Kistler Wine Offer

Have you visited the Trenton Roadhouse yet?

No? Then what are you waiting for? Make your reservation. It’s fantastic. Beautiful. Incredible.

Perched between Eastside and River Roads, the gorgeous and historic Roadhouse on Trenton-Healdsburg Road peeks out over the Estate Vineyards and is the perfect place to taste the iconic wines of Kistler. There are few brands as instantly synonymous with Chardonnay as Kistler, and whether you’re looking out from the porch or sitting in the barn with a glass in hand, it’s immediately evident why. As with all wine, it starts with the grapes. They begin with a heritage clone of, you guessed it, Old Wente Chardonnay. Not just any Old Wente clone, though—a massale selection from their own vines, propagated across 15 of their vineyards. Native yeast fermentations at cool temperatures and extended lees contact with no bâtonnage lead the charge in custom-crafted François Frères barrels. Perhaps not a wild new set of practices, but as it’s been pointed out many times: “What is tradition anyway, but innovation that worked?”

We took the Mayacama front-of-house team on a class trip to the Roadhouse two weeks ago to taste through some special Chardonnays and Pinots, including a 2015 McCrea Vineyard Chardonnay that isn’t even available for purchase. Lots of personal favorites, very little agreement, and a few semi-heated debates over the merits of aged Chardonnay later, we found common ground in the opinion that Chardonnay is Queen of white wines with good reason. Even Hunter agrees.

I took a few sample bottles home to taste with friends and hold onto for an extra day. Sometimes, day two in the bottle offers insight into the soul of a wine. I don’t even really know why; it’s simply something I’ve experienced and a way to dive a little deeper. I invited my Somm friend, Gabby, over to taste and share her insights.

Sourced primarily from Vine Hill, Trenton Roadhouse, Dutton Ranch, and Laguna Ridge Vineyards, Les Noisetiers (or hazelnut trees) is Kistler’s study of their Sonoma Coast Chardonnay sites. Crafted solely for restaurants, it sees less new French oak than some of the other Kistler Chards, leading to a brighter crispness, built specifically for food pairing. This vintage showed less of the usual hazelnut character, focusing instead on minerality and freshness. I dislike using the B-word when describing California Chardonnays, but it’s true—this one is markedly “Burgundian.” We both remarked on the texture, finding it tightly wound, but pleasant. By day two, it had opened beautifully and revealed a whole new side. I think this one will be a treat to hold onto for a few years.

In stark contrast to its neighbor, Durell Vineyard, the Stone Flat Vineyard Chardonnay shows greener hues rather than gold. The additional time in bottle on this “Library Release” from the Kistler cellar reveals more of the secondary characteristics we encountered at the Roadhouse tasting. Gabby laughed and said she felt time-travel transported to the Sonoma County Fair; she could smell the caramel apples from a mile away as she skipped through the front gate. By day two, this wine had opened considerably, rounding out and showing off more aromatic expressiveness.

Selected from Goldridge soils across Laguna Ridge, Silver Belt, and Gravenstein Vineyards, this was the un-RRV Pinot. I brought this bottle out to the coast up in Elk with some Somm friends to share at an Airbnb before dinner at Harbor House. Pro tip: don’t open a bottle with a bunch of Somms if you’re expecting to hold some back for day two. Harbor House, by the way, is an outstanding two Michelin-star experience. I highly recommend it if you’re in the area.

As for the Pinot Noir my “professional” friends gulped down, it was much lighter and more serious than I had expected. It’s also age-worthy, needing a bit of time to hit its stride. Next time, if I’m hoping for a day two pour, I’ll know who not to share it with.

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of the Mayacama wine program. We’re excited to offer these exceptional wines to our Members, and I encourage you to reach out with any questions or requests! I’m always happy to chat wine.

Cheers!

Jared Hooper, Wine Director

WINES BEING OFFERED: (3-bottle minimums per wine)

2023 Chardonnay, Les Noisetiers, Russian River Valley ($85)

2021 Chardonnay, Stone Flat Vineyard, Russian River Valley ($115)

2023 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ($90)