There are 500 cases of the Chardonnay deemed by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler as representing the finest barrels, the 2000 Chardonnay Cuvee Cathleen. It exhibits a gravelly liquid minerality intermixed with profound flavors of orange marmalade infused with hazelnut oil, candied citrus, white peaches, and lemon blossom. It possesses superb purity, remarkable palate presence, and great structure as well as definition. This amazing tour de force in Chardonnay (as it has been in every vintage in which it has been produced) should drink well for a decade.
Steve Kistler and his sidekick, Mark Bixler, feel that the key to making top quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in 2000 (an extremely cold year with higher acids) was patience. Some years the flavors come early, and in other years they are much later.
It is not surprising that their 2000 Chardonnays could easily pass as grand cru white Burgundies, as that has been the case here for over a decade. These offerings possess incredible liquid minerality, great structure, and phenomenal purity. At the same time, their wines respect their individual vineyard sites. All are put through full, slow malolactics, then racked off into the settling tanks, and bottled without filtration. Nothing is ever done in a hurry. Over the last decade, I have been assessing their aging potential. It appears they hit their peak in 3-5 years, where they remain for 8-9 years before beginning to decline. While that is not lengthy by the standards of many white Burgundies, it is extremely long-lived for California Chardonnay. The wines will last longer, but ageability should be measured by the ability of a wine to improve, not just survive.
(Release date 3/03)
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