Ratings & Tasting Notes:

93 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 04/2013
The 2010 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard comes across as quite creamy, especially right after the McCrea, which is a more delicate wine. Hints of tropical fruit, white flowers, mint and passion fruit all take shape in the glass. A seamless, textured wine, the 2010 stands out for its depth and generosity. The resonant finish makes it hard to resist a second taste. (AG)

93 points Int’l Wine Cellar
Review Date: 05/2013
Vivid yellow. A complex, highly perfumed bouquet evokes poached pear, melon, ginger and jasmine, with a spicy quality adding lift. Plump but juicy and focused, offering intense candied citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a sexy floral quality. Closes on a sappy note, with excellent clarity, length and lingering spiciness. (ST)

93 points Wine Spectator
Review Date: 07/2013
A sturdy effort, very rich and potent, with tiers of smoke, baked apple, spice and honeysuckle. Young and raw yet tightly focused and persistent on the finish, where a touch of lemon folds in. (JL)

Cult Wines International Notes:

Kistler Vineyards is one of California’s most prestigious and influential wineries, established in 1978 by Steve Kistler. The winery quickly gained “cult” status for its intense focus on producing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a highly Burgundian style. Rather than focusing on a single estate, Kistler became famous for bottling numerous single-vineyard expressions, sourcing from premier sites across Sonoma County and the Russian River Valley, including the notable Kistler Estate and Trenton Road vineyards.

Kistler’s winemaking philosophy aims for richness, complexity, and texture, with Chardonnays undergoing full malolactic conversion and extended aging in French oak (often 100% new). The resulting white wines are powerful, layered, and concentrated, yet maintain a beautiful balance of acidity, making them exceptional for aging. These wines are often compared favorably to Grand Cru white Burgundy.

Though their Chardonnay garners the most critical attention, Kistler’s Pinot Noir follows a similar path, being deeply colored, concentrated, and earth-driven. Across their portfolio, Kistler represents the pinnacle of site-specific winemaking in California, providing collectors with a stunning array of distinct, high-quality wines that consistently command top prices at auction.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.

Outstanding condition.