2016 Chardonnay Vine Hill Road Vineyard
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard is laced with bright saline, citrus and floral notes that give the wine energy. Medium in body, as all these wines are, the Vine Hill is built on a beam of tension that gives the wine its shape and sense of direction. This site, planted with Steve Kistler's selection of Wente Clone Chardonnay on AxR-1 rootstock, yields wines of real character.
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Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
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From vines around the estate in the Russian River, the 2016 Chardonnay Vine Hill is another rich, opulent effort that does everything right. White peach, caramelized pineapple, and white flower notes give way to a full-bodied Chardonnay that has building saltiness, good acidity, and a great finish. Both rich and fresh, it is an undeniably beautiful wine. There’s been a distinct style change at Kistler, with winemaker Jason Kesner purposely pulling back on the harvest dates and making a classic, age-worthy style of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He’s done this without sacrificing depth, concentration, or richness, and these latest 2016s are truly brilliant wines.
Coming from the “home” vineyard, the 2016 Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard opens with opulent fresh ginger, pineapple paste and guava scents with underlying accents of yuzu, hazelnuts, honeycomb and allspice. Rich, spicy and decadent in the mouth, it has a lively backbone of freshness lifting the many layers to a long, savory and spice-laced finish.
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.