| Region of production: | Sonoma and Napa Counties |
| Winery Location: | Sebastopol |
| Year Established: | 1978 |
Vineyard Holdings
- Kistler Vineyard (Sonoma Mountain AVA): 43 ha
- Vine Hill Vineyard (Sonoma Coast AVA): 7 ha
- Trenton Roadhouse (Sonoma Coast AVA): 4.8 ha
Sourced vineyards
- McCrea Vineyard (Sonoma Mountain AVA)
- Dutton Vineyard (Sonoma Coast AVA)
- Hyde Vineyard (Carneros AVA)
- Hudson Vineyard (Carneros AVA)
- Durell Vineyard (Carneros AVA)
- Stone Flat (Carneros AVA)
Top Wines Produced & Inaugural Vintages
- Dutton Vineyard (Sonoma Coast AVA): Inaugural vintage 1979.
- Kistler Vineyard (Sonoma Mountain AVA): Inaugural vintage 1986.
- Kistler Vineyard ‘Cuvee Cathleen’ (Sonoma Mountain AVA)
- Durell Vineyard (Carneros AVA): Inaugural vintage 1986.
- McCrea Vineyard (Sonoma Mountain AVA): Inaugural vintage 1988.
- Vine Hill Vineyard (Sonoma Coast AVA): Inaugural vintage 1991.
- Hyde Vineyard (Carneros AVA): Inaugural vintage 1994.
- Hudson Vineyard (Carneros AVA): Inaugural vintage 1994.
- Stone Flat (Carneros AVA): Inaugural vintage 2002.
- Trenton Roadhouse (Sonoma Coast AVA): Inaugural vintage 2009.
Average Total Production
- 32,400 bottles
Summary
The Kistler family founded Kistler Vineyards in 1978, and the first vintage was made in 1979. The winery focuses solely on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir production from across Sonoma County and southern Napa. Since 2006, a conscious effort has been made to step away from the “big, rich style” of Chardonnay that made the winery popular. Grapes are harvested earlier and the winery uses less new oak than in the past. Vineyard operations and winemaking are overseen by Steve Kistler and his business partner Mark Bixler oversees lab work and business management. Jason Kesner, former vineyard manager of Hudson Vineyards in Carneros, was hired to assist Steve with winemaking in 2008, and took over completely at the end of 2017 after Steve stepped down to focus on the Occidental label.
Style & Vinification Techniques
All ten single-vineyard Chardonnay wines are grown from the same heritage clone. Chardonnay wines are barrel-fermented by native yeasts and aged in custom made French oak barrels. Malolactic fermentation is encouraged, and white wines age on the lees for 11-18 months. Wines are bottled without fining or filtering.
Producer Website: Kistler