2003 Kistler Chardonnay Dutton Ranch
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Tasting notes
Medium yellow. Warm, smoky, soil-inflected nose hints at nut oils, peach and apricot. Voluptuous, fine-grained and seamless, with sweet, lush flavors of nectarine and nut oils. Not yet hugely complex but shows lovely restraint to its sweetness.
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Why is it that I always find buttery popcorn, tropical fruit, creme caramel, and almost roasted hazelnuts in the Chardonnays from the Dutton Ranch? The 2003 Chardonnay Dutton Ranch has that and a lot more fruit than is typical. Perhaps the low yields from a vineyard that is known for relatively abundant crops have produced a bit more intensity than usual. This is in-your-face Chardonnay that is not the most subtle wine by any means but Meursault premier cru-like, ripe and heady. Drink it over the next 3-4 years. (Release date 11/05) Tel. (707) 823-5603; Fax (707) 823-6709
About the producer
Kistler’s Chardonnays are some of the world’s most sought-after. This cult Californian producer crafts small volumes of exceptional, rich and generous, yet mineral and precise wines. With almost the entire production sold directly to their mailing list, the wines are also incredibly hard to find.