2021 Kistler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
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How full and heavy the wine feels in your mouth, like the difference between skimmed milk and cream. More alcohol, sugar and oak ageing make a wine fuller.
The drying, grippy feel on your gums and tongue, as with strong tea. It comes from the skins and seeds of black grapes and from oak, and softens with age.
How much sugar you taste, from dry to sweet. Fruity is not the same as sweet: a dry wine can taste of ripe fruit.
How fresh and juicy the wine is: acidity makes your mouth water. High acidity tastes lively and refreshing, low acidity soft and round.
What we taste What you taste Click a taste for what it means
The bars follow how sommeliers taste (WSET): body, tannin, sweetness and acidity, each from low to high.
Body: medium-bodied. Fuller than most red wines from ; 14% alcohol.
Tannin: medium. From ; aged in oak.
Sweetness: dry. Red wine from is almost always dry.
Acidity: fairly high. from the cool climate of .
Aromas: earthy notes, flowers and red fruit, typical of
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Log inKistler Vineyards is a small family winery in the Russian River Valley. They specialize in producing Burgundy-style Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. 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.
Kistler's Pinot Noir vineyards, in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast, contain various high-quality clones of both Burgundian and American origin. Yields are kept low through short pruning and thinning. The harvested grapes are cold-macerated in their free-flowing juices. This method achieves a higher concentration of aromas without introducing extra tannins into the juices. Fermentation takes place following the Burgundian model in small fermentation tanks with a narrow, open top. In total, the 'cuvaison' (cold maceration + alcoholic fermentation) lasts up to 4 weeks. The young wine is then aged for 14 months in 100% new French oak barriques, after which it is bottled unclarified and unfiltered. Decant to separate wine and sediment and/or aerate in a carafe: decant into a carafe 30 minutes before serving to allow the young wine to breathe. You can also use large, wide glasses and pour in a little wine at a time. Any sediment is a sign of quality and authenticity.
The Kistler Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has an intense, deep purple color. Lively nose, full of primary (fruit) aromas of black and blue berries and violets, supported by aging nuances such as graphite and cedarwood (cigar box). The mouthfeel is fantastic, fresh and powerful at the same time, intensely concentrated and pure, ending in a captivating, wild finish in which the minerality fully comes loose. Serving: 16-18°C. Storage: surprisingly accessible quickly, but becomes even more complex with additional bottle aging. Due to its great freshness, fruitiness, minerality, and complexity, this is a very special wine for gastronomy. Great with classic duck, partridge, or wild pigeon breast with a sweet and sour cherry, cranberry, or berry sauce. Ideal wine for the hunting season, with an emphasis on wild boar, deer, and hare; old-fashioned delicious with a garnish of vegetables and fruit. In the mood for an adventure? Try this wine lightly chilled with seared or grilled tuna or marlin steaks with Cajun spices!
FUN FACT: The wine is stored in our climate-controlled Wine Warehouse, and if you come to pick up the wine, you often receive a nice discount . You will see your discount immediately when you select 'Pick up' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht, almost next to the A16, with ample parking. Click here for our address.
Character
The wine
- 100%
Origin
Bottle
Wine features
Parker
The Wine Advocate
RP 95
Reviewed by:
Erin Brooks
Release Price:
NA
Drink Date:
2024 - 2035
The 2021 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge Vineyard has broody scents of rhubarb, blueberry, lilac and lavender, plus alluring botanical undertones. The medium-bodied palate balances an intense core of layered, briary fruit with loads of grainy tannins, and vibrant acidity gives a shimmery feel to the long, flavorful finish.
Published: Aug 31, 2023
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James Suckling
Plenty of strawberry and orange peel character with hints of spice and mineral character. Full yet tight and focused with very fine tannins that run the length of the wine. You don’t see it but it pulls at the end. Excellent pinot. Drinkable but give it three or four years. Drink after 2025.
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Vinous
92
Drinking Window
2022 - 2030
From: California North Coast: Eyes Wide Open (Jan 2022)
The 2020 Pinot Noir Laguna Ridge is one of the highlights in this range from Kistler. It offers up generous red/purplish fruit, lavender, sage, rose petal, mint, spice and hard candy. There's a good bit of exuberance, or at least as much as it was possible in 2020. Here, though, the fruit was picked a day later than originally intended because lightning strikes began the night before.
- By Antonio Galloni on August 2022
The 2020s from Kistler are a bit chaotic. In that sense, the wines will give readers a very good idea of the challenges of the vintage across several appellations in Sonoma County. Winemaker Jason Kesner was about to start harvest at Silver Belt in mid-August but was forced to call off the crews because of lightning storms. Those storms quickly set off what became known as the LNU Lightning Complex fires that wreaked havoc throughout California. Kesner was faced with a series of brutal decisions that came down to a choice of picking earlier than planned or not making wine at all. The core of harvest, which usually takes ten days, took six in 2020. Overall, the wines are typical of the year. Some are very light and edgy; others have a bit more mid-palate depth and textural presence. It is a vintage in which site signatures are not fully expressed. These are good wines for the vintage, but the challenges of the growing season were just too great to overcome.
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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.
Deze Pinot Noir toont een geraffineerd smaakpalet van framboos en blauwe bes met bloemige tonen van lavendel en viooltjes, ondersteunend grafiet en een kern van briery fruit met fijne, korrelige tannines en levendige aciditeit die voor een lange, mineraalrijke afdronk zorgt. Door die frisse zuurgraad en elegante tannines snijdt de wijn mooi door het vet en de umami van gevogelte en wild en versterkt hij de ziltige, volle smaken van tonijn, terwijl de bloemige en kruidige tonen harmoniseren met romige en fruitige sauzen. Het beste resultaat krijgt u bij kort en heet aangebrachte bereidingswijzen zoals pan‑searing of grillen voor tonijn, rosé‑tot medium gebraden eenden- en fazantborst met een kriekensaus of bessensaus, en bij wild zoals hert of wild zwijn met rozemarijn, salie of een geconcentreerde fruitsaus.
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