Kistler Vineyards McCrea Chardonnay 2017

Professional Ratings

• 96 Jeb Dunnuck
  Coming from marine sediments and volcanic soils on Sonoma Mountain, the 2017 Chardonnay McCrea offers a brilliant, white flower and orchard fruit-driven profile that slowly shows more brioche and honeysuckle with time in the glass. It’s beautifully textured, with good acidity and a great finish. Drink this complete, impeccably balanced Chardonnay over the coming decade or more.
• 95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

  The McCrea vineyard has two unique sets of soils: half the vineyard is old marine sediment uplift and the other half is red volcanic soil. The 2017 Chardonnay McCrea Vineyard has an open nose of quince peel, baked Golden Delicious apple, toast, warm hay and toasted almonds with dried acacia, river stone and lime peel hints over a core of warm white peach. Medium-bodied, it's fully fruited and giving in the mouth, broad and juicy, with tropical touches coming through on the long, textured and energetic finish.

• 93 Connoisseurs' Guide

  Very much reflecting the more outgoing nature of its predecessor from 2016, this year’s Athearn Estate bottling from the McCrea Vineyard is the most accessible and immediately fruity of the Kistler contingent. That is not to say that it in any way lacks the structure and vitality to age, but it is already so rich and articulate in its layered delivery of sweetly oaked, mildly minerally, fresh apple fruit and so polished in feel, that, even though not questioning but that it will only get better with time, we would not hesitate to pull its cork when sitting down to a special dinner tonight.