2021 Kistler Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard

The 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is powerful yet seamless, although it's youthfully coiled and deserves plenty of time to unfold in bottle. It's savory on the nose to begin, with wafts of iodine that give way to fresh citrus and peach. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and mouth-coating with concentrated lime-and-flint flavors counterbalanced by vibrant acidity, and it has a long, flavorful finish.

The 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is bright and effusive as it soars from the glass. Yellow flowers, orchard fruit, mint, spice and a kiss of French oak lend notable aromatic presence. Deceptive in its mid-weight feel, the 2021 is classic Hudson in its flavor profile and overall feel. (AG)

Taking on a sunnier feel aromatically, the 2021 Chardonnay Hudson Vineyard is ripe with attractive aromas of orchard fruit, ripe lemon balm, and fresh herbs. The palate is ripe and full-bodied, with a rounded mouthfeel and notes of ripe apricot, orange, and fresh flowers as well as a bit of toasted spice. It’s approachable now or over the next 6-8 years. Located in the Russian River Valley, Kistler is led today by winemaker Jason Kesner, who continues the long tradition of working from a singular clone of Chardonnay with Burgundian lineage that Steve Kistler, now of Occidental Wines, began in the 1980s. The 2021s were all tasted at the winery with Jason this May. Across the board, the wines from this vintage carry a savory profile that’s less about its fruit character and more about texture and sense of place, expressing a haunting sense of power and range. These are wines that I sometimes find difficult to pin down into words, but they are truly worth experiencing for yourself.