(Well, actually, Steve Kistler outs himself, and no doubt would not relish being called an anti-flavor elitist!) Acid? Low alcohol? Judicious use of oak? “Structured, lively wines that go with food”? Go tell it on the mountain (and directly to Bob Parker): times and tastes change, and smart people change with them, seeing the light rather than continuing to rail (rant in Parker’s case) against the darkness. God bless Steve Kistler, and God bless America!
As someone who really disliked Kistler wines, I would be curious to try one. I always found the wines over oaked for my tastes although obvisouly others loved them. Good for him if he is making the wines he likes!
I think that Kistler made a lot of Chards and Pinots that had enormous potential, fruit-forward or not, but they were destroyed by incompetent use of new oak. Years ago, I was on the Kistler mailing list for a while, and I have never tasted a Kistler Chardonnay where the oak was acceptably integrated…
I’m not a Kistler drinker, but Steve’s epiphany appears similar to that of Wells Guthrie and Pax Mahle. Kevin Harvey was on the “path of restraint” from the onset.
I’m wondering if Sonoma Coast terroir can deliver this style as effectively as the cooler Anderson Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains?
Have always had a soft spot for the Vine Hill, which has aged pretty well in my book, but glad to see a new lease on life for the quantity of oak most of the wine sees. Wonder if it’s related to the fact he sold a controlling interest in the winery. Any comments on that?
I remember Parker writing back in the late 80s or early 90s that Kistler was the epitomy of natural winemaking, which prompted guffahs from people I knew in the trade in S.F. in those days.
Agreed. This reminds me of the Jordan Mackay piece recently posted on Kutch Pinots and their shift towards lower alcohol levels. I’m all for the movement towards restraint, but you have to wonder if established brands like this are tinkering with a formula that was proving successful.
Long thread on the other board about older Kistlers not living up to their promise. Consensus of the does-not-age crowd was drink gby 5 years, I think.
While I would mostly agree, I downed my last bottle of 99 vine hill about 6 months ago and it was delicious. And no preox like some older Kistler’s I’ve hung onto …
For a relatively long article, there is a surprising lack of detail regarding the changes made. For example, there is an allusion about a change in the use of oak. Unless I have skimmed over it there is no detail on how this has changed. Similarly, there is a mention of picking earlier. But I don’t see any details on how much earlier and how the criteria for picking have changed. Given that those changes are really the focal points of the article, the lack of detail is surprising and disappointing.
I would have liked a bit more detail, too. I gathered they may have shifted some of their fruit sources to spots closer to the ocean, too. There’s a huge climactic difference as you move from the RRV out to the coast, where the fog blows in all summer.