Kistler 2001 Vine Hill Chardonnay

This was tasted at Corkage’s Dinner of the Gods thing on August 21, 2004. Stems were great. Food was otherworldly. Company and conversation fantastic.

I was slightly disappointed with this wine. Perhaps my expectations are a bit too high, but I expected an otherworldly experience. This was a good, no, really good Kistler, but I was expecting an experience that would make me shake my head like a cartoon character with audible noises to match it. I reserved a splash for about two hours to see if it would significantly improve but it didn’t. Still, classic pineapple notes with great mouthfeel and some doughiness. Paired the food quite well.
Worth 91+ TJ points.

I believe that this is a Parker 95 pointer. You gave it 91+, so would you say that it is a HOLD?

Yeah. Hold it dude. Depending on how many you have, crack one in a year or so, IMO.

This wine was consumed tonight with pork chops covered with sauteed pears. This is unmistakably Vine Hill with it's intense smoke, pineapple and mineral finish. This wine is still a baby and may improve over the next year or so and I think it will hold on for another 3 years after that. I prefer the '99 and the '98 Vine Hill to the 2001, but it is more intense than the '97 and '00. I adore the wines from this single vineyard site.

jb

• 2001 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (6/19/2005)
  Outstanding bottle of wine. I've had a few Kistler Chards over the years, and this one did not leave me disappointed. It was very hard to keep from drinking this stuff so I could see it evolve over time. Pineapples, dough, some butterscotch and later some baked bread. Finely balanced and an excellent finish. I love this wine and I am thankful I still have one left. 94 pts. (94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker!

Clearly this bottle has improved over the past year. WOW! I love it.

This wine has improved from my first experience with it. It is no secret that Vine Hill is my favorite of the single vineyard sites from Kistler. This wine, while not as special as the '99 or '98, is fantastic Chardonnay. Deftly blending power and finesse, the oak has integrated well into the wine and the flavor profile is not as dominated by pineapple at present. Citrus oil, subtle charred wood, wet stone and excellent length. It really reminded me of a 1er cru Chassagne from a great site like Grande Ruchottes. These are really the only California Chardonnays that I still thoroughly enjoy drinking for my own pleasure. I find that most Kistler Chardonnays need at least 18 months to come together. I have 3 more bottles remaining and will try the next sometime in 2006 or 2007. Worth every penny, imo.

jb

Good to hear, JB.
How many 99s do you have left???

Two. I may try one over the holidays or some special occasion. Maybe the VC dinner. The last one I hope to hold for 2 more years and I'll try it in 2007. Anything past that is pushing the limits, imo.

jb

I keep grabbing these on winebid whenthe price drops to $50.
Fortunately, I still have 4 left, and have yet to have a bad bottle.

I agree that 2 years is pushing it, but I had my last 96 a year ago and it was gorgeous!

Very good information on the Vinehill. I still have 4 of the 1999 left, which changed my opinion of Chardonnay for ever! The 99 is still the greastest bottle of Chardonnay I have ever tasted. I also have 2000, 2001 in the cellar waiting. I look forward to trying a 2001 very soon, as soon as I can get to it.
Thanks for the notes.

$72.00 Mailing List

Like most above, I agree that this a great bottle. Vine Hill has always been 1 of my fav from Kistler. There is no rush on it. But, one can drink now with about 30 mins of air time.

Rating: 93 points, drink or hold. Parker gave it a 95.