The 1991 Durrell Vineyard Sand Hill is more elegant than the 1991 McCrea Vineyard, with more mineral scents, and leaner, more austere flavors, as well as plenty of underlying depth to merit its lofty score. Ripe and rich, with a spicy finish, this wine needs several more months of bottle age and should last for 3-4 years.
Although Kistler's 1991 Chardonnays are not as opulent, explosively rich, and authoritative as their 1990s, they are among the greatest of the vintage.
The extraordinary team of Steve Kistler and Mark Bixler fashions exhilarating Chardonnays that are compellingly complex, lavishly rich, and exceptionally well-balanced. One can quibble over which is best, but they are all immensely satisfying Chardonnays. Given how irresistible they are young, most of them are probably drunk within hours of purchase. That may be a shame, as Kistler's best cuvees of 1987 and 1988 are aging exceptionally well.