The dazzling 1997 Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard is explosive, viscous, powerful, and mineral-laden. It surpasses 14% alcohol, but that is well-hidden by the wine's outstanding extract and layered personality. A lush, leesy complexity emerges, but this is an extremely rich, highly-concentrated, stunning Chardonnay with prodigious fruit extraction in addition to astonishing length. This is the finest Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay to date. Steve Kistler believes the 1997 Chardonnays are among the finest he has ever produced. The vintage's high yields do not appear to have had an impact on the wines' level of concentration and intensity. Moreover, the 1997's possess an atypical level of tangy, underlying acidity, giving the wines a wonderful vibrancy. The splendid aromatics are matched only by the 1995's. I tasted 8 Chardonnays. While they share a certain similarity, they posssess distinctive attributes that justify the winery's decision to differentiate them. All are fermented with both indigenous and commercial yeasts, given extensive stirring during prolonged contact with the lees, and bottled unfiltered after full malolactic fermentation. The percentage of new French oak varies, with higher percentages for the Camp Meeting Ridge, Hudson, and Cuvee Cathleen offerings. Release date, 11/99. Tel. (707) 823-5603; Fax (707) 823-6709.

The dazzling 1997 Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard is explosive, viscous, powerful, and mineral-laden. It surpasses 14% alcohol, but that is well-hidden by the wine's outstanding extract and layered personality. A lush, leesy complexity emerges, but this is an extremely rich, highly-concentrated, stunning Chardonnay with prodigious fruit extraction in addition to astonishing length. This is the finest Camp Meeting Ridge Chardonnay to date.Steve Kistler believes the 1997 Chardonnays are among the finest he has ever produced. The vintage's high yields do not appear to have had an impact on the wines' level of concentration and intensity. Moreover, the 1997's possess an atypical level of tangy, underlying acidity, giving the wines a wonderful vibrancy. The splendid aromatics are matched only by the 1995's. I tasted 8 Chardonnays. While they share a certain similarity, they posssess distinctive attributes that justify the winery's decision to differentiate them. All are fermented with both indigenous and commercial yeasts, given extensive stirring during prolonged contact with the lees, and bottled unfiltered after full malolactic fermentation. The percentage of new French oak varies, with higher percentages for the Camp Meeting Ridge, Hudson, and Cuvee Cathleen offerings.Release date, 11/99.Tel. (707) 823-5603; Fax (707) 823-6709.