Kistler Vineyards

Founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler, Kistler Vineyards has become one of California’s most revered producers of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. From the start, Steve Kistler’s pioneering vision was to reveal the transparency of vineyard site, and the team remain as committed as ever to crafting wines that express the unique soils and microclimates of each vineyard. The estate was sold to Bill Price in 2008, and Steve retired in 2017, passing winemaking to Jason Kesner, who, after a long apprenticeship at Kistler, continues to evolve the estate’s style while respecting the legacy of its founders.

Kistler works with fifteen vineyards across the North Coast, stretching from western Sonoma County to Carneros. They exclusively use a single, specially selected Chardonnay clone, producing tiny berries, small bunches, and naturally low yields. Each vineyard-designate cuvée is vinified using traditional Burgundian techniques: barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged in 60% new French oak, left in contact with lees through full malolactic fermentation, and bottled unfiltered and unfined after 11–18 months. The focus is on minerality and site expression, married with the natural gift of the Californian sunshine.

Their most famous Chardonnay is Les Noisetiers, made from a range of vineyards planted on the local Goldridge sandy soils. 100% barrel fermented with around 40% new oak, it’s classically Californian with well managed reduction providing lift and elegance.

The Pinot Noirs are crafted from two low-yielding clones (Calera and Swan), originally imported from a Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy. Fermented in open-top vessels, free-run juice is matured in oak for 14–18 months to produce elegant, harmonious wines. Expect purity, balance, and a lingering, perfumed finish.