2012 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast)

It's fascinating to see how Kistler's 2012 have developed since I tasted them just before bottling. The 2012 Chardonnays seem to have become softer and more open, while the exact opposite has taken place with the Pinot Noirs, all of which are quite a bit firmer and more tannic. My sense is that the 2012 Chardonnays will offer their best drinking sooner rather than later, while the Pinots will reward at least medium-term aging. In other news, Jason Kesner has been promoted to Winemaker, another step in what appears to be a gradual transition as Steve Kistler hands off more day-to-day responsibility to Kesner.

This is a brilliant set of wines from Steve Kistler and his longtime business partner Mark Bixler. According to Kistler, the cool 2011 vintage had little effect on the Chardonnays, all of which were picked at their levels of ripeness, which as I have written previously, are lower than was the norm up until a few years ago. Sugars were harder to come by in the Pinot Noirs, all of which have lower pHs and a little less ripeness than is typically the case. That may be why the 2011 Pinots were so slow to reveal themselves. All of the 2011s were made with native fermentations and were racked only in preparation for bottling, which was done without fining or filtration. The wines were aged in 50% new oak barrels, mostly from François Frères. I also tasted the 2012s from tank, just prior to bottling. Today, the wines show terrific balance and tons of potential. I can hardly wait to taste the wines once they are in bottle. Readers may be aware that Kistler has been partly owned by an investor group for the last six years. Steve Kistler remains CEO and in charge of day to day operations, but has also begun a new Pinot Noir project, Occidental, which is reviewed separately. Going forward, two of the flagship Kistler Pinots, the Cuvée Catherine and Cuvée Elizabeth, will be sold under the Occidental label, so Kistler fans will want to consult those reviews for more information on the wines and the project as a whole. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see what Steve Kistler comes up with in the next phase of what has been a brilliant career.