When you spend time with Jason Kesner you get the impression he enjoys his night job as much as he does his day job. During the day, Jason is the winemaker at Kistler Vineyards, the renowned Chardonnay producer from the Sonoma Coast and Russian River appellations. At night, Jason is the winemaker at Kesner Wines, his own label that produces its own outstanding Chardonnay.
Before joining Kistler, Jason managed Hudson Vineyards in Carneros. His time in the vineyards allowed him to develop an affinity for the soil that produces the grapes and influenced his approach to winemaking.
At Kistler there are ten vineyard designate (wine produced from a single vineyard) Chardonnays (Dutton, Vine Hill, Trenton Roadhouse, McCrea, Kistler, Kistler Cuvée, Hyde, Hudson, Durell and Stone Flat). Kesner offers three vineyard designate Chardonnays (Bacigalupi, Idell and Heintz). From a winemaker’s perspective, Jason believes vineyard designate wines are more personalized as they capture the character of the individual vineyard site. You are essentially bottling an expression of the vineyard.
I have tasted both the Kesner Bacigalupi Chardonnay and Kesner Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay and they are outstanding. It is not easy to source grapes from Bacigalupi and Heintz Vineyards as they are highly coveted. Jason has developed partnerships with both sources and appreciates the opportunity it provides to create wines that are truly personalized.
Kesner Wines (kesnerwines.com) just released their 2014 wines. Jason described the 2014 harvest as slightly less in volume than 2013, producing small berries that possess great concentration, color, flavor and aging potential.
