Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard Parmelee Hill 2017 - Kistler Vineyards

Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard Parmelee Hill 2017 — Kistler Vineyards

This Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard Parmelee Hill 2017 from Kistler Vineyards embodies a rare, precise and profoundly refined expression of Californian Chardonnay. From the Parmelee Hill sector on the Sonoma Coast, this wine combines luminous fruit richness, the tension of a cool climate and noble texture, in a style that is broad, chiselled and intensely mineral: ripe lemon, citrus zest, fresh pear, yellow apple, white peach, white flowers, fresh almond, hazelnut, fine butter, warm stone, chalk, light smoke and a long saline finish.

Kistler Vineyards is among California’s most emblematic estates for Chardonnay, recognised for wines of great precision, depth and ageing capacity. Stone Flat Vineyard expresses a refined single-vineyard reading, where the ripeness of Chardonnay remains balanced by freshness, terroir energy and a persistent mineral frame. The 2017 vintage, elegant, structured and luminous, gives here a wine that is dense, vibrant and already complex, capable of evolving with grace.

Terroir: Parmelee Hill, maritime freshness and mineral precision

The Parmelee Hill sector on the Sonoma Coast benefits from cool maritime influences, morning fog, temperate nights and soils capable of preserving tension and balance in Chardonnay. These conditions allow full aromatic ripeness while maintaining freshness, energy and textural finesse.

At Kistler, Stone Flat Vineyard translates into a wine that is both broad and precise, where fruit richness combines with an elegant mineral structure. Chardonnay gains depth, texture and complexity here, with a signature evoking ripe citrus, white fruits, warm stone, chalk, hazelnut and a long saline finish. In 2017, this expression remains particularly balanced between density, freshness and refinement.

Tasting notes

Appearance: pale gold with brilliant reflections, slowly evolving towards deeper gold, luminous, dense and still very well sustained. The colour reflects the ripeness of Chardonnay, the precision of the 2017 vintage and a gradual evolution towards greater aromatic complexity.

Nose: pure, ripe and highly expressive, with ripe lemon, citrus zest, fresh pear, yellow apple, white peach, white flowers, fresh almond, hazelnut, fine butter and warm stone. With aeration and evolution, nuances of fine honey, sweet spices, chalk, oyster shell, light smoke, discreet vanilla, fine dried fruits and white truffle may appear.

Palate: broad, satiny, fresh and perfectly structured, with dense substance carried by elegant tension. Flavours of ripe lemon, pear, yellow apple, white peach, almond, hazelnut, fine butter, warm stone, chalk and sweet spices unfold with depth, supported by a precise mineral frame. The finish is long, saline, lightly smoky and persistent, with an impression of purity, relief and great Californian elegance.

Expression of the 2017 vintage

The 2017 vintage in California produced expressive, structured and often highly balanced Chardonnays, capable of combining fruit ripeness, preserved freshness and fine aromatic intensity. On the cool terroirs of the Sonoma Coast, this year makes it possible to obtain wines that are broad, luminous and taut, with promising evolution.

Today, this Chardonnay Stone Flat Vineyard Parmelee Hill 2017 from Kistler remains still young in its evolution, but it can already seduce through its substance, aromatic brilliance and balance after measured aeration. With time, it will gain hazelnut, fine honey, white truffle, noble butter, melted spices, light smoke, warm stone and iodised nuances, while preserving mineral freshness and the depth of Chardonnay.