The 2020 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen offers exceptionally defined, layered aromas: apricot and peach are complemented by tones of dried lilacs and herbs, honeycomb, almonds, tangerine, pie spices and flinty streaks. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and seamless, with concentrated, peachy fruit, tangy acidity and a tremendously long finish driven by an appealing touch of phenolic texture. It's a rare combination of fruit density carried on an elegant, harmonious structure.

The 2019 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen takes time to open up to delicate wafts of white lilac, Meyer lemon, quince peel and sea spray, with hints of beeswax and almonds. The palate offers incredible tension between surprisingly generous fruits and tangy, salty lift. Its expansive, honey-laced flavors linger for an extraordinarily long finish. Wow! It deserves another 2-3 years in bottle at least.

The 2018 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen opens slowly on the nose, with toast, iodine and flint to begin, segueing to aromas of apple pie, quince paste, honeycomb, hazelnuts, pastry and loads upon loads of floral nuances. Medium-bodied, it explodes in the mouth, uber silky and packing in more flavor than seems possible, which lingers and is then refreshed by tangy acidity and rocky minerality, finishing extraordinarily long with continually developing flavors. Unbelievable!

The 2018 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvee Cathleen comes from slightly younger vines (planted in the 1990s) and is on the east side of this windy vineyard and gets more afternoon sun. This cuvée is always a riper, more opulent wine compared to the straight Kistler Vineyard release, and the 2018 is no exception, yielding incredible notes of Meyer lemon, nectarines, honeysuckle, grilled bread, and liquid rock-like minerality. One of those wines that offers incredible richness yet not a hint of heaviness, it's full-bodied, has a stacked mid-palate, gorgeous acidity, and a monster of a finish. Give bottles 2-4 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 15-20 years.

Winemaker Jason Kesner points out that this is not a barrel selection but a separate block in the vineyard with unique soils of broken shale and red volcanic ash. The 2017 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen is youthfully shy on the nose, opening very slowly to notes of dried apple, potpourri, hints of key lime pie and sliced apricot with accents of spring honey, toast and wet stone. Medium-bodied, the aromas bely the palate—it explodes with multilayered flavors ranging from tangy citrus to honeycomb and earthy notions of dried leaves, seamlessly framed by juicy acidity and silkily textured, finishing very long and packed with flavor. "To me, this has several distinct parts of its personality, like gears with teeth," says Kesner. "This hits on all the classic points you look for in a beautifully made California Chardonnay: it's got a nice low pH, that sense of richness, textural complexity and high tones. It's not pervasive, not in your face, not cloying. It has a sense of minerality and a savory component. When all those things become one and they start to blur together and you can’t pick them out—that’s when a wine becomes truly magical to me." Well done!