Kistler's Darker Side: Distinct Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs

At the Sonoma winery that wrote the book on California Chardonnay, two Pinot Noir bottlings earn closer inspection

Vine Hill Chardonnay vineyard in California's Russian River Valley
Vine Hill's sandy Goldridge soil has allowed the vineyard to remain untouched by phylloxera. (Jimmy Hayes / JBH Photo)

Kistler Vineyards has helped define California Chardonnay for more than 40 years, but there's a darker side to Kistler … in the form of two single-vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir bottlings. Wine Spectator website members: Read our tasting notes for these two hidden gems.

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