2002 Kistler Vineyard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay

Years (decades) ago when my husband was acquiring wine for his cellar, he bought cases of Kistler wines, both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. One of the memorable wines from my husband's collection was this 2002 Kistler Occidental Vineyard Pinot Noir, which I blogged about, but I digress.
On the evening that we had this 2002 Kistler Vineyard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay, inspired by watching Jody Adams on Ming Tsai's cooking show, my husband made Vadouvan Curried Scallops with Cider Cream Hazelnuts and Cauliflower Rice. It took a while to acquire the ingredients which called for vadouvan, a spice that is a mixture of both southern Indian and French spices, and labneh, a Mideastern thick yogurt, with the consistency of soft cheese. Having the vadouvan and labneh, the rest of the ingredients were found at our local store. We invited our friend over for dinner and she brought an Ultramarine Rosé for the appetizer which was figs over goat cheese in a puff pastry cup with balsamic glaze drizzle. Yum!
We paired the dinner with this 2002 Kistler Vineyard Sonoma Valley Chardonnay. Although my husband makes fun of my math skills, or lack thereof, even I can subtract 2023 from 2002 and know that this wine is now 21 years old!
We have had many of the Kistler wines from this vintage and most of the wines were a little disappointing. What does one expect from a Chardonnay that is 21 years old? When the wine was poured, it looked yellow in the glass, which is a sign of oxidation. Upon tasting it however, the wine had evolved into a rich and complex liquid which tasted a lot like honeyed caramel with a backbone of acidity. It went perfectly with the curried scallops. We were amazed at the transformation!