About Kistler Vineyards
Kistler Vineyards is one of the defining names in American Chardonnay, a benchmark Burgundian-style producer founded in 1978 by winemaker Steve Kistler and his partner Mark Bixler. Working from the Russian River area of Sonoma, Kistler built its reputation on single-vineyard, barrel-fermented Chardonnays made with native-yeast fermentation and a deliberately minimal, hands-off approach; its site-specific bottlings became icons that helped shape how California Chardonnay is made.
Today the winery produces around thirteen Chardonnays and four Pinot Noirs from roughly eleven single-vineyard sites, a mix of estate-owned vineyards and long-term leases from celebrated growers. All are made essentially identically, whole-cluster pressed, fermented and aged in French oak, unfined and unfiltered, so that each site, rather than the hand of the maker, speaks. Alongside the vineyard-designates sit the Les Noisetiers and Sonoma Mountain Chardonnays and the celebrated reserve, Cuvee Cathleen.
Production is tightly allocated and sold primarily through the winery's mailing list, and visits are strictly by appointment. Founder Steve Kistler stepped away in 2017 to focus on his own coastal Pinot project, Occidental, but the Kistler style, opulent yet mineral and profoundly collectible, endures.
One of California's defining Chardonnay houses, making tightly allocated, site-driven single-vineyard wines by appointment.
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A defining California ChardonnayA benchmark Burgundian producer since 1978 whose single-vineyard Chardonnays helped set the American standard.
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Site over makerAround 13 Chardonnays and 4 Pinots made identically across 11 single-vineyard sites, so terroir shows through.
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Minimal, hands-off winemakingNative-yeast, barrel-fermented and unfiltered, including the celebrated reserve Cuvee Cathleen.
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Allocated and by appointmentTightly allocated through the mailing list; visits are strictly by appointment.
"One of California's defining Chardonnay houses, making tightly allocated, site-driven single-vineyard wines visited only by appointment."
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Featured Wines
Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Kistler Vineyards, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. Sonoma Coast producers typically rotate vintages and offerings seasonally.
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Mailing List Appointment Tasting
Extremely limited by-appointment tasting for mailing list members, the only way to experience Kistler's single-vineyard Chardonnay portfolio at the source. One of California's most exclusive and most rewarding wine experiences.
From $100
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