2016 Chardonnay Cuvee Cathleen

I suspect one of the greatest Chardonnays to come out of California, the 2016 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvée Cathleen comes from a single block of broken shale soils and vines planted in 1993. They first made this cuvée in 2000. The tightest, most backward, and insanely pure in the lineup, with a liqueur of rocks like minerality, this incredible Chardonnay offers full-bodied richness, loads of apple and orchard fruits, complex floral and spice characteristics, vibrant and massive concentration. Despite being a rich, layered wine, it stays beautifully precise and focused on the palate, with a salty, marine-like character developing with time in the glass. It needs 2-3 years of bottle age and will cruise for a decade. There’s been a distinct style change at Kistler, with winemaker Jason Kesner purposely pulling back on the harvest dates and making a classic, age-worthy style of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. He’s done this without sacrificing depth, concentration, or richness, and these latest 2016s are truly brilliant wines.

The 2016 Chardonnay Cuvee Cathleen is quite reticent at this youthful stage, slowly revealing notes of lemon meringue pie, lime cordial, spiced pears and apple tart with touches of chalk dust, marzipan, brioche and acacia honey. Full-bodied, rich and decadent in the mouth, it has oodles of freshness lifting the tightly packed flavors with a very long, wonderfully layered finish.