The 2015 Les Noisetiers Chardonnay has a beautiful nose of ripe peaches, honeysuckle and brioche with a touch of marzipan. Medium to full-bodied with a lovely oiliness to the texture, it has a lot of power and intensity with a long, honeyed peach finish.

The largest production cuvée for Kistler is the 2014 Chardonnay Les Noisetiers, of which they make 10,000 cases. It is an outstanding effort with a note of roasted hazelnuts (hence the name) loads of sexy citrus oil, honeysuckle and a touch of tropical fruit. It is meant to be drunk in its first 2-3 years of life.

The 2011 Chardonnay Les Noisetiers is a wonderful introduction to the Kistler wines. Floral-laced white and yellow orchard fruits jump from the glass in a wine that is surprisingly open and accessible for the year. I especially like the creaminess and expressiveness of the finish. There is a lot to like here. The Noisetiers is by far Kistler’s largest production wine and is much more easily available than the vineyard designates. In 2011 it is absolutely delicious. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. It is always a pleasure to visit with Steve Kistler and his partner Mark Bixler. The 2011s and 2010s are excellent across the board, although I currently have a preference for the 2011s. Vintage 2011 is shaping up beautifully, for both the Chardonnays and Pinots. As was the case throughout the region, the season was cool and slow to develop. The 2011s were picked at lower sugars than is the norm here, but very much in keeping with the personality of the year. Steve Kistler commented that a poor set in 2011 resulted in their lowest crop loads in years. Like a lot of his colleagues, Kistler noted that the experiences of 2010 had a huge positive impact on how he responded to similar challenges in 2011. The 2010 Chardonnays are beautiful across the board. Although solid, the 2010 Pinots aren’t quite at the level of the superb 2009s and I expect, ultimately, the 2011s. It was a tough vintage for the Pinots. Yields were mercilessly low. Sadly, there is no Cuvee Elizabeth, as the little fruit that came in went into the Kistler Vineyard bottling. Tel. (707) 823-5603