Kistler, Laguna Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley

Opener from my host Agelvis on night #3.....given a splash decant back into its bottle then a 30 min slow ox before we started in on it. Medium yellow in the glass, nose of lemon with some oak and salinity noted. Very balanced, the oak is not heavy in the least. The palate reveals a creamy vanilla-lemon curd and perfectly balanced acidity. This one really floated my boat. As it warmed further (which I personally like) it gained another point …

Splash double decant, followed by a one hour slow ox. Deep golden yellow color. Lemon curd, vanilla cream, and margarita salt sum this up pretty well. Very glossy, dry palate. Nice, lingering acidity, This was the opener for Mark1NPT’s final evening in Texas. Most of the group enjoyed this more than I did. Aubert is more my style, although this was very good (and may have benefited from additional air). The creaminess was over the top on this guy.

Big, bright yellow. Amazing how Kistler can coax so many big scents from this vineyard. Pear, lemon pie, limestone, popcorn, almond, iodine, honey, butter, and more, but they seemed like individual notes and they didn't quite coalesce yet. Give this bottle a few more years to meld. I think it could get better. There is so much material there; it's just a little muddled presently.

One hour double decant. Deep golden color. Pear, lemon meringue (with a hint of graham cracker), limestone, and subtle marcona almond. Dry, creamy palate. Fine, lingering acidity imparts nice structure. This was the opening wine of our Valentine’s Day supper club at D’Vine Cuisine. Most of the group didn’t want to move on from this, but with six people it disappeared quickly.

One hour double decant. Deep yellow color. Lemon curd, popcorn, stone fruit, semi-sweet crème fraiche, and subtle sage and minerality. Dry, creamy palate, with fine, lingering acidity. I brought this to a business dinner, with a friend/colleague who primarily drinks Champagne. He said this Chardonnay could make him much more interested in non-sparkling Chardonnay. He is French and was really impressed, as was I. I’ve not had many Kistlers. This was the best so far.

green-tinged pale yellow, lots of clarity, silvery hue Nose: white peach, melon, lemon curd, white flowers, wax, white pepper, minerals, flint, oak Pal: white peach, melon, lime rind, white pepper, yellow bell pepper, flint, minerals, oak Feel: medium, savory, acidic, astringent Finish: medium, long TC8

Very pleasantly surprised. Lots of grapefruit on the nose and in the glass. Not at all what I expected from a California Chardonnay.