Kistler Vineyards
A revered Sonoma producer of single-vineyard, single-clone Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in a Burgundian style.
About Kistler
Kistler Vineyards, founded in 1978 by Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler, is among California's most respected names for Burgundian-inspired Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Based in Sonoma County, the estate built its reputation on meticulous single-vineyard bottlings, working with a heritage Chardonnay clone and selecting fruit from cool sites across the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. Its highly allocated Chardonnays became some of the most sought-after white wines in America, praised for precision, texture, and site expression, and the estate later expanded its Pinot Noir program with fruit from vineyards near the Sonoma coastline. In 2008 a group led by Bill Price acquired a majority stake, and Steve Kistler stepped back from day-to-day winemaking before retiring in 2017, with the cellar continuing under longtime collaborator Jason Kesner. Kistler remains a benchmark for serious, terroir-driven California Chardonnay.
Flagship wines
- Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay
- Kistler Vine Hill Vineyard Chardonnay
- Kistler Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Editorial notes
Wines are sold primarily through an allocation mailing list; look to single-vineyard Chardonnays for the estate's most celebrated expressions.