Kistler Vineyards

Kistler Vineyards was established in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler, who shared a conviction that California terroir could yield Chardonnays of Burgundian complexity and site specificity. They built their original winery in the Mayacamas Mountains of Sonoma County and planted their first 30 acres of vines in 1979. Bixler, who had studied chemistry at MIT and UC Berkeley and taught chemistry at Fresno State for seven years, managed the business side and oversaw the winery's laboratory. Steve Kistler served as winemaker and viticultural director, shaping the house style of precision and restraint. The partnership endured for nearly four decades until Steve Kistler's retirement in 2017. Mark Bixler passed away in the fall of 2017, closing the chapter on the founding era.

• Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler founded the winery in 1978 in the Mayacamas Mountains, Sonoma County
• First 30 acres planted in 1979; original winery built on the mountain site
• Mark Bixler brought a chemistry background from MIT and UC Berkeley to winery operations and lab management
• Steve Kistler retired in 2017; Mark Bixler passed away in the fall of the same year

Kistler draws fruit from a portfolio of vineyard sites stretching from Carneros to the Sonoma Coast, capturing the diverse soils and microclimates of Sonoma County. Each vineyard is farmed to Kistler's exacting specifications, with the goal of transparent site expression. Dutton Ranch, in the heart of where the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations intersect, sits on Gold Ridge sandy soils and has been a source since 1979. McCrea Vineyard, at 800 feet elevation on the east-facing slopes of Sonoma Mountain, is composed of Sonoma volcanics and limestone. The original Kistler Vineyard, planted by Steve Kistler and bottled since 1986, sits in the Sonoma Valley. Laguna Ridge, on layers of sandstone, granular sediments, and petrified wood, has been the source of a vineyard-designated Pinot Noir since 2006. Silver Belt Vineyard, with older iron oxide soils mixed with gravel, provides the fruit for the Cuvee Natalie Pinot Noir. Hyde and Hudson Vineyards in Carneros contribute to the Chardonnay program.

• Dutton Ranch: Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast intersection; Gold Ridge sandy soils; sourced since 1979
• McCrea Vineyard: 800 feet elevation on Sonoma Mountain; volcanic and limestone soils
• Kistler Vineyard: Steve Kistler's original planting in Sonoma Valley; bottled since 1986
• Laguna Ridge: sandstone and petrified wood soils; Pinot Noir vineyard-designated since 2006
• Silver Belt Vineyard: iron oxide and gravel soils; source of Cuvee Natalie Pinot Noir since 2006
• Hyde and Hudson Vineyards in Carneros round out the Chardonnay vineyard portfolio

Kistler's winemaking follows what the winery describes as the French model: a simple, elegant system designed for the clearest expression of each vineyard. Whole-cluster pressing, native yeast fermentation, and careful use of French oak cooperage from St. Romain define the Chardonnay program. All Chardonnays are fermented in subterranean barrel cellars where native yeast populations and biological patinas govern the fermentation ecology. Fermentations are guided with minimal intervention, with the winemaking team seeking to peel back layers of site character rather than impose a winemaker's signature. The Pinot Noir program uses two heritage clones propagated by the winery for over 25 years. Oak is used judiciously: enough to provide structure and complexity, never enough to dominate fruit or terroir expression.

• Whole-cluster pressing and native yeast fermentations for all Chardonnays
• Subterranean barrel cellars with hand-stacked French cooperage from St. Romain
• Minimal intervention approach: fermentation ecology driven by native yeast and cellar biology
• Two heritage Pinot Noir clones from a Burgundian Grand Cru vineyard, propagated in-house for 25+ years

Central to Kistler's identity is a singular Chardonnay clone imported from Burgundy to California in the early 20th century. Since the mid-1980s, the winery has worked exclusively with this one selection, refining it through decades of viticultural observation and propagation. The clone is prized for its naturally low yields, small berry size, and a remarkable ability to retain natural acidity even as sugars ripen fully. This combination allows the wines to achieve richness without heaviness, a hallmark of the Kistler Chardonnay style. Every vineyard in the Chardonnay portfolio is planted to this clone, creating a throughline that connects the twelve single-vineyard bottlings while allowing soil, aspect, and microclimate to differentiate each wine.

• Single Burgundian clone imported to California in the early 20th century
• Selected for low yields, small berries, and exceptional acidity retention during ripening
• Used exclusively across all twelve Chardonnay vineyard sites since the mid-1980s
• Enables richness with natural freshness, a signature of the Kistler house style

Kistler's portfolio centers on twelve single-vineyard Chardonnays and two single-vineyard Pinot Noirs. Among the Chardonnays, the Kistler Vineyard bottling, from the founders' original planting, has been produced since 1986 and represents the estate's spiritual heart. The Cuvee Cathleen, sourced from the Kistler Vineyard in Sonoma Valley, is the prestige Chardonnay. Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay, from the Russian River Valley, achieved the No. 6 ranking in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020. Dutton Ranch, Hyde, Hudson, McCrea, Trenton Roadhouse, Stone Flat, and Laguna Ridge round out the Chardonnay lineup. On the Pinot Noir side, the Cuvee Natalie from Silver Belt Vineyard is the flagship red, offering expressive notes of red cherry, wildflowers, and alpine herbs. Laguna Ridge Pinot Noir provides a complementary expression from different soils.

• Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay: produced since 1986 from the founders' original planting in Sonoma Valley
• Cuvee Cathleen: the prestige Chardonnay bottling from the Kistler Vineyard
• Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay: No. 6 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020
• Cuvee Natalie Pinot Noir: flagship red from Silver Belt Vineyard; cherry, wildflower, and herb character
• Additional Chardonnay bottlings from Dutton Ranch, Hyde, Hudson, McCrea, Trenton Roadhouse, Stone Flat, and Laguna Ridge

Kistler Vineyards has earned consistently high praise from major wine critics and publications over its nearly five-decade history. Robert Parker Jr. called Kistler one of California's brightest stars, and the winery regularly receives scores above 90 points across its portfolio from The Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and other leading publications. The 2018 Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay was named No. 6 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020, one of the most prestigious annual rankings in the wine world. Critics consistently note the wines' combination of richness and restraint, their transparent site expression, and their capacity to age gracefully. The mailing-list-only distribution model has cultivated a dedicated collector following, placing Kistler among California's most sought-after producers.

• Robert Parker Jr. described Kistler as one of California's brightest stars
• Vine Hill Chardonnay ranked No. 6 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2020
• Consistently scores 90+ points across the portfolio from major publications
• Mailing-list-only sales have built a strong collector following and secondary market presence

Jason Kesner joined Kistler Vineyards in 2008 and gradually assumed full winemaking responsibility, completing the transition when Steve Kistler retired in 2017. Kesner's approach maintains the founders' commitment to minimal intervention and single-site expression while continuing to refine viticultural practices and cellar techniques. Under his leadership, the winery has described his role as laying the groundwork for the next forty years of Kistler. Kesner oversees all vineyard management decisions, clone selection, and winemaking across the full portfolio of fourteen single-vineyard bottlings.

• Joined Kistler in 2008; became sole winemaker upon Steve Kistler's retirement in 2017
• Maintains the founding philosophy of minimal intervention and transparent site expression
• Oversees vineyard management, clone selection, and winemaking for all fourteen bottlings
• The winery credits Kesner with laying the groundwork for Kistler's next forty years