2013 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Wild-yeast fermentation in French oak barrels. 11-18 months on the lees. Unfined and unfiltered. Tasted blind. Pale gold. Buttery nose. Richer, sweeter and fatter than most. Almost creamy coffee notes. Lots of alcohol and not quite as refreshing as some. Slightly bitter note on the end. For early drinking. Kistler? (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
More restrained, delicate and playing it closer to the vest is the 2013 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard. This wine has a touch of tropical fruit, including mango and pineapple, good body and some gravel-like, stony minerality. Drink it over the next 4-6 years.
Kistler’s 2013 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard is decidedly more vertical in feel than many other wines in the range. Phenolic intensity plays off a set of bright aromas and flavors, which makes for a complete and intriguing wine. A long, extended finish only adds to the wine’s considerable appeal. The Stone Flat is a gorgeous, complete wine, but it also needs a year or two to be at its best. This is an especially strong showing for the Stone Flat.
Lemon oil, white flowers and almonds are some of the notes that lift from the glass in Kistler's 2013 Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard. The flavor are bright, clean and beautifully articulated, with a hidden sense of understated power that is currently lying in the background. It will be interesting to see how much the layers fill out over the coming months.
About the producer
Kistler’s Chardonnays are some of the world’s most sought-after. This cult Californian producer crafts small volumes of exceptional, rich and generous, yet mineral and precise wines. With almost the entire production sold directly to their mailing list, the wines are also incredibly hard to find.