Kistler - Les Noisetiers 2021
Kistler Vineyards is located in Sonoma County, California . The winery was founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler . Until 2017, vineyard work and winemaking were supervised by Steve Kistler. Mark Bixler , who holds a doctorate in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, ran the business side of the winery and helped in the lab. In 2008, Kistler sold his majority interest in the business to Durell Vineyard owner Bill Price . At the same time, they brought Hudson Vineyards' Carneros vineyard manager, Jason Kesner , into the team as Steve's assistant winemaker, with the goal of a lengthy transition period. This project came to fruition in late 2017, with Jason now overseeing all production, viticulture and day-to-day operations. Kistler Vineyards focuses on Burgundian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grape varieties . The fruit comes from three Sonoma AVAs: Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain and Carneros. Chardonnay comes from a clone originating from Burgundy producing low yields, with small berries, and a high concentration of aromas while retaining its natural acidity. Pinot Noir also comes from a Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy. Kistler vineyards are planted in partnerships with several producers, selecting the best terroirs and working closely on the establishment and management of these cloned vines.
Les Noisetiers is made from Chardonnay from the Sonoma region. Manual harvesting takes place at night to preserve the freshness of the fruit and limit oxidation of the grapes. The whole bunches are put into direct pressing then the wine is fermented in barrels . Malolactic conversion is complete. The wine is aged for 10 months on lees , in barrels of which 38% are new.
Grape variety: 100% Chardonnay