2014 Trenton Roadhouse Chardonnay - Kistler Vineyards

Baked apple, peach pit, honeysuckle. Lemon cake, whipped dairy, a touch of fennel. Clove, nutmeg, and overt oak. Fully ripe, round, and ready to go. Reminiscent of low-fat vanilla hazelnut creamer drizzled over lemon meringue pie. This 2014 Trenton Roadhouse Chardonnay by Kistler Vineyards is a style-defining California icon.

Since 1978 Kistler Vineyards has been creating world class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The operation was founded by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler with the intention of creating single-vineyard wines from some of Sonoma & Napa County's best sites. The wines quickly achieved cult status and are now highly allocated and difficult to obtain. Stylistically Kistler's wines are powerful and lush with serious energy and vivacity. For many they are the textbook definition of California Chardonnay at it's most dynamic and opulent. This bottling, coming from Kistler's Trenton Roadhouse Vineyard located well inside the Russian River Valley AVA, is one of their more fruit forward offerings. While these wines can age well and improve in the cellar, this particular bottling is probably already at its stylistic best.