2017 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvée Cathleen

Jason Kesner turned out a brilliant set of wines at Kistler in 2017. Yields were quite low because of poor weather during set. Kesner told me he was able to pick almost all his fruit - both Pinot and Chardonnay - before the Labor Day heat, which is rare. Perhaps more importantly, over the last few years, Kesner has moved picking dates up by three days on average, which is considerable, especially for Chardonnay. Today's Kistler wines clearly offer more freshness and nuance than in the past. The 2017s are some of the very finest and most consistent wines I have ever tasted here. Clearly, the wines carry considerable textural richness. and yet they are also distinct and highly expressive of site. The 2017s were all racked from barrel to tank just prior to the 2018 harvest, and bottled in November of that year.