Dark yellow; very powerful, very intense nose, butter, concentrated; concentrated deep honey-like texture with lots of sweetness; forget all about normal whites, this one is a meal in itself
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium gold color. Aromas of pear compote, nutmeg and wood spices. Ripe, nicely structured fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. The wine was fully intact and remarkably fresh given visual signs of oxidation. Delicious with spicy spot prawns. The wine did start to decline after about 25 minutes. Drink up!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought two bottles. The first was completely oxidized. This one is, however, a completely different story. Great vibrant golden colour. Restrained nose with apple, pear, white peach(?), hint of honneysuckle, just a tad of oak. Still vibrant despite its age, probably because of good Acidity. A burgundy white from California (which in my opinion is as good as it gets).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Winefool Intro/Retro (Chez Winefool): Served blind. Light golden color. Gorgeous, full nose with ripe apple and pear fruit, mint notes and some oak spice. Delicious on the palate with richer texture but sufficient acidic cut. More mint notes and some mineral complementing the rich fruit. I was correct in picking this as one of the younger wines in the flight, but thought it was white burg (Ramonet given the mint notes). My #1, Group #4.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I agree with most of the other recent reviews which mention oxidization, leading to the conclusion that this wine has likely peaked. Displaying a very dark yellow out of the bottle, almost brown, it's surprising for a chardonnay that's only 10 years old (in Burgundy, it would just be approaching the drinking window in a good year). Still a nice wine despite the "wobbly" nature of flavors, nice tropical fruits along side strong elements of residual oak make for some interesting drinking. But definitely on it's last legs, I'd say 2-3 more years tops before the "unique" elements of this wine becomes too unbalanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Rich, broad, sweet with hints of honey and a creamy texture, a vibrant acidity keeps this alive, while very, very small hints of oxidation suggest that it might be about time to drink this one. Mature and fine - especially with food, scallops in a rich sauce.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This one I may have waited a tad too long for as it was starting to fade a bit. But still a fine Chardonnay with flavors of nuts, flowers and tropical fruits. Big structure which has been breaking down into interesting layers of flavor. Nose a little tight now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very evolved at this point and a touch oxidized. Full bodied, viscous, rich, oaky but excellent depth w/ secondary and tertiary flavors. What it lacks in finesse it makes up for in muscle. Not my favorite but interesting and a good pairing with certain foods.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pale gold, with moderate edge variation. Tart citrus and stone fruit nose with prominent minerality. Yellow flowers and fresh herbal notes. New oak in healthy doses. Moderate to high acidity, with fresh citrus, especially lime, and crushed wet stones on the palate. Medium long finished.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium old gold with orange hues. Unctuous, with caramelized tropical fruit, citrus oil, iodine and touch of salinity at the tongue's edge. In quite good balance with a medium plus finish. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Chablis28 is right on about this wine. His note is just about perfect. It's an oakey mess with very little fruit and definitely not worth the money. I've had $15 Chilean Chard that would dominate this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Over 3 days, sadly fairly oxidative and musty, but not corked per se. Burnt pineapple on the first day faded thereafter, leaving more nutty elements, some citrus oil and a bit of wet stone. Not at all like prior bottles, and frankly disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A Casual Thursday in Toronto (Paese Restaurant, Toronto, ON): And now to the opposite end of the spectrum. Hedonism in a glass; a very exuberant new world profile. On pop and pour it showed a nose of buttered popcorn, caramel sauce, vanilla crime brûlée, candied lemons soaking in syrup, ripe peach, and espresso. To my palate solidly in the modern spectrum, this is one for fans of full bore powerful oaked whites. Palate comes across with with just a pinch of vanillin oak sweetness and medium- acid. Finish carries on fairly long built on vanilla custard and caramel. Much lower intellectual interest, but the hedonism factor is high here. Disclaimer: I did smell a bit that had sat in the glass for a couple of hours and it had picked up a touch of mineral refinement, but IMO it never really lost the oak. Bigger fans of this style could easily have rated this higher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
White Frenchies at Sea Change (Sea Change at the Guthrie, Mpls, MN): Light-medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. This bottle was not as good as one from 2 years ago. The nose is smoky, oak, stinky earth, toasted, citrus. The palate is big, volumptous, orange, citrus, nutty, toasted oak, sharp oak finish, medium finish. Suffered by comparison tonight and coming at the end; not what I typically expect from Kistler. 89-90pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deeper color than the first. Smoky overtones with bees wax, a nutty, varnishy quality, eventually developing a wet wool note. Baked apple qualities emerge later on. Reductive, varnishy note with baked apple and pear flavors underneath. I thought perhaps a Rhone blend. Came on a bit when I retasted this later in the evening; more fruit had come out and the varnish tones had almost disappeared. 88 pts by the end of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
light gold; mostly tropical fruits aromatically, pineapple, guava, citrus peel; med/full body but not at all ponderous; integrated fruit structure leaning more towards orange spectrum citrus and mango, oak treatment is merely a shading, a complement, to the overall balanced profile. quite like the place this has come to, and served well at the table.
4/17/15 pale gold; big nose redolent of citrus peel & toast; med++ body; lush on palate, w/candied lime & loads of oak, brine-y, persistent acids in balanced follow-through made for good company w/full-flavored food. drink up (91)
Bouquet with flint stone, tropical fruits and toasted oak. Same on the palate; a lot of oak and also good fruits and good freshness. Firm amount of alcohol and bitterness and an enormous length. I would give the wine 2 - 3 more years of cellaring. Although the oak is prominent I am a fan of the Kistler wines. Never had a bad bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1982 Bordeaux dinner (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Pineapple, yellow fruits but also green a la granny smith. Paul mentioned oily/light caramel impression coming from the fruit concentration and I agree. No noticeable oak showing. Good precision. A nice domestic Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An absolutely profound effort, the 2007 Vine Hill Chardonnay opens up with a striking abundance of flowers and tropical fruits like mango, papaya and pineapple adjoined by a creamy and almost silky tone of Bourbon vanilla. The palate follows through nicely and adds several layers of complexity but above all a perfect integration and balance. The palate actually helps bringing forward mellow but lovely minerals. This wine is masterpiece. It is not withholding any of its strengths but it manages to do so with a total absence of becoming equivoque. There is no reason to refrain from drinking now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At our house in the cellar, and finished at the Blue Bottle. Let this one open for about an hour before we drank it. Found that the decant helps for these wines, you get more of the richness and layers once its open for a bit.
Consistent with prior notes. Medium gold color. Citrus, pineapple, mango, honey. Great balance of oak and smokiness. Rich and layered finish. Gorgeous wine. Our guests loved it - their first experience with Kistler
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was quite austere and either needs time or will never blossom into something more interesting. I tend to err on the side of the former based on my experience with this vineyard which often yields wines which need 5+ years to show well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is a sad story. I purchased a case of 2007 Kistler from Hyde, Kistler and Vine Hill vineyards. So far out of 10 bottles they are either undrinkable or barely so. They were shipped to me directly and have been stored in a custom temperature controlled cellar since. These are not good wines. I contacted Kistler and no response. Kistler used to be my go to wine and the one I measured others against. No more. I have never had this problem with other high end Chardonnays. Konsgaard, Aubert, Peter Michael etc. Kistler has a problem with either corking or premature oxidation and they are essentially ignoring it. This is so bad I am going to remove myself from their mailing list. Very unfortunate!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Clear, light golden color. Bouquet is quite subdued, showing flowery notes along with a streak of leather and smoke. The palate is light bodied for a chardonnay, and displays a hint of mango and lemon along with more flowers. Very nice, long finish that lingers in the mouth. Great, complex wine, although the lower acidity makes it better to drink sooner than later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
With our new Italian neighbors - they were interested in learning more about American wines so we started out of the blocks with this. Kistler never disappoints, in my experience.
Medium gold color. Citrus, pineapple, mango, honey. Great balance of oak and smokiness. Rich and layered finish. Gorgeous wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tonight I finally got it. After tasting brilliant Chardonnays by Luc Morlet, Kongsgaard and Kistler et al. I have always found them to be intriguing, very nice and perhaps super wines. But tonight the 2007 Kistler Vine Hill vineyard transformed itself in the glass. Brilliant deep rich fruit, balanced but not subtle oak was the first impression. After about an hour in the glass a formal explosion of exotic fruits occurred. Mango, papaya, lychee, passion fruit, rambutan - they all were part of the choire. This is the Kistler magic! It is the obvious reason why this bottle is worth every cent of the 70 € it once cost. The length on the finish is superb and combined with the lovely but slightly quiet acidity, it brings this wine to new dimensions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Worldwide Whites (Edina Country Club): Medium yellow color. Sulfur, rubber, light toasted oak, mineral. spices, a bit nutty, The palate is rich, lemon, medium full body, good acid, a bit smokey, oak and spice, citrus, tangy fruit. I must say I expected more from this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A mixed bag of Whites (Edina Country Club): Not up to standards. Oak, smoke, pinneapple and a burnt quality that was hard to get around. Hopefully this needs time but for the price tag not a great wine. 90-92.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
An absolutely brilliant effort from Kistler, the 2007 Vine Hill Chardonnay exhibits a wonderful and complex perfume of lychée, pomme granate, mandarin, orange zest and subtle but expressive minerals. The palate is full-bodied and has a wonderful viscosity permeating a very well balanced impression. All the components of the palate are nicely integrated and absolutely harmonious. I am impressed by the total absence from heat, the alcohol is an impressively low 14 percent and there is no sign of it anywhere. A super wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a wonderful bottle. Full-bodied, with great style. This is meant to be sipped and enjoyed over the night, or with a good Brie and crusty French bread. Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some odd flavors here - but some classic too: deep honey, citrus rind and minerals galore. A bit overwrought and viscous. It's obvious this is the product of some serious and well cared for fruit. But the end result seems a little disjointed. Yet again, I find my Kistler Chards perform much better in their youth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served this a bit warm. But got is chilled after we opened it up. A classic Kistler taste. Burgundian in style with just enough oak and acidity. Terrific. Drinking well now, so drink it up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine definitely benefits från decanting for a number of hours as straight out of the bottle I think it is abit unbalanced, too smoky and quite unpolished. Still young and I think the pieces will come together very nicely. In a flight of Chablis and Puligny Montrachets it certainly did stick out and was easy to spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Nice yellow color. Opens with a smoky aroma, followed by apple and almond notes. Has a wooly flavor on the palate, along with blanched almonds and white fruit. I was leaning towards a Puligny Montrachet unitl I retasted it. The apple and smoky tones had gone, leaving bright apple and vanilla qualities. Definitely seemed more new world as it opened in the glass. Guessed CA Chard. 92+ pts. I'd hold this a while yet, but if drinking now, be sure to allow it plenty of time in the glass or, even better would be to give it some time in the decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very well structured and acidic, with wonderful hints of pear and melon. I think the fruit was not well formed, and will benefit from more time. Went well with grilled lobster and shrimp.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of vanilla, hazelnut, cream fraiche and a bit if mixed citrus fruit. Flavors of nutmeg, waxy yellow pears and a bit of yellow apple core. Medium acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is just a wonderful Cali Chard. Lovely acidity with a mouthful of lemon and stony minerals. The burned tone (oak) is really pleasant and interesting. Fresh and slim even though its a big wine. This is one of the best Cali Chards I have had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Young and oaky nose overriden by butter. The palate has a great texture but is also dominated by oak, with some white peaches getting through. Needs lots of time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Uncertain whether this bottle was a bit off. Strange nose, almost astringent mouthfeel with high acidity. Not closed, just distracting aromas, almost faint traces of cork in the mouth. Not as enjoyable as Kistler normally is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
great flavors of lemon and vanilla, with light pineapple and other tropical fruits. Slightly more subdude than other Kistlers, but less butter and more minerality than others as well. What Cali Chardonnay should be.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Voyager Estate Masterclass 2010 (North Sydney Cellars): Nose: Butter, malo, toast, tropical fruit, honeysuckle Mouth: Meaty and chunky, plenty of spice, oak, vanilla, coconut and tropical fruit Absolutely huge and terribly good rambunctious fun.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Just received in the mail and popped it open. Clearly a bit affected by the shipping as it tastes a little disjointed but the material underneath is impressive. This is a large-scaled Vine Hill with big lime and tropical fruit flavors along with wet stones and tons of minerals on the ultra-long finish. I will let this settle down for a few months but this could be the most promising Vine Hill I've ever tasted. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
5/11/2019 - Miceri Likes this wine: 98 Points
Dark yellow; very powerful, very intense nose, butter, concentrated; concentrated deep honey-like texture with lots of sweetness; forget all about normal whites, this one is a meal in itself
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2018 - hsacks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to the 4/7/18 bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2018 - hsacks Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium gold color. Aromas of pear compote, nutmeg and wood spices. Ripe, nicely structured fruit in the mouth with very good depth and length. The wine was fully intact and remarkably fresh given visual signs of oxidation. Delicious with spicy spot prawns. The wine did start to decline after about 25 minutes. Drink up!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2017 - Dberlijn wrote: 93 Points
Bought two bottles. The first was completely oxidized. This one is, however, a completely different story. Great vibrant golden colour. Restrained nose with apple, pear, white peach(?), hint of honneysuckle, just a tad of oak. Still vibrant despite its age, probably because of good Acidity. A burgundy white from California (which in my opinion is as good as it gets).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Chicago Wine Flock...Winefool Serving Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Mostly Burgundy (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Enticingly floral start. Lots of ripe apple and poached pear aromas/ flavors with slightly sweet spice. Very good concentration. My #1 wine in the flight, group's #4. Shocked when this was unveiled, but I find Vine Hill to be the Kistler Chardonnay that consistently ages gracefully.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/19/2017 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Winefool Intro/Retro (Chez Winefool): Served blind. Light golden color. Gorgeous, full nose with ripe apple and pear fruit, mint notes and some oak spice. Delicious on the palate with richer texture but sufficient acidic cut. More mint notes and some mineral complementing the rich fruit. I was correct in picking this as one of the younger wines in the flight, but thought it was white burg (Ramonet given the mint notes). My #1, Group #4.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2017 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 91 Points
I agree with most of the other recent reviews which mention oxidization, leading to the conclusion that this wine has likely peaked. Displaying a very dark yellow out of the bottle, almost brown, it's surprising for a chardonnay that's only 10 years old (in Burgundy, it would just be approaching the drinking window in a good year). Still a nice wine despite the "wobbly" nature of flavors, nice tropical fruits along side strong elements of residual oak make for some interesting drinking. But definitely on it's last legs, I'd say 2-3 more years tops before the "unique" elements of this wine becomes too unbalanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2017 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
Rich, broad, sweet with hints of honey and a creamy texture, a vibrant acidity keeps this alive, while very, very small hints of oxidation suggest that it might be about time to drink this one. Mature and fine - especially with food, scallops in a rich sauce.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2016 - drrobvino wrote: 80 Points
Overdone, honey and caramel, vanilla, apple and guava.
No acidity to balance to huge fruit and oak.
Way out of balance, a trainwreck.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2015 - Mingestrom wrote: 89 Points
A bit oxidised, probably a bit too late for this one. Big,round and fleshy with nuts and some exotic fruits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/24/2015 - mclanew wrote: 91 Points
This one I may have waited a tad too long for as it was starting to fade a bit. But still a fine Chardonnay with flavors of nuts, flowers and tropical fruits. Big structure which has been breaking down into interesting layers of flavor. Nose a little tight now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2015 - Eags25 wrote: 90 Points
Very evolved at this point and a touch oxidized. Full bodied, viscous, rich, oaky but excellent depth w/ secondary and tertiary flavors. What it lacks in finesse it makes up for in muscle. Not my favorite but interesting and a good pairing with certain foods.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/31/2015 - JDRFoster wrote: 91 Points
Pale gold, with moderate edge variation. Tart citrus and stone fruit nose with prominent minerality. Yellow flowers and fresh herbal notes. New oak in healthy doses. Moderate to high acidity, with fresh citrus, especially lime, and crushed wet stones on the palate. Medium long finished.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/4/2015 - JDRFoster wrote: 93 Points
Medium old gold with orange hues. Unctuous, with caramelized tropical fruit, citrus oil, iodine and touch of salinity at the tongue's edge. In quite good balance with a medium plus finish. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2015 - JDRFoster wrote: flawed
A fair bit prematurely aged despite cold consistent storage. Too bad.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2015 - tastark Likes this wine:
Chablis28 is right on about this wine. His note is just about perfect. It's an oakey mess with very little fruit and definitely not worth the money. I've had $15 Chilean Chard that would dominate this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/29/2014 - lebo9968@gmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big huge new world Chard.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2014 - JDRFoster wrote:
Over 3 days, sadly fairly oxidative and musty, but not corked per se. Burnt pineapple on the first day faded thereafter, leaving more nutty elements, some citrus oil and a bit of wet stone. Not at all like prior bottles, and frankly disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/14/2014 - robertek wrote: 91 Points
Good but still a bit unbalanced and a oaky. It will get better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
A Casual Thursday in Toronto (Paese Restaurant, Toronto, ON): And now to the opposite end of the spectrum. Hedonism in a glass; a very exuberant new world profile. On pop and pour it showed a nose of buttered popcorn, caramel sauce, vanilla crime brûlée, candied lemons soaking in syrup, ripe peach, and espresso. To my palate solidly in the modern spectrum, this is one for fans of full bore powerful oaked whites. Palate comes across with with just a pinch of vanillin oak sweetness and medium- acid. Finish carries on fairly long built on vanilla custard and caramel. Much lower intellectual interest, but the hedonism factor is high here. Disclaimer: I did smell a bit that had sat in the glass for a couple of hours and it had picked up a touch of mineral refinement, but IMO it never really lost the oak. Bigger fans of this style could easily have rated this higher.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
White Frenchies at Sea Change (Sea Change at the Guthrie, Mpls, MN): Light-medium gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. This bottle was not as good as one from 2 years ago. The nose is smoky, oak, stinky earth, toasted, citrus. The palate is big, volumptous, orange, citrus, nutty, toasted oak, sharp oak finish, medium finish. Suffered by comparison tonight and coming at the end; not what I typically expect from Kistler. 89-90pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 87 Points
Its possible this is past it peak. Not oxidavtive but dominated by its oak is a bad sign at a litttle over 6yrs of age. KInd of a mess at this point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/16/2014 - affordableCollector wrote: 91 Points
light golden, in color. lemon, citrus peel, floral, straw, match stick, mineral, on the nose. high acid, on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2013 - AllRed wrote:
Deeper color than the first. Smoky overtones with bees wax, a nutty, varnishy quality, eventually developing a wet wool note. Baked apple qualities emerge later on. Reductive, varnishy note with baked apple and pear flavors underneath. I thought perhaps a Rhone blend. Came on a bit when I retasted this later in the evening; more fruit had come out and the varnish tones had almost disappeared. 88 pts by the end of the night.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2013 - pigdaddy wrote: 92 Points
light gold; mostly tropical fruits aromatically, pineapple, guava, citrus peel; med/full body but not at all ponderous; integrated fruit structure leaning more towards orange spectrum citrus and mango, oak treatment is merely a shading, a complement, to the overall balanced profile. quite like the place this has come to, and served well at the table.
cornmeal-dusted bluefish w/bacon, caper & sweet onion pickle sour cream; crispy pan-fried crushed sunchokes & lemon-wilted swiss chard
4/17/15 pale gold; big nose redolent of citrus peel & toast; med++ body; lush on palate, w/candied lime & loads of oak, brine-y, persistent acids in balanced follow-through made for good company w/full-flavored food. drink up (91)
mustard-broiled spanish mackerel, morels stewed w/maple bacon & spring onion; green garlic & cauliflower coulis; roasted bintje potatoes w/frisee & sherry vin
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/26/2013 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bouquet with flint stone, tropical fruits and toasted oak. Same on the palate; a lot of oak and also good fruits and good freshness. Firm amount of alcohol and bitterness and an enormous length. I would give the wine 2 - 3 more years of cellaring. Although the oak is prominent I am a fan of the Kistler wines. Never had a bad bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2013 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
1982 Bordeaux dinner (The Grill Room at Capella Hotel Georgetown): Pineapple, yellow fruits but also green a la granny smith. Paul mentioned oily/light caramel impression coming from the fruit concentration and I agree. No noticeable oak showing. Good precision. A nice domestic Chardonnay.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/13/2013 - Cali Fan wrote: 93 Points
Excellent Chardonnay -zesty with good fruit notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2013 - JJN wrote: 93 Points
Excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
An absolutely profound effort, the 2007 Vine Hill Chardonnay opens up with a striking abundance of flowers and tropical fruits like mango, papaya and pineapple adjoined by a creamy and almost silky tone of Bourbon vanilla. The palate follows through nicely and adds several layers of complexity but above all a perfect integration and balance. The palate actually helps bringing forward mellow but lovely minerals. This wine is masterpiece. It is not withholding any of its strengths but it manages to do so with a total absence of becoming equivoque. There is no reason to refrain from drinking now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At our house in the cellar, and finished at the Blue Bottle. Let this one open for about an hour before we drank it. Found that the decant helps for these wines, you get more of the richness and layers once its open for a bit.
Consistent with prior notes. Medium gold color. Citrus, pineapple, mango, honey. Great balance of oak and smokiness. Rich and layered finish. Gorgeous wine. Our guests loved it - their first experience with Kistler
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/8/2013 - rosenst1 wrote: 88 Points
This was quite austere and either needs time or will never blossom into something more interesting. I tend to err on the side of the former based on my experience with this vineyard which often yields wines which need 5+ years to show well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2013 - mellison wrote: 80 Points
This is a sad story. I purchased a case of 2007 Kistler from Hyde, Kistler and Vine Hill vineyards. So far out of 10 bottles they are either undrinkable or barely so. They were shipped to me directly and have been stored in a custom temperature controlled cellar since. These are not good wines. I contacted Kistler and no response. Kistler used to be my go to wine and the one I measured others against. No more. I have never had this problem with other high end Chardonnays. Konsgaard, Aubert, Peter Michael etc. Kistler has a problem with either corking or premature oxidation and they are essentially ignoring it. This is so bad I am going to remove myself from their mailing list. Very unfortunate!!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2013 - yaki wrote: 93 Points
Clear, light golden color. Bouquet is quite subdued, showing flowery notes along with a streak of leather and smoke. The palate is light bodied for a chardonnay, and displays a hint of mango and lemon along with more flowers. Very nice, long finish that lingers in the mouth. Great, complex wine, although the lower acidity makes it better to drink sooner than later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/11/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
With our new Italian neighbors - they were interested in learning more about American wines so we started out of the blocks with this. Kistler never disappoints, in my experience.
Medium gold color. Citrus, pineapple, mango, honey. Great balance of oak and smokiness. Rich and layered finish. Gorgeous wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/16/2012 - swyang wrote: 94 Points
Brilliant. Just a bit too much coconut aroma and taste for me, but other than that, this is a stunning wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/21/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 95 Points
Tonight I finally got it. After tasting brilliant Chardonnays by Luc Morlet, Kongsgaard and Kistler et al. I have always found them to be intriguing, very nice and perhaps super wines. But tonight the 2007 Kistler Vine Hill vineyard transformed itself in the glass. Brilliant deep rich fruit, balanced but not subtle oak was the first impression. After about an hour in the glass a formal explosion of exotic fruits occurred. Mango, papaya, lychee, passion fruit, rambutan - they all were part of the choire. This is the Kistler magic! It is the obvious reason why this bottle is worth every cent of the 70 € it once cost. The length on the finish is superb and combined with the lovely but slightly quiet acidity, it brings this wine to new dimensions.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2012 - Fishboy wrote: 92 Points
Consistent notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Worldwide Whites (Edina Country Club): Medium yellow color. Sulfur, rubber, light toasted oak, mineral. spices, a bit nutty, The palate is rich, lemon, medium full body, good acid, a bit smokey, oak and spice, citrus, tangy fruit. I must say I expected more from this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
A mixed bag of Whites (Edina Country Club): Not up to standards. Oak, smoke, pinneapple and a burnt quality that was hard to get around. Hopefully this needs time but for the price tag not a great wine. 90-92.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/27/2012 - Tridaddy wrote: 90 Points
Second bottle after Peter Michael freaking awesome with grilled scallops and creole shrimp. Butter up some crusty bread and get you socks knocked off.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/30/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 94 Points
An absolutely brilliant effort from Kistler, the 2007 Vine Hill Chardonnay exhibits a wonderful and complex perfume of lychée, pomme granate, mandarin, orange zest and subtle but expressive minerals. The palate is full-bodied and has a wonderful viscosity permeating a very well balanced impression. All the components of the palate are nicely integrated and absolutely harmonious. I am impressed by the total absence from heat, the alcohol is an impressively low 14 percent and there is no sign of it anywhere. A super wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/28/2012 - G-Man555 wrote: 95 Points
What a wonderful bottle. Full-bodied, with great style. This is meant to be sipped and enjoyed over the night, or with a good Brie and crusty French bread. Wow
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2012 - JJA wrote: 93 Points
This was beautiful on the 3rd night after being opened. Creamy but with just enough mineral flavor to remind you of a white burgundy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2012 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Big classic Kistler. Full body, great mouth feel. All the way through malo: light oak and butter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/5/2012 - JDRFoster wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful citrus and tropical fruit with an alluring creaminess over a core of stony minerality
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2012 - wpd wrote: 93 Points
Deep yellow, plenty of fruit, succulent, delicious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/7/2012 - lumpyelbow wrote:
Yet to be Named Wine Club Meeting #13 Great Wines From Around the World (Jim and David's): Wine Club #13
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 93 Points
Such a lovely wine. Rich without being overpowering. Good oak, without overuse. Relatively long finish. Really good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2011 - matteovino wrote: 91 Points
Some odd flavors here - but some classic too: deep honey, citrus rind and minerals galore. A bit overwrought and viscous. It's obvious this is the product of some serious and well cared for fruit. But the end result seems a little disjointed. Yet again, I find my Kistler Chards perform much better in their youth.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2011 - JJA wrote: 95 Points
Served this a bit warm. But got is chilled after we opened it up. A classic Kistler taste. Burgundian in style with just enough oak and acidity. Terrific. Drinking well now, so drink it up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/25/2011 - robertek wrote: 92 Points
This wine definitely benefits från decanting for a number of hours as straight out of the bottle I think it is abit unbalanced, too smoky and quite unpolished. Still young and I think the pieces will come together very nicely. In a flight of Chablis and Puligny Montrachets it certainly did stick out and was easy to spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2011 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Filling in w/the Friday Brown Bag Group (Rich & Dana's): Nice yellow color. Opens with a smoky aroma, followed by apple and almond notes. Has a wooly flavor on the palate, along with blanched almonds and white fruit. I was leaning towards a Puligny Montrachet unitl I retasted it. The apple and smoky tones had gone, leaving bright apple and vanilla qualities. Definitely seemed more new world as it opened in the glass. Guessed CA Chard. 92+ pts. I'd hold this a while yet, but if drinking now, be sure to allow it plenty of time in the glass or, even better would be to give it some time in the decanter.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2011 - dmoes wrote: 92 Points
Very well structured and acidic, with wonderful hints of pear and melon. I think the fruit was not well formed, and will benefit from more time. Went well with grilled lobster and shrimp.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
Sacred Cow Rocky Mountain Offline - Day 3 (CAVU Cabin, Hartsel, CO): WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Yellow color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of vanilla, hazelnut, cream fraiche and a bit if mixed citrus fruit. Flavors of nutmeg, waxy yellow pears and a bit of yellow apple core. Medium acidity, full bodied. Drink or hold.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2011 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
This is just a wonderful Cali Chard. Lovely acidity with a mouthful of lemon and stony minerals. The burned tone (oak) is really pleasant and interesting. Fresh and slim even though its a big wine. This is one of the best Cali Chards I have had.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/17/2011 - Uglypinga wrote:
Young and oaky nose overriden by butter. The palate has a great texture but is also dominated by oak, with some white peaches getting through. Needs lots of time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2011 - dream wrote: 90 Points
Lovely balanced Cali Chard with good tropical fruit flavors combined with fresh acidity. Finishes complex with notes of stony minerals.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/7/2011 - wpd wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine. Deep yellow, a bit cloudy. Tropical fruit and apricot on the palate. Good minerality and oak balanced with acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 93 Points
consistent with prior notes
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/16/2011 - UTPK wrote:
Uncertain whether this bottle was a bit off. Strange nose, almost astringent mouthfeel with high acidity. Not closed, just distracting aromas, almost faint traces of cork in the mouth. Not as enjoyable as Kistler normally is.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/6/2011 - PeterH wrote: 93 Points
Delicious...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2011 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
Am not a big white wine drinker but this was very nice!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 93 Points
great flavors of lemon and vanilla, with light pineapple and other tropical fruits. Slightly more subdude than other Kistlers, but less butter and more minerality than others as well. What Cali Chardonnay should be.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2011 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Cold, crisp and nice minerality...seems to be improving over prior bottles.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2010 - Miceri wrote: 95 Points
Dark yellow; butter nose; very nice full-bodied nicley balanced with acidity, flowers, very refreshing; very nice and long aftertaste; excellent
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2010 - robertek wrote: 90 Points
A bit too much oak ánd disjointed right now but it will come around.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/12/2010 - Double D wrote: 92 Points
Great cold with lots of acidity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2010 - chatters wrote:
Voyager Estate Masterclass 2010 (North Sydney Cellars): Nose: Butter, malo, toast, tropical fruit, honeysuckle
Mouth: Meaty and chunky, plenty of spice, oak, vanilla, coconut and tropical fruit
Absolutely huge and terribly good rambunctious fun.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/5/2010 - pdemaio wrote: 93 Points
Boom: butter, oak, malo. It pretty much rocks. Another classic kistler wine. Probably best to decant for a couple of hours and let it open.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2010 - Double D wrote: 91 Points
Floral nose. not as dry or as much minerality as other Kistlers, very nice with summer salad with chicken
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2010 - Fishboy wrote: 92 Points
Great chardonnay. Yellowish with a touch of green in color with mineral and lime notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2010 - ilcor wrote: 94 Points
I'm not a huge fan of oak on my white wines but this wine is fantastic. There's not too much oak, good and buttery.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2010 - mcrystal wrote: 94 Points
Moving in the right direction, needs more time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2010 - dream wrote: 93 Points
Just received in the mail and popped it open. Clearly a bit affected by the shipping as it tastes a little disjointed but the material underneath is impressive. This is a large-scaled Vine Hill with big lime and tropical fruit flavors along with wet stones and tons of minerals on the ultra-long finish. I will let this settle down for a few months but this could be the most promising Vine Hill I've ever tasted. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/27/2010 - bingley wrote: 91 Points
Sweet and buttery. Crisp fruit finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment