2020 Kistler Vineyard Cuvée Cathleen Chardonnay
Notes
Green-tinged pale yellow. Classic. Complex. Complete. Site and block specific aromatics of delicate lime blossom, nut oils, crushed shale and ripe golden orchard fruit. Packed with flavor and dense with extract. Always one of our most comprehensive Chardonnays. Simultaneously taught yet broad and rich. Finishes with luxurious, lasting definition. To be enjoyed early with decanting but will reward the patience of cellar aging.
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97 points
Audrey Frick
The 2020 Chardonnay Kistler Vineyard Cuvee Cathleen is from a parcel within the vineyard on red volcanic soils that captures the afternoon sun. It offers a notably more relaxed and generous character, with banana rind, ripe pineapple, and vanilla. The palate is also ripe and rounded, with juicy pear, baked apple, and caramelized rum spice. It is opulent, layered, and very attractive now or over the next 8-10 years.
98 points
Erin Brooks
The 2020 Chardonnay Cuvée Cathleen offers exceptionally defined, layered aromas: apricot and peach are complemented by tones of dried lilacs and herbs, honeycomb, almonds, tangerine, pie spices and flinty streaks. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and seamless, with concentrated, peachy fruit, tangy acidity and a tremendously long finish driven by an appealing touch of phenolic texture. It's a rare combination of fruit density carried on an elegant, harmonious structure.
98 points
James Suckling
Delicate yet really complex nose of orange peel, brioche, crushed sage and baked pear. Full-bodied, but soft in approach. So much going on. Powdery tannins are soaked in toasted citrus, hazelnuts, chalk and herbs. There’s a lot to unpack here. Layered and long. It’s tasting beautifully now, but this really needs time to show its true potential.
