Have been loving this wine (and vintage) for years. A very mature and pleasurable bottle, much like a mature white burgundy. It's at its peak (if you've cellared it properly), so I would drink up.
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Canary feathers yellow colour. Nose of deep candle wax, yellow fruits. Palate is semi-lifted acidity but similar candle wax and rather monotone yellow tones… like honeycomb when the sweetness has gone. Marzipan without any freshness. Overall leaves an impression of “yesterday”. Very flat and uninteresting. Was much more fun in the past. Confirms my view that Kistler Chardonnays don't age well compared to, say, Montelena (in particular) or Pahlmeyer....which can go on another decade or more.
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First 2 of a case purchased on release and drank over Christmas/New Year/Chinese New Year. No detailed notes but I have left these too long - they have lost any freshness and become rather monotone.
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Rich yellow; rich exotic nose, nice rich rounded taste, good acidity level, long intense aftertaste; really nice, not a mindblowing Kistler but still a very very good white
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I was surprised to find this to be more burgundy than California in style, at least at this stage as the fruit might be starting to fade a bit. Drinking well though.
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Opened 60 minutes before serving. Golden straw color. White and tropical fruit, good minerality and acidity. While mature, this was fresh and delicious. Faded a bit toward evening's end. Excellent CA chardonnay. Drink up.
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- Yellow brown color.This kind of went to die in the back of the cabinet - have never held one of the Kistler chards this long. Taste was not unpleasant but had definitely evolved into something else. In any event it was educational. I'm sure this was great when it was younger.
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Light gold color. Aromas of apples, hazelnut and vanilla beans. Ripe, nicely balanced fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. Although well-integrated, I found the oak in the finish prevented this wine from receiving a higher score. At peak.
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Deserves a A rating even though this sort of wine is never my preferred juice. Very balanced with a spice that made it more enjoyable. Would bet that there were inoculations done and added nutrients for pitched yeast food which added the extra oomph to the tasted minerals. Texture was luxurious and for the price this is to be expected. While on the price point, TGE had a 2010 concrete, oak and steel blend that was a notch better for 1/3 the price. Shoot, Grand Cru Chablis is less $ and several notches better as well. Had an '09 Moreau Grand Cru Valmur that blew me away. Basically I'm saying that better can be found for less.
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A very balanced and perfumed wine goes well with Taiwanese caviar and stewed beef tendon and duck breast. It had the right amount of butter and yeast not too showy as I might find in some fatty chardonnay. Excellent!
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Straw in color, but not as oaky as it looks. Although it does display buttery oak it is in balance with the apple, vanilla, citrus and minerals. Rich , creamy, full bodied. Does finish well.
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SO'd for several hrs, no decant, similar to prior note but there appears to be some pineapple that I did not notice last time, delicious & appears to have improved with a little more air & warming up some
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citrus fruit profile but with solid acid, had some curvyness to it so not a high and tight chablis type wine but good cross over interest, served to a woman who likes Rombauer (hmmm) and she liked it a lot, frankly thought she would find it to angular but not so
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Oh what a wine. The rich notes on the nose starts my mouth watering and the rich erotic tastes in the mouth keeps it watering. On the nose, mouth feel, on the palate and lingering mouth watering finish this chardonnay has it all.
Oooooooh!!! A lot of citrus integrated with a bit of oak and butter. Long, long, long finish. Very complex. Just a wonderful wine. Very food friendly...wish I had more.
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excellent. perhaps at the peak of its vibrancy. melon, white fruit, herbal hints on the nose; the mouthful has so much there - rich fruit, balanced acidity, a saline quality to overall taste, with hints of oak and sweetness on the long finish.
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Pale lemon, pronounced intensity on the nose, matchstick, hazelnut, white flower, ripe abricot, peach. Developing. Medium acidity, med plus body, med plus alcohol, pronounced intensity, similar to nose on palate, get the ripe fruit/nuttiness Nice balance on this one, restrained yet has a bit higher intensity/alcohol then one might expect in old world. Long finish
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This was a delicious wine, but not as good as I would like for the money. Decanted for roughly 30 minutes prior to drinking. May need a little longer in the bottle. With all of that said, it was a very enjoyable bottle.
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Exceptional. Splash decanted. Mineral nose, light body, with a smooth mouthfeel. Finish lasted 20 or more seconds. Very little oak treatment. Hands down, the best chard I've had in recent memory. No idea what the guy scored this 84 was thinking, but clearly not the same wine. Strongly Recommend. EXCELLENT.
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Another excellent 2010 Chardonnay from Kistler. I've been trying a few of these and all have been very good. This bottle showed better on night two (maybe a 94 even) and I think it will improve with a little time in the cellar. Drinkable now, though some air does it good.
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Thick amber in the glass with a very light floral scent. The initial impression is one of lemon with lots with orange and cucumber and an underlying tone of butter. The finish had a citrusy bitterness like lemon pith which weakened with time and exposure to air. Lots of complexity as a typical Kistler chardonnay exhibits without the usual minerality. And definitely not a California butter bomb.
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There was virtually nothing about this half bottle that appealed to me. Mildly interesting oak treatment on the nose, quickly fading to bitter and alcoholic unpleasantness on the palate, and a long but oddly vegetal aftertaste. Very little chardonnay fruit comes through here, just some passing ginger and lemon-lime notes. Once again, the recent Kistler chardonnays are tasting strangely disjointed to me, with no evidence they will come together with age. Better than most $10 chardonnays, but not attractive at this price.
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10/30/2022 - bcolbath wrote: 92 Points
Have been loving this wine (and vintage) for years. A very mature and pleasurable bottle, much like a mature white burgundy. It's at its peak (if you've cellared it properly), so I would drink up.
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3/27/2022 - Goldstone wrote: 87 Points
Canary feathers yellow colour. Nose of deep candle wax, yellow fruits. Palate is semi-lifted acidity but similar candle wax and rather monotone yellow tones… like honeycomb when the sweetness has gone. Marzipan without any freshness. Overall leaves an impression of “yesterday”. Very flat and uninteresting. Was much more fun in the past. Confirms my view that Kistler Chardonnays don't age well compared to, say, Montelena (in particular) or Pahlmeyer....which can go on another decade or more.
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2/7/2022 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
First 2 of a case purchased on release and drank over Christmas/New Year/Chinese New Year. No detailed notes but I have left these too long - they have lost any freshness and become rather monotone.
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4/17/2021 - Miceri Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich yellow; rich exotic nose, nice rich rounded taste, good acidity level, long intense aftertaste; really nice, not a mindblowing Kistler but still a very very good white
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12/25/2020 - rpenn77 Does not like this wine:
This one was shot. Waited too long to pop the cork
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11/7/2020 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
I was surprised to find this to be more burgundy than California in style, at least at this stage as the fruit might be starting to fade a bit. Drinking well though.
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11/6/2020 - agnorger Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking really well now. This is a fantastic wine. I can’t believe it is from m Russian River. Very Meursault like. Love the acidity fruit balance
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10/31/2020 - KO'Grady wrote: 90 Points
A bit late but still great.
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2/13/2020 - stoneb Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 60 minutes before serving. Golden straw color. White and tropical fruit, good minerality and acidity. While mature, this was fresh and delicious. Faded a bit toward evening's end. Excellent CA chardonnay. Drink up.
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9/21/2019 - Growler69 wrote:
- Yellow brown color.This kind of went to die in the back of the cabinet - have never held one of the Kistler chards this long. Taste was not unpleasant but had definitely evolved into something else. In any event it was educational. I'm sure this was great when it was younger.
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4/19/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Some Wine Before/During/After a Seder (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Small glass, brief note. Rich lemon curd with orange peel and tropical fruit hints. Good+ weight and still very bright freshness.
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4/6/2019 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light gold color. Aromas of apples, hazelnut and vanilla beans. Ripe, nicely balanced fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. Although well-integrated, I found the oak in the finish prevented this wine from receiving a higher score. At peak.
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7/8/2018 - Fractalage wrote: 90 Points
Deserves a A rating even though this sort of wine is never my preferred juice.
Very balanced with a spice that made it more enjoyable.
Would bet that there were inoculations done and added nutrients for pitched yeast food which added the extra oomph to the tasted minerals.
Texture was luxurious and for the price this is to be expected.
While on the price point, TGE had a 2010 concrete, oak and steel blend that was a notch better for 1/3 the price.
Shoot, Grand Cru Chablis is less $ and several notches better as well. Had an '09 Moreau Grand Cru Valmur that blew me away.
Basically I'm saying that better can be found for less.
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4/15/2018 - onboisduvin Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very balanced and perfumed wine goes well with Taiwanese caviar and stewed beef tendon and duck breast. It had the right amount of butter and yeast not too showy as I might find in some fatty chardonnay. Excellent!
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1/13/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Straw in color, but not as oaky as it looks. Although it does display buttery oak it is in balance with the apple, vanilla, citrus and minerals. Rich , creamy, full bodied. Does finish well.
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8/22/2017 - jdhannah wrote:
Magical. Balanced and wonderful.
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7/4/2017 - TerryHealdsburg wrote:
Duplicates
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7/4/2017 - TerryHealdsburg wrote:
MIs counted
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8/27/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
SO'd for several hrs, no decant, similar to prior note but there appears to be some pineapple that I did not notice last time, delicious & appears to have improved with a little more air & warming up some
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7/19/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 94 Points
PNP; light gold, light citrus with a touch of vanilla, med finish; delicious & ready to drink but I suspect, no rush
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5/7/2016 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
citrus fruit profile but with solid acid, had some curvyness to it so not a high and tight chablis type wine but good cross over interest, served to a woman who likes Rombauer (hmmm) and she liked it a lot, frankly thought she would find it to angular but not so
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9/4/2015 - winelover1808 wrote: 94 Points
deep golden hue. amazing. salinity, stone fruit and a long smooth finish.
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7/17/2015 - bzell Likes this wine: 97 Points
Oh what a wine. The rich notes on the nose starts my mouth watering and the rich erotic tastes in the mouth keeps it watering. On the nose, mouth feel, on the palate and lingering mouth watering finish this chardonnay has it all.
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6/9/2015 - davidsm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice with a citrus edge to it and nice acidity.
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5/23/2015 - Wuthee wrote:
Amazing nutty and oaky
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4/8/2015 - brianakrin wrote: 91 Points
Soft, well balanced, oaked but not too much, not overly rich. Nice wine but lacks nuance. Bad qpr.
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12/6/2014 - brujazz wrote: 94 Points
Oooooooh!!! A lot of citrus integrated with a bit of oak and butter. Long, long, long finish. Very complex. Just a wonderful wine. Very food friendly...wish I had more.
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9/7/2014 - winelover1808 wrote: 93 Points
excellent. perhaps at the peak of its vibrancy. melon, white fruit, herbal hints on the nose; the mouthful has so much there - rich fruit, balanced acidity, a saline quality to overall taste, with hints of oak and sweetness on the long finish.
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3/16/2014 - Tamu1956 wrote: 92 Points
Amber straw appearance in the glass with a light fruity nose. Hints of melon, grapefruit with a long buttery finish. A brilliant chardonnay!
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3/3/2014 - leecon wrote: 93 Points
Pale lemon, pronounced intensity on the nose, matchstick, hazelnut, white flower, ripe abricot, peach. Developing. Medium acidity, med plus body, med plus alcohol, pronounced intensity, similar to nose on palate, get the ripe fruit/nuttiness Nice balance on this one, restrained yet has a bit higher intensity/alcohol then one might expect in old world. Long finish
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1/1/2014 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exceptional, Kistler at its best. EXCELLENT.
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11/9/2013 - MH Amateur wrote: 92 Points
Nice bottle but not $75. Rich flavor.
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9/26/2013 - jlaws7lh wrote: 92 Points
This was a delicious wine, but not as good as I would like for the money. Decanted for roughly 30 minutes prior to drinking. May need a little longer in the bottle. With all of that said, it was a very enjoyable bottle.
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7/19/2013 - BigTex22 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Exceptional. Splash decanted. Mineral nose, light body, with a smooth mouthfeel. Finish lasted 20 or more seconds. Very little oak treatment. Hands down, the best chard I've had in recent memory. No idea what the guy scored this 84 was thinking, but clearly not the same wine. Strongly Recommend. EXCELLENT.
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7/3/2013 - B Paul wrote: 93 Points
Another excellent 2010 Chardonnay from Kistler. I've been trying a few of these and all have been very good. This bottle showed better on night two (maybe a 94 even) and I think it will improve with a little time in the cellar. Drinkable now, though some air does it good.
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7/2/2013 - Tamu1956 wrote: 92 Points
Thick amber in the glass with a very light floral scent. The initial impression is one of lemon with lots with orange and cucumber and an underlying tone of butter. The finish had a citrusy bitterness like lemon pith which weakened with time and exposure to air. Lots of complexity as a typical Kistler chardonnay exhibits without the usual minerality. And definitely not a California butter bomb.
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6/11/2013 - petitblanc wrote: 84 Points
There was virtually nothing about this half bottle that appealed to me. Mildly interesting oak treatment on the nose, quickly fading to bitter and alcoholic unpleasantness on the palate, and a long but oddly vegetal aftertaste. Very little chardonnay fruit comes through here, just some passing ginger and lemon-lime notes. Once again, the recent Kistler chardonnays are tasting strangely disjointed to me, with no evidence they will come together with age. Better than most $10 chardonnays, but not attractive at this price.
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