2020 Kistler Laguna Ridge Russian River Valley Chardonnay Magnum
De specificaties zoals vermeld bij de wijn (o.a. wijnjaar) en in de titel zijn leidend en er kunnen geen rechten worden ontleend aan de afbeelding die wordt getoond. Lees meer in onze Frequenty asked questions
| Type of Wine | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Region | |
| Appellation | Sonoma County |
| Winery | |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Grape | |
| Content (Alc) | 1.5 ltr (14%) |
| Drink window | 2025 - 2035 |
| Available as of | Nov 20, 2025 |
Description
the Kistler winery and its development in Sonoma
Kistler is one of California's most renowned Chardonnay producers. Since the 1980s, the estate has operated with a clear vision. The focus is on small plots, low yields, and a meticulous cellaring approach. The style combines ripe fruit with crisp acidity and a distinctive mineral note. The vineyards are spread throughout Sonoma County. Their coastal location provides cool nights and ample ventilation, ensuring the Chardonnay remains aromatic and pure. Under the leadership of Jason Kesner, the estate has become a fixture among top American Chardonnays.
Kistler works exclusively with select clones and keeps yields low. Each plot is harvested and vinified separately. Aging takes place in French oak under controlled conditions. The style always remains bright and intense. As a result, the wines have a long future and reveal greater depth after a few years.
the Laguna Ridge vineyard in the Russian River Valley
Laguna Ridge lies in the heart of the Russian River Valley. This region is known for its cool ocean airflow. The vineyards experience abundant morning fog and warm afternoons. The combination of sun and cool weather produces vibrant grapes and a long growing season. The soil consists of sand, clay, and ancient coastal deposits. This gives the wine structure and enhances its aromatic development.
Laguna Ridge's location produces compact clusters and concentrated juice. The limited yields in 2020 added intensity to the vineyard. Laguna Ridge's style is full-bodied, expressive, and complex. The wines often display peach, citrus, floral notes, and subtle spice.
the magnum version of the Kistler Laguna Ridge 2020
The 1.5-liter Magnum has a unique character. Its larger size allows the wine to age more slowly and evenly. This allows for greater precision and a longer drinking window. A Magnum also feels more festive and is an attractive choice for dinners or extended wine tastings.
characteristics of the Kistler Laguna Ridge Chardonnay 2020
The 2020 Laguna Ridge is among the estate's most characterful wines. Its 97-point rating emphasizes its intensity and aromatic depth. The review describes notes of peach, lime, jasmine, spring butter, spices, and a characteristic touch of flint. The wine has a broad structure and a full-bodied texture. The acidity keeps it fresh. The finish is long with a salty, clean finish.
The review emphasizes the wine's personality and density. The combination of ripe fruit notes and crisp acidity results in a complex style. The wine displays tension and a striking balance between breadth and freshness. The recommended drinking period is until 2032.
the 2020 growing season in the Russian River Valley
2020 presented significant challenges. Flowering was affected by unstable weather. The summer remained warm and dry. Due to the low yields, the fruit ripened quickly and evenly. The cool evenings balanced the acidity. The harvest began early. Due to forest fires in the region, the harvest date was brought forward. Kistler harvested quickly and efficiently to maintain quality. Yields were significantly lower than in normal years, which explains the high concentration of the wines.
The situation surrounding the fires forced the estate to make quick decisions. Harvesting was spread out over a short period. The careful selection process was maintained. The wines were fermented directly in barrel and aged for a long time in French oak.
vinification and maturation of the 2020 Laguna Ridge
Fermentation took place in French oak barrels, some of which were new. Kistler uses fully barrel-fermented Chardonnay. The wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation and rests extensively on the fine yeast. The aging adds texture and length. The oak remains subtly present, supporting the fruit. The style remains tight and precise.
The low yields in 2020 produced wines with high intensity. According to the assessment, Kistler's 2020 wines are compact and powerful. The winemaker describes it as a year of unprecedented concentration. The color of the 2020 Chardonnays is remarkably deep and golden yellow.
aroma, taste and structure of the 2020 Laguna Ridge Magnum
The aroma opens with white peach, lime, jasmine, and light spices. A hint of flint adds tension. The palate offers ripe fruit, fresh acidity, and great intensity. The structure is satiny yet remains taut thanks to the acidity. The finish is long and combines fruit with a slightly salty note. The wine displays a combination of breadth, concentration, and freshness.
Would you like to order Kistler wines online?
If available, you'll find the official fact sheet and additional information about this fine wine in the "Attachments" tab. We'll automatically send you these when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pickup" at the checkout page. We're located in Dordrecht, near the A16 motorway, with ample parking. Click here for our address. You can read the full wine reviews from Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator, among others. Need advice on finding the perfect wine to pair with your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
Wine and food pairings with Kistler Laguna Ridge Chardonnay 2020 Magnum
Grilled sole with lemon butter complements the freshness and soft texture of the wine.
Lobster with tarragon makes a beautiful combination due to its rich structure and ripe fruit.
Risotto with asparagus forms a fresh balance with the citrus and floral notes.
Pan-fried scallops complement the satin texture and light spices.
Oven-baked chicken with sage provides harmony with the warm, ripe aromas.
Roasted cauliflower with lemon and almond is a perfect match because of its combination of creaminess and tension.
```
Specifications
| Available as of | Nov 20, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Sonoma County |
| Winery | Kistler Vineyards |
| Grape | Chardonnay |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2035 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 1.5 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 97 |
| James Suckling rating | 97 |
| Vinous rating | 97 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rijk, Rond, Vol, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Professional Reviews
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 97
Reviewed by:
Erin Brooks
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2022 - 2032
Always one of my favorite cuvées from Kistler, the 2020 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard has loads of personality and density. Struck match scents give way to white peaches, lime peel, jasmine, spring butter and pie spices, with a singular streak of alluring herbal character. The palate's mouth-coating, expansive texture and concentrated fruit are balanced by tangy acidity and flinty character on the long finish.
In the spring of 2022, I visited Kistler to taste the 2020s, which were bottled just after Thanksgiving in November of 2021. Annual production is usually around 35,000 cases; in 2020, only 25,000 cases were made. Some cuvées will result in just 500-1,000 cases, winemaker Jason Kesner said. “We were two days away from being able to make Cuvée Natalie, so we got in by the skin of our teeth.” The 2020s will be released in the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023. He recapped the challenging vintage. “Our country was tearing apart at the seams," he remembered. “It was heartbreaking and emotionally draining. And then to be struck by lightning—we saw lightning bolts hitting the ground the day we were supposed to start picking. Out of pressure comes diamonds.” So far, the wines are showing wonderfully, marrying concentrated, ripe fruit, satiny textures and tangy acidity. “It was an early start to the year,” Kesner said of the 2020 growing season. “There was very inclement weather during bloom, then it got warm and dry. It was a light crop—in some vineyards, the yields were half of normal or even less, so ripening moved quickly. Evenings were cool, so there was great acid retention across the board. The wines are the most compact, dense and tightly wound that I ever recall tasting at Kistler, and that is due to super-low yields.”
The fires came on the precipice of harvest. “We were literally due to start with Laguna Pinot Noir the night of the lightning storms,” Kesner said. “I called off the pick because I didn’t want anyone to get electrocuted. We were awoken by thunder and lightning at my house in west Sonoma County, and we saw a bolt strike a fir tree about 400 yards from our house.” The Walbridge fire sparked north of Kistler but took a few days to start dropping smoke onto the vineyards. “Once it started smoking, it was being driven by a northwest wind off the Pacific,” he continued. “Smoke went up and then inland but eventually started to creep closer to us. After six or seven days it started to drop, and we started seeing smoke and ash. We picked Laguna the night after the fires started and pulled the trigger on everything else. We picked Hudson, Trenton, then McCrea and kept right on picking. We condensed the harvest from our normal 10 days to seven days.” Despite the speed of harvest, some of the grapes that go into the Sonoma Coast bottlings were lost. Kesner says those vineyards tend to ripen a bit later, and the grapes just weren’t ready. “I saw that the likelihood we would use the fruit was nil. I don’t want to treat anything except with sulfur additions—the prospect of treating wine is completely foreign to me, and there are certain winemaking processes I don’t want to learn about,” he quipped. “So, we fermented the wine in barrel, sold it and destroyed the barrels. The financial impact was significant, but that was the cost of doing business in 2020.” Chardonnay was also harvested quickly, and on the early side for Kistler, Kesner said, adding that “with the early start and low crops, everything was ready to pick. Natalie was picked about two days before we would have normally picked it. It’s fascinating because I learned something—maybe moving forward, we pick a day earlier.”
In the cellar, Pinot Noir grapes were 100% destemmed, no press wine was used and the wines were not pumped over. Around 38% new oak was used for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. “Despite the chaos, the numbers were as close to perfection as you could get,” Kesner said wistfully. “It was uncanny. The 2020s are so dense and concentrated, it’s almost like they have been reduced down to their primal essence because many of these vineyards produced half of what they normally would.” The 2020 Chardonnays even have a noticeably concentrated, vibrant golden color. I asked Kesner how the 2020 vintage may have changed his view of agriculture in California. “Having grown up here since I was about 10, late fall has always been fire season,” he explained. “Thankfully, we have started pulling the trigger on the earlier side in general as we increase our focus on natural acidity and pH.” Kistler recently began planting a new nine-acre vineyard two ridges in from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Freestone. “It’s an obvious place for Pinot Noir, but we are planting Chardonnay there instead. Pinot Noir has a shorter window of ripeness, and I don’t want any late-season Pinot Noir. It’s just too risky.” Kistler is also forming a fire brigade to protect its structures in the future. “It’s part of our reality now,” Kesner notes matter-of-factly. “We are in a mega-drought. We have to lean into it.” Kesner, his vineyard manager, assistant winemaker and equipment manager will be taking a 100-hour course and physical tests to become class one firefighters. “I’ll have my firefighting card, and if winemaking doesn’t work out, maybe I can get a job at Calfire," Kesner said cynically—or maybe with hope for the future.
Published: Jul 14, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score
97
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 222
Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma County Russian River Valley Laguna Ridge Vineyard 2021
Tuesday, Mar 21, 2023
Color
White
Country
United States
Region
California
Vintage
2021
Download Shelftalker
The purity of fruit here is impressive with cooked apple, lemon and flint with some pie crust dough. The palate is full and complete with everything there but nothing sticking out. Dried apple, cooked lemon rind and flint with crushed oyster shell. Dried limes at the end. Give it three to four years to open. Try after 2026.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
97
Drinking Window
2024 - 2031
From: Sonoma’s Sensational 2021s (Aug 2023)
The 2021 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge (bottled only in magnum) captures all the best the year had to give. Rich, explosive and wonderfully deep, the 2021 exudes concentration and structure from the very first taste. Crushed rocks, dried lemon peel, white flowers, mint, herbs and incense all build in the glass, with a light touch of reduction that extends into the finish. This complex, dynamic Chardonnay is a stunning wine by any measure.
- By Antonio Galloni on June 2023
These new releases from Kistler are stellar. All the wines are wonderfully detailed and expressive of place, one of the signatures of this important vintage. Winemaker and President Jason Kesner describes 2021 as a year with an early budbreak and mild summer. Inclement weather during bloom reduced yields, although nothing as severe as 2020. The Chardonnays spent 11 months in barrel, followed by a few months in steel, while the Pinots saw 9 months in oak and were bottled ahead of the 2022 harvest. I also went back and tasted half of the 2020s. Those wines reflect the challenges of the year and reinforce just how special 2021 is. Readers will not want to miss the 2021s.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Wijnhuis
Kistler Vineyards is a small family winery in the Russian River Valley. They have specialized in producing Burgundy type Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery was founded in 1978 by the Kistler family. They own some of the very best vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, including Dutton Ranch (Russian River Valley) in Western Sonoma County. The winery was founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. Kistler Vineyards has built a reputation for its dedication to making wines that express the unique terroir of the various vineyards from which they come.
Kistler's production
Kistler is best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, which consistently receive high scores and critical acclaim. The winery produces a range of single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, often named after the vineyard the grapes come from. Some of the well-known vineyards Kistler works with include Dutton Ranch, Hudson Vineyard and Cuvee Cathleen. Kistler follows a winemaking philosophy with minimal intervention, with the aim of bringing out the natural qualities of the grapes and the vineyard in the wines. They use traditional winemaking techniques and often ferment their wines with native yeasts. Kistler wines are produced in relatively small quantities, making them highly sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts. The limited production contributes to their exclusivity. In recent years, the winery has transitioned to using biodynamic farming methods in some of its vineyards. This holistic approach to farming aims to improve the health and vitality of the vineyards and grapes.
the Kistler winery and its development in Sonoma
Kistler is one of California's most renowned Chardonnay producers. Since the 1980s, the estate has operated with a clear vision. The focus is on small plots, low yields, and a meticulous cellaring approach. The style combines ripe fruit with crisp acidity and a distinctive mineral note. The vineyards are spread throughout Sonoma County. Their coastal location provides cool nights and ample ventilation, ensuring the Chardonnay remains aromatic and pure. Under the leadership of Jason Kesner, the estate has become a fixture among top American Chardonnays.
Kistler works exclusively with select clones and keeps yields low. Each plot is harvested and vinified separately. Aging takes place in French oak under controlled conditions. The style always remains bright and intense. As a result, the wines have a long future and reveal greater depth after a few years.
the Laguna Ridge vineyard in the Russian River Valley
Laguna Ridge lies in the heart of the Russian River Valley. This region is known for its cool ocean airflow. The vineyards experience abundant morning fog and warm afternoons. The combination of sun and cool weather produces vibrant grapes and a long growing season. The soil consists of sand, clay, and ancient coastal deposits. This gives the wine structure and enhances its aromatic development.
Laguna Ridge's location produces compact clusters and concentrated juice. The limited yields in 2020 added intensity to the vineyard. Laguna Ridge's style is full-bodied, expressive, and complex. The wines often display peach, citrus, floral notes, and subtle spice.
the magnum version of the Kistler Laguna Ridge 2020
The 1.5-liter Magnum has a unique character. Its larger size allows the wine to age more slowly and evenly. This allows for greater precision and a longer drinking window. A Magnum also feels more festive and is an attractive choice for dinners or extended wine tastings.
characteristics of the Kistler Laguna Ridge Chardonnay 2020
The 2020 Laguna Ridge is among the estate's most characterful wines. Its 97-point rating emphasizes its intensity and aromatic depth. The review describes notes of peach, lime, jasmine, spring butter, spices, and a characteristic touch of flint. The wine has a broad structure and a full-bodied texture. The acidity keeps it fresh. The finish is long with a salty, clean finish.
The review emphasizes the wine's personality and density. The combination of ripe fruit notes and crisp acidity results in a complex style. The wine displays tension and a striking balance between breadth and freshness. The recommended drinking period is until 2032.
the 2020 growing season in the Russian River Valley
2020 presented significant challenges. Flowering was affected by unstable weather. The summer remained warm and dry. Due to the low yields, the fruit ripened quickly and evenly. The cool evenings balanced the acidity. The harvest began early. Due to forest fires in the region, the harvest date was brought forward. Kistler harvested quickly and efficiently to maintain quality. Yields were significantly lower than in normal years, which explains the high concentration of the wines.
The situation surrounding the fires forced the estate to make quick decisions. Harvesting was spread out over a short period. The careful selection process was maintained. The wines were fermented directly in barrel and aged for a long time in French oak.
vinification and maturation of the 2020 Laguna Ridge
Fermentation took place in French oak barrels, some of which were new. Kistler uses fully barrel-fermented Chardonnay. The wine undergoes spontaneous fermentation and rests extensively on the fine yeast. The aging adds texture and length. The oak remains subtly present, supporting the fruit. The style remains tight and precise.
The low yields in 2020 produced wines with high intensity. According to the assessment, Kistler's 2020 wines are compact and powerful. The winemaker describes it as a year of unprecedented concentration. The color of the 2020 Chardonnays is remarkably deep and golden yellow.
aroma, taste and structure of the 2020 Laguna Ridge Magnum
The aroma opens with white peach, lime, jasmine, and light spices. A hint of flint adds tension. The palate offers ripe fruit, fresh acidity, and great intensity. The structure is satiny yet remains taut thanks to the acidity. The finish is long and combines fruit with a slightly salty note. The wine displays a combination of breadth, concentration, and freshness.
Would you like to order Kistler wines online?
If available, you'll find the official fact sheet and additional information about this fine wine in the "Attachments" tab. We'll automatically send you these when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you pick it up, you'll often receive a nice discount. You'll see your discount immediately when you select "Pickup" at the checkout page. We're located in Dordrecht, near the A16 motorway, with ample parking. Click here for our address. You can read the full wine reviews from Parker, Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator, among others. Need advice on finding the perfect wine to pair with your dish? Click here for our exclusive Sommelier. Free for Grand Cru customers.
Wine and food pairings with Kistler Laguna Ridge Chardonnay 2020 Magnum
Grilled sole with lemon butter complements the freshness and soft texture of the wine.
Lobster with tarragon makes a beautiful combination due to its rich structure and ripe fruit.
Risotto with asparagus forms a fresh balance with the citrus and floral notes.
Pan-fried scallops complement the satin texture and light spices.
Oven-baked chicken with sage provides harmony with the warm, ripe aromas.
Roasted cauliflower with lemon and almond is a perfect match because of its combination of creaminess and tension.
```
| Available as of | Nov 20, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Type of Wine | White |
| Country | USA |
| Region | Californie |
| Appellation | Sonoma County |
| Winery | Kistler Vineyards |
| Grape | Chardonnay |
| Biological certified | No |
| Natural wine | No |
| Vegan | No |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Drinking as of | 2025 |
| Drinking till | 2035 |
| Alcohol % | 14 |
| Alcohol free/low | No |
| Content | 1.5 ltr |
| Oak aging | Yes |
| Sparkling | No |
| Dessert wine | No |
| Closure | Cork |
| Parker rating | 97 |
| James Suckling rating | 97 |
| Vinous rating | 97 |
| Tasting Profiles | Complex, Droog, Houtgerijpt, Krachtig, Rijk, Rond, Vol, Wit fruit |
| Drink moments | Indruk maken, Lekker luxe, Open haard |
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 97
Reviewed by:
Erin Brooks
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2022 - 2032
Always one of my favorite cuvées from Kistler, the 2020 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge Vineyard has loads of personality and density. Struck match scents give way to white peaches, lime peel, jasmine, spring butter and pie spices, with a singular streak of alluring herbal character. The palate's mouth-coating, expansive texture and concentrated fruit are balanced by tangy acidity and flinty character on the long finish.
In the spring of 2022, I visited Kistler to taste the 2020s, which were bottled just after Thanksgiving in November of 2021. Annual production is usually around 35,000 cases; in 2020, only 25,000 cases were made. Some cuvées will result in just 500-1,000 cases, winemaker Jason Kesner said. “We were two days away from being able to make Cuvée Natalie, so we got in by the skin of our teeth.” The 2020s will be released in the fall of 2022 and the spring of 2023. He recapped the challenging vintage. “Our country was tearing apart at the seams," he remembered. “It was heartbreaking and emotionally draining. And then to be struck by lightning—we saw lightning bolts hitting the ground the day we were supposed to start picking. Out of pressure comes diamonds.” So far, the wines are showing wonderfully, marrying concentrated, ripe fruit, satiny textures and tangy acidity. “It was an early start to the year,” Kesner said of the 2020 growing season. “There was very inclement weather during bloom, then it got warm and dry. It was a light crop—in some vineyards, the yields were half of normal or even less, so ripening moved quickly. Evenings were cool, so there was great acid retention across the board. The wines are the most compact, dense and tightly wound that I ever recall tasting at Kistler, and that is due to super-low yields.”
The fires came on the precipice of harvest. “We were literally due to start with Laguna Pinot Noir the night of the lightning storms,” Kesner said. “I called off the pick because I didn’t want anyone to get electrocuted. We were awoken by thunder and lightning at my house in west Sonoma County, and we saw a bolt strike a fir tree about 400 yards from our house.” The Walbridge fire sparked north of Kistler but took a few days to start dropping smoke onto the vineyards. “Once it started smoking, it was being driven by a northwest wind off the Pacific,” he continued. “Smoke went up and then inland but eventually started to creep closer to us. After six or seven days it started to drop, and we started seeing smoke and ash. We picked Laguna the night after the fires started and pulled the trigger on everything else. We picked Hudson, Trenton, then McCrea and kept right on picking. We condensed the harvest from our normal 10 days to seven days.” Despite the speed of harvest, some of the grapes that go into the Sonoma Coast bottlings were lost. Kesner says those vineyards tend to ripen a bit later, and the grapes just weren’t ready. “I saw that the likelihood we would use the fruit was nil. I don’t want to treat anything except with sulfur additions—the prospect of treating wine is completely foreign to me, and there are certain winemaking processes I don’t want to learn about,” he quipped. “So, we fermented the wine in barrel, sold it and destroyed the barrels. The financial impact was significant, but that was the cost of doing business in 2020.” Chardonnay was also harvested quickly, and on the early side for Kistler, Kesner said, adding that “with the early start and low crops, everything was ready to pick. Natalie was picked about two days before we would have normally picked it. It’s fascinating because I learned something—maybe moving forward, we pick a day earlier.”
In the cellar, Pinot Noir grapes were 100% destemmed, no press wine was used and the wines were not pumped over. Around 38% new oak was used for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. “Despite the chaos, the numbers were as close to perfection as you could get,” Kesner said wistfully. “It was uncanny. The 2020s are so dense and concentrated, it’s almost like they have been reduced down to their primal essence because many of these vineyards produced half of what they normally would.” The 2020 Chardonnays even have a noticeably concentrated, vibrant golden color. I asked Kesner how the 2020 vintage may have changed his view of agriculture in California. “Having grown up here since I was about 10, late fall has always been fire season,” he explained. “Thankfully, we have started pulling the trigger on the earlier side in general as we increase our focus on natural acidity and pH.” Kistler recently began planting a new nine-acre vineyard two ridges in from the Pacific Ocean in the town of Freestone. “It’s an obvious place for Pinot Noir, but we are planting Chardonnay there instead. Pinot Noir has a shorter window of ripeness, and I don’t want any late-season Pinot Noir. It’s just too risky.” Kistler is also forming a fire brigade to protect its structures in the future. “It’s part of our reality now,” Kesner notes matter-of-factly. “We are in a mega-drought. We have to lean into it.” Kesner, his vineyard manager, assistant winemaker and equipment manager will be taking a 100-hour course and physical tests to become class one firefighters. “I’ll have my firefighting card, and if winemaking doesn’t work out, maybe I can get a job at Calfire," Kesner said cynically—or maybe with hope for the future.
Published: Jul 14, 2022
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
James Suckling
Score
97
Avg Price (ex-tax)
$ 222
Kistler Chardonnay Sonoma County Russian River Valley Laguna Ridge Vineyard 2021
Tuesday, Mar 21, 2023
Color
White
Country
United States
Region
California
Vintage
2021
Download Shelftalker
The purity of fruit here is impressive with cooked apple, lemon and flint with some pie crust dough. The palate is full and complete with everything there but nothing sticking out. Dried apple, cooked lemon rind and flint with crushed oyster shell. Dried limes at the end. Give it three to four years to open. Try after 2026.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Vinous
97
Drinking Window
2024 - 2031
From: Sonoma’s Sensational 2021s (Aug 2023)
The 2021 Chardonnay Laguna Ridge (bottled only in magnum) captures all the best the year had to give. Rich, explosive and wonderfully deep, the 2021 exudes concentration and structure from the very first taste. Crushed rocks, dried lemon peel, white flowers, mint, herbs and incense all build in the glass, with a light touch of reduction that extends into the finish. This complex, dynamic Chardonnay is a stunning wine by any measure.
- By Antonio Galloni on June 2023
These new releases from Kistler are stellar. All the wines are wonderfully detailed and expressive of place, one of the signatures of this important vintage. Winemaker and President Jason Kesner describes 2021 as a year with an early budbreak and mild summer. Inclement weather during bloom reduced yields, although nothing as severe as 2020. The Chardonnays spent 11 months in barrel, followed by a few months in steel, while the Pinots saw 9 months in oak and were bottled ahead of the 2022 harvest. I also went back and tasted half of the 2020s. Those wines reflect the challenges of the year and reinforce just how special 2021 is. Readers will not want to miss the 2021s.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua...
Exclusive Content
Sign in to unlock professional wine reviews from world-renowned critics
Kistler Vineyards is a small family winery in the Russian River Valley. They have specialized in producing Burgundy type Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery was founded in 1978 by the Kistler family. They own some of the very best vineyards in Napa and Sonoma, including Dutton Ranch (Russian River Valley) in Western Sonoma County. The winery was founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler. Kistler Vineyards has built a reputation for its dedication to making wines that express the unique terroir of the various vineyards from which they come.
Kistler's production
Kistler is best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs, which consistently receive high scores and critical acclaim. The winery produces a range of single-vineyard Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, often named after the vineyard the grapes come from. Some of the well-known vineyards Kistler works with include Dutton Ranch, Hudson Vineyard and Cuvee Cathleen. Kistler follows a winemaking philosophy with minimal intervention, with the aim of bringing out the natural qualities of the grapes and the vineyard in the wines. They use traditional winemaking techniques and often ferment their wines with native yeasts. Kistler wines are produced in relatively small quantities, making them highly sought after by collectors and wine enthusiasts. The limited production contributes to their exclusivity. In recent years, the winery has transitioned to using biodynamic farming methods in some of its vineyards. This holistic approach to farming aims to improve the health and vitality of the vineyards and grapes.
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