1998 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard

Community Tasting Notes (25) Avg Score: 92.4 points

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  11/15/2014 - emzee.mc Likes this wine: 95 Points

  This chardonnay pours a golden amber hue (think aged sauternes) with very long legs. At 14.1% abv with the age, I expect the alcohol to have ebbed a little. A massive nose of marzipan, maple, butterscotch, honey, and a faint touch of citrus at the end. There are even some tertiary notes of soybean, sugarcane and lemon curd. On the palate, the wine is unctuous and displays a clear, well defined structure; in fact, the mouthfeel is robust yet restrained with poise. There are notes of honeysuckle, creme brulee, wet stones and camembert in the end. Just the faintest of touches of lemon peel to round things out. Compared to Marcassin and Aubert, this drinks more in the style of an aged Grand Cru Burgundy with the immense extract, finesse, balance and charm. Finish is long and lasts for well over half a minute! This wine is a prime example of what Napa chardonnays can offer at the top level. Incredible effort from the guys at Kistler.

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  11/22/2013 - anonymoose12345 Does not like this wine: 87 Points

  Boring. Cali chard at its most mediocre.

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  8/20/2013 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 95 Points

  A totally unexpected pleasure. My dining companion was leery and skeptical when I mentioned I was bringing a 15-year-old Cali Chardonnay. We were certain the plants outside would be the eventual beneficiary of this wine. It turned out to be marvelous and one of the most complex and unique whites I've ever had, as it was both hedonistically and intellectually satisfying. The color was a shade of amber not unlike aged Sauternes. On the nose and palate were butterscotch, toasted nuts, and grilled pineapples. Hints of caramel, but not sweet. It has shed a lot of the citrus notes of its youth, but it was still there to give the wine liveliness. Unbelievable experience. Consumed at R+D Kitchen in Newport Beach.

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  3/2/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 96 Points

  This is a spectacular Bottle of Kistler Chardonnay. Amber colour, boysemberry, wet stone, nice acidity. Mouthfilling and long. Spectacular and has lots of life left.

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  1/28/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 95 Points

  This is drinking spectacularly well and I find the Kistler Chardonnays very ageworthy if one likes older Chardonnays. This has shed all of its fat and gives way to a very elegant and complex palate of hazelnut, some residual sweetness of pineapple, some citrus. Wet stone. Great.

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