TN = 2002 Kistler Chardonnays

This past weekend we opened up 2 Kistler chardonnays. I have about a 6 bottle stash that I had kind of forgotten about as their chardonnays way back in the early 2000s was not my style but plenty of friends loved them. It was also a gateway to purchasing their pinot noirs. Well to cut to the chase we pulled out a 2002 Kistler Hirsch chardonnay and a 2002 Kistler Vine Hill chardonnay. While chilling in the refrigerator I could tell that the Hirsch was much darker than the Vine Hill. We took the Vine Hill to a dinner party and thankfully it was drinkable. Cork was a bit difficult to get out but yielded to some knowledge of dealing with older corks. The wine had a slight nose of ripe orchard fruit. In the mouth there was a bit of lemon curd surrounded by hazelnut or almond flavors with enough acid to keep it somewhat alive. Good length but a slight oxidative note comes through at the end. Seems to have passed through it’s prime several years back but still very drinkable. Our friends were elated. The second wine from Hirsch vineyard was doa as it smelled and tasted like a bad sherry. Not really surprising but too bad it wasn’t drinkable. It found the drain pretty quickly. Can’t wait to find out what the others in the stash will taste like.
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