kistler chardonnay les noisetiers 2021

founded in 1978 by steve kistler (a graduate of stanford university) and his brother john, the estate was joined a little later by mark bixler who studied chemistry at mit (massachusetts institute of technology). it is an iconic estate dedicated to growing and making chardonnay and pinot noir using traditional burgundian methods applied to new world vineyards. kistler's wines are only sold directly to consumers; very few importers are lucky enough to have an allocation. the majority of the grapes that go into the wines come from estate-owned vineyards. they stretch from western sonoma, five miles from the pacific, to the carneros area north of san francisco. yields are strictly controlled and the grapes for the ten chardonnays all come from the same california clone (old wente) which has a tendency to millerandage, thus producing small grapes with high concentration of material. fermentations are done in seven independent cellars with indigenous yeasts, using only french barrels. all wines are bottled without fining or filtration. "if kistler could be magically transported to the middle of the côte d'or, then it would quickly achieve a reputation as glorious as that of the best producers of the burgundy grands crus" robert parker. the 2021 chardonnay kistler vineyard opens with youthful, smoky graphite and toast, offering crushed almonds and white blossoms with some time in the glass. the palate surprises with its depth of ripe, fragrant fruits and textural, expansive character balanced by mineral tones and bright acidity. it finishes long and lifted. all that intensity and lift will allow it to evolve over the next 3-5 years in bottle and hold in the cellar for 10+ years.