Kistler

Kistler Vineyards is based in Sonoma County, California. Since 1978, it is renowded for its famous and excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. Their approach is simple in theory but complex in practice: to cultivate the best plots, interfere as little as possible in the process, and allow the vineyard to express itself.

History

The winery was founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler, who were united by the conviction that it was possible to produce Chardonnay in California with genuine character, reflecting the distinctive qualities of a specific plot, an idea that was far from fashionable at the time. Steve oversaw winemaking and vineyard operations; Mark, who held a PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, managed the commercial side of the business.

In 2008, Bill Price, the long-time owner of Durell Vineyards, acquired a controlling stake from Steve. That same year, Jason Kesner joined Steve in the cellar, marking the start of a transition that had been in the making for eight years and was based on their earlier collaboration at Hudson Vineyards.

Steve retired at the end of 2017, leaving Jason as president and winemaker. Mark Bixler passed away in the autumn of 2017.

Vineyards

Kistler currently cultivates seventeen vineyards across five appellations, from Carneros and the Sonoma Valley to the Russian River Valley and the Sonoma Coast. Wine from the original planting, Kistler Vineyard on Mount Sonoma, has been bottled as a single-vineyard wine since 1986. Rather than simply buying fruit, the estate plants vineyards in partnership with its growers, selecting rootstocks and propagating the same traditional clones as on its own land.

The youngest of these partnerships with winegrowers is over thirty years old. Twelve vineyards produce single-vineyard Chardonnay; two produce single-vineyard Pinot Noir.

Terroir

The vineyards span a wide range of California’s coastal conditions. The deep red volcanic soils of Sonoma Mountain, where forty-year-old vines are grown without irrigation, produce wines with a pronounced mineral character. The vineyards of the Russian River and the Sonoma coast are shaped by the constant influence of the Pacific Ocean, which during the growing season carries cool air and fog inland, preserving acidity and slowing ripening.

The diversity of soils across all plots, ranging from volcanic to alluvial, plays a key role in the distinct character of each wine from a single vineyard.

Grape varieties

Kistler works exclusively with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

As for Chardonnay, a single traditional Californian clone is planted across all seventeen vineyards. Its source material was brought from Burgundy in the early 20th century and has been selected and refined over several generations by Californian winegrowers to achieve low yields, small berries, high concentration and the ability to retain natural acidity during ripening.

Two traditional clones are used for Pinot Noir, both of which are characterised by low yields, small berries, good colour and the retention of natural acidity. The estate has been propagating and refining these two Pinot Noir varieties for around twenty-five years and is now planting new vineyards with a blend of both varieties.

Winemaking

Grapes are harvested at night, when the berries are at their coolest and the acidity is most stable. All the Chardonnay is fermented in underground cellars using exclusively indigenous yeasts. The French oak barrels are purchased as untreated staves, air-dried in the cooperage village of Saint-Romain in Burgundy, and crafted into barrels after three years. The Pinot Noir fermentation process is monitored around the clock with minimal mechanical intervention. The entire process is designed to highlight the characteristics of the specific vineyard plot rather than impose a house style. The wines are not clarified or filtered.

Wines

The current range includes twelve single-vineyard Chardonnay wines and two single-vineyard Pinot Noir wines.

All are sold primarily through a direct mail order list. The wines are not widely available in retail outlets and are not produced in large quantities.

The Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay, produced from the original plot in the Sonoma Hills, remains the flagship wine. Each single-vineyard batch is designed to reflect the characteristics of a specific plot, with the differences between them as distinct and consistent as those between villages in Burgundy.