistler produces twelve single-vineyard Chardonnays and two Pinot Noirs. What is unique here is that the expression of the wine – the Chardonnays in particular – comes from the vineyards. It is a wonderful example of the impact the vineyard has on the wine. For the Chardonnays, the same clone is planted in different and distinct terroirs. It is the Hyde selection of the Old Wente Clone. This clone was originally brought over to the United States from Burgundy and has set the stage for Chardonnay in the U.S. since 1917.
So what is different at Kistler and what is so unique about planting the same clone in different vineyards? Kistler approaches the winemaking with a minimalist touch and allows the terroir of the different vineyards to influence the clone, the grapes, and ultimately the wine. The primary difference between the vineyards is the composition of the soil. It is impressive when you walk into the tasting room and see many vessels filled with the various soils that comprise the different vineyards. It is amazing to see how different the soil is – there are 15 types of soil alone.
Other factors that come into play are the ways the vines are planted in orientation to the sun, the elevation of the vineyards that will impact rain, and the hours of sunlight in each vineyard. The orientation and elevation of the vineyards also lead to differences in wind and the temperature the vines are exposed to day to day. It is amazing to taste the impact that terroir has on the expression of the same clone. Time to visit and see for yourself!
On our visit, we tasted four different Chardonnays from different vintages. This allowed for tasting the evolution of the wine over time. We were greeted by our hostess with the 2022 Trenton-Roadhouse Chardonnay, and it was filled with floral notes and was quite expressive. We were then taken to a lovely setting down the hill to enjoy the outdoor space with views of hills and vineyards. Next on our menu was, in my view, the standout of the tasting. It was the 2023 Dutton Ranch Chardonnay. It was soft and plush on the palette with bright apricot and a very long finish.
What was available in this tasting was the opportunity to explore the evolution of Kistler’s Chardonnay and how that would show up over time. We also had an opportunity to taste the 2020 Durrell Vineyard Chardonnay as well as the 2013 Hyde. This was a great opportunity to explore the aging of the wine.
Not to be missed was the Pinot Noir which was poured as well. This was a wonderful Pinot that is well worth searching out. It was the 2023 Laguna Ridge Pinot Noir, and it was a great expression of the variety. It has received a score of 98 points from Vinous written by Antonio Galloni. Quite frankly, it is a great one to buy.
Kistler is a great adventure to experience and enjoy. If you cannot make it to the winery, look for the Kistler label in your local wine store.
Enjoy!
