While it is 6 years old, I think this wine would have benefited from a decant. The wine really evolved over 2 days. It came out of the bottle with a golden yellow color, and someone commented that it looked like urine. The wine initially was off putting to 2 of the people who drank it. To the point that they thought it had gone bad. I thought it had a very interesting nose of wet stones and briney oysters. The wine initially had a slightly oxidized/almond flavor profile, so I thought my guests might be right. I put half the bottle back in the fridge and we moved on to another wine. When I went back to the bottle the following night, it was a completely different wine. The fruit had emerged, there was definitely an briney annd stone flavor but the wine was much more balanced with a long and delicious finish.
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Hurricane wine #1. Popped this open as I weathered out Idalia.
Pale yellow color. On the nose lots of citrus, stone fruit, honeysuckle, brioche, and oak.
Med+ body, buttery texture, but very bright with the acidity. Medium acidity that was well integrated into the wine. 14.6% alcohol with a good long finish.
Really enjoyed this wine all around.
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Similar to my prior note. Tasted alongside '18 Ramey Woolsey and '19 Aubert CIX. I found this the most savory and toasty, but still well-balanced. Interestingly, out of 8 of us, 3 picked this as WOTN, 3 picked Aubert and 2 picked Ramey. 93+
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Nose and palate of stone fruit like peach, golden apple, honeycomb. Minerality on the finish. Oak nicely integrated. Med+ body. Med-long finish. Elegant and balanced.
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This lemony and chiseled Chardonnay is drinking beautifully right now, with more energy and nuance than a 2018 Kistler McCrea tasted on the same night. Golden yellow in color; medium in body; aromas of lemon confit, quince, almond, and brioche. Flavors of orange curd, golden delicious apple, pear, and vanillin, with a soft and lifted finish. 14.6% alcohol. 93-94 at the moment, with upside in 6-12 months.
Bandwagon behavior is hardly a stranger to the wine world (including, cough, CellarTracker). A critic says it's good; you say it's good; I think it's good; and everyone jumps on the wagon (until the next one comes along). To be sure, crowds can be wise, but - like the evening news - they can also over-value the new, the rare, and the novel. Kistler is none of these things, but it displays a more humble virtue: consistency. Like some kind of Goldilocks of modern Chardonnay, Kistler wines are balanced, not-too-ripe and not-too-acidic, flavorful without being blowsy, energetic without being sharp, and - so often for this particular taster - just right.
Paired with sesame crusted halibut and black rice. Out of bottle into glass it poured golden yellow with a bit of shaved oak and green apples on the nose and palette. Medium viscosity and a nice lingering finish.
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This medium golden Chardonnay, sourced from the cellar of friends and served in a restaurant, was uncorked and consumed over a two-hour period. Intensely aromatic from the get-go, it serves up an olfactory payload of citrus, stone fruits, honey, ginger and vanilla. Medium-to-full-bodied, crisply acidic and seamlessly alcoholic (14.6%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, buttressed with a generous amount of creamy oak. Layered and dense on the mid-palate, it goes on to finish with length and precision. This is a tremendous New World rendition of the grape that, at this stage, only falls short of classic quality by virtue of its somewhat dominant oak. As good as this is now, I would give it a bit more time in the cellar so that oak and fruit can further integrate. A higher score may very well be merited as it fleshes out. Drink 2023-2030.
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Beautifully balanced with notes of pear, apple honeycomb, brioche and crushed limestone. The golden color illuminates the palette with hints of blood orange and lemon rind. A fantastic mouthfeel and a nice long finish. Check out @west_coast_wino on my Instagram for more great recommendations, reviews and stories.
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3/11/2024 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 91 Points
While it is 6 years old, I think this wine would have benefited from a decant. The wine really evolved over 2 days. It came out of the bottle with a golden yellow color, and someone commented that it looked like urine. The wine initially was off putting to 2 of the people who drank it. To the point that they thought it had gone bad. I thought it had a very interesting nose of wet stones and briney oysters. The wine initially had a slightly oxidized/almond flavor profile, so I thought my guests might be right. I put half the bottle back in the fridge and we moved on to another wine. When I went back to the bottle the following night, it was a completely different wine. The fruit had emerged, there was definitely an briney annd stone flavor but the wine was much more balanced with a long and delicious finish.
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8/29/2023 - gflammer Likes this wine:
Hurricane wine #1. Popped this open as I weathered out Idalia.
Pale yellow color. On the nose lots of citrus, stone fruit, honeysuckle, brioche, and oak.
Med+ body, buttery texture, but very bright with the acidity. Medium acidity that was well integrated into the wine. 14.6% alcohol with a good long finish.
Really enjoyed this wine all around.
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2/15/2023 - ralaspech wrote: 93 Points
Similar to my prior note. Tasted alongside '18 Ramey Woolsey and '19 Aubert CIX. I found this the most savory and toasty, but still well-balanced. Interestingly, out of 8 of us, 3 picked this as WOTN, 3 picked Aubert and 2 picked Ramey. 93+
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8/13/2022 - binny5222 wrote:
Densie fav
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8/10/2022 - binny5222 Likes this wine:
Note: Denise likes this one
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5/25/2022 - ralaspech wrote: 92 Points
Nose and palate of stone fruit like peach, golden apple, honeycomb. Minerality on the finish. Oak nicely integrated. Med+ body. Med-long finish. Elegant and balanced.
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3/15/2022 - msuwine wrote: 94 Points
This lemony and chiseled Chardonnay is drinking beautifully right now, with more energy and nuance than a 2018 Kistler McCrea tasted on the same night. Golden yellow in color; medium in body; aromas of lemon confit, quince, almond, and brioche. Flavors of orange curd, golden delicious apple, pear, and vanillin, with a soft and lifted finish. 14.6% alcohol. 93-94 at the moment, with upside in 6-12 months.
Bandwagon behavior is hardly a stranger to the wine world (including, cough, CellarTracker). A critic says it's good; you say it's good; I think it's good; and everyone jumps on the wagon (until the next one comes along). To be sure, crowds can be wise, but - like the evening news - they can also over-value the new, the rare, and the novel. Kistler is none of these things, but it displays a more humble virtue: consistency. Like some kind of Goldilocks of modern Chardonnay, Kistler wines are balanced, not-too-ripe and not-too-acidic, flavorful without being blowsy, energetic without being sharp, and - so often for this particular taster - just right.
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1/15/2022 - nrjessup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Paired with sesame crusted halibut and black rice. Out of bottle into glass it poured golden yellow with a bit of shaved oak and green apples on the nose and palette. Medium viscosity and a nice lingering finish.
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7/21/2021 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 94 Points
This medium golden Chardonnay, sourced from the cellar of friends and served in a restaurant, was uncorked and consumed over a two-hour period. Intensely aromatic from the get-go, it serves up an olfactory payload of citrus, stone fruits, honey, ginger and vanilla. Medium-to-full-bodied, crisply acidic and seamlessly alcoholic (14.6%), it delivers flavors in line with the aromas, buttressed with a generous amount of creamy oak. Layered and dense on the mid-palate, it goes on to finish with length and precision. This is a tremendous New World rendition of the grape that, at this stage, only falls short of classic quality by virtue of its somewhat dominant oak. As good as this is now, I would give it a bit more time in the cellar so that oak and fruit can further integrate. A higher score may very well be merited as it fleshes out. Drink 2023-2030.
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4/20/2021 - Buntingwest wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully balanced with notes of pear, apple honeycomb, brioche and crushed limestone. The golden color illuminates the palette with hints of blood orange and lemon rind. A fantastic mouthfeel and a nice long finish. Check out @west_coast_wino on my Instagram for more great recommendations, reviews and stories.
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11/11/2020 - Frijole wrote:
golden, lots of clarity, silvery hue
Nose: pear, apple, white pepper, honeysuckle, brioche, nuts, wax, minerals, clove, spice, oak
Pal: pear, apple, white pepper, honeysuckle, minerals, spice, tangerine, citrus rind, wax, oak
Feel: medium, savory, round
Finish: medium
T8 (could be a 9)
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