2017 Kistler "Durell Vineyard" Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

“In the same ballpark, the 2017 Chardonnay Durell comes from a Sonoma Coast site and is a richer, fuller Chardonnay that offers lots of lemon curd, pineapple, and some orchard fruits as well as a kiss of smoky minerality. Medium-bodied, nicely textured, and beautifully balanced, the wine builds with time in the glass, displaying a beautiful mid-palate and a great finish. While it’s one of the richer wines in the lineup, it’s firmly in the new, racy, crisp style of the estate.” (06/2019)

“The 2017 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard is creamy, ample and luscious, all while retaining a distinct element of salinity that give freshness and also a sense of direction. Lemon oil, yellow orchard fruit, white flowers and mint add brightness to a complete and wonderfully alluring Chardonnay that dazzles. In 2017, the Durrell is a wine of real distinction and class. (AG)” (05/2019)

“The effusively rich and spicy apple, pear and ripe melon flavors show amazing clarity, loaded with plush spiciness. Notes of dried mango and pineapple emerge midpalate, with a long, lush and buttery finish. Hard to resist. (KM)” (04/2020)

“The windy Durell vineyard, west of the town of Sonoma, spans three AVAs; Carneros, Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Valley and was first planted in 1979. Kistler has sourced fruit from here since 1986. The old Wente clone vines make wines with rich, seamless fruit and this vintage is particularly luscious and lemony, with a round creamy texture and a wintergreen brightness. (EM)” (09/2019)

“The 2017 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard opens with lemon curd, toast, dried hay and baked quince scents with notions of pie crust, baked yellow apple and honey notions. Medium-bodied, it has an intense core of open-knit, honey-tinged fruits with toasty and mineral accents enlivened by tangy acidity, finishing long and layered. (EB)” (12/2019)

“Full and well-ripened with a creamy oak overlay to its mix of apples and Asian pears, this ample Chardonnay starts out on a slightly rounded note on entry then, in mid-palate, displays the firmer structure shared by all of its siblings and is a tailored wine of measured richness and fine fruity vigor rather than one that opts for full-bore sweet extravagance. It is balanced to be around for a fairly long time and will definitely reward further age, yet it is not so tight or backward as to warn off near-term drinking and is showing splendidly right now. *Two Stars*” (05/2021)