One of the really good houses of Santa Barbara County, Koehler farms a 40-acre property that includes 50-year-old estate vines. Many serving their viticultural team have been with Koehler Winery for decades. Derek Koehler grew up on the estate and spent a semester in France studying international practices within the wine industry. Today he is in charge of the operations of the family winery. Wines are made by Trace Brueske and were seriously good across the board. I love the 2024 Koehler Chardonnay (OB, 92) which is rich and dense with good flavor range. Learn more about this outstanding house at https://www.koehlerwinery.com and here are my reviews of the new wines by Koehler Family Wines.
2024 Koehler Sauvignon Blanc- Aged on the lees for six months, the 2024 Koehler Sauvignon Blanc is bursting with mango and papaya flavors alongside shades of salted peach on the palate. Really good now, enjoy over the next few years. Drink 2025-2030- 91
2024 Koehler ‘FiddleStix’ Gruner Veltliner- An amazing wine that is both dense and nervy, the 2024 Koehler ‘FiddleStix’ Gruner Veltliner is loaded with rich melon fruits that combine with pink grapefruit water, kumquat zest and stony minerals alongside a seamless texture. Enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2032- 93
2024 Koeher ‘Happy Canyon’ Vermentino- The fresh and lively 2024 Koeher ‘Happy Canyon’ Vermentino offers juicy honeydew melon and mango fruit flavors alongside a rich mouthfeel on the palate. Enjoy now. Drink 2025-2030- 90
2023 Koehler Grenache Blanc- The outstanding 2024 Koehler Grenache Blanc was stored neutral oak for eight months before bottling. This comes off rich and fat on the tongue, so don’t serve too cold. Rich melon fruits collide with wet stone, nectarine and shades of green papaya on the palate. Seriously good to enjoy now, watch this evolve over the next six plus years. Drink 2025-2031- 93
2024 Koehler Chardonnay- An outstanding bottling for the price, the 2024 Koehler Chardonnay comes from the Maria Vista Vineyard and was stored in oak for ten months before bottling. This has terrific depth and toasty oak tones on the mouth, with fantastic volume. Mango and pineapple notes mingle well with copious minerals and shades of pastry crust on the palate. Don’t serve too warm! Drink 2025-2031- 92
2023 Koehler ‘John Sebastiano Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2023 Koehler ‘John Sebastiano Vineyard’ Chardonnay comes from this outstanding site in the Santa Rita Hills. This is rich and viscous stuff with terrific texture and underlying tension. Best consumed on the warmer side, this offers dense melon and tropical fruits that connect well with salted butter-topped French bread and shades of cardamom on the palate. An awesome wine to enjoy now, this will live on for at least another eight years. Drink 2025-2033- 94
2023 Koehler ‘Old Vine’ Chardonnay- The 2024 ‘Old Vine’ Chardonnay comes from their estate vineyard, set on salty soils. This has a terrific combination of tension and weight on the palate, conjuring a vibrant sense of minerality. Lemon zest dusted pie crust and mango flavors mingle well with poached pear and yellow plum on the palate. Gorgeous now, enjoy over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2025-2033- 94
2024 Koehler Viognier- Coming from their 40-acre estate, the 2024 Koehler Viognier is neatly textured with a soft mouthfeel upon entry. Peach and honeydew melon collide with kiwi and salty minerals on the palate, with hints of lychee. Enjoy this beautifully balanced wine over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031- 92
2024 Koehler Picpoul Blanc- This 2024 Picpoul comes from the Alisos Canyon AVA. Right away this offers a smooth entry with copious minerals and good volume. Cantaloupe and white peach flavors mingle well with sweet gooseberry on the palate. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2023 Koehler Rose- The brilliant 2024 Rose is a GSM-inspired blend that is mainly Grenache. Stored in all stainless steel before bottling, this delivers a great viscosity on the palate. Dense peach and strawberry flavors collide with orange zest and stony minerals on the palate. This is a seriously good effort that is best consumed on the warmer side to take in the outstanding sense of texture and weight. Drink 2025-2031- 92
2024 Koehler ‘Valley Gris’ White Wine A skin contact wine, the 2024 ‘Valley Gris’ combines Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc. This comes up is rich and viscous on the tongue. Walnut and shades of Japanese pear fill the palate alongside very delicate red fruits. Dense and polished, with a strong salinity, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031- 91
2024 Koehler Gamay- The 2024 Gamay was stored in neutral oak for six months prior to bottling. It is fresh and vibrant with delicate guava and strawberry fruits alongside pink bubblegum and orange peel notes. The salty character of this wine really shines. Drink 2025-2031- 91