By Steve Kistler
1993
I began producing a series of pinot noirs from the Flowers vineyards on Camp Meeting Ridge and the Hirsch Vineyard, both in the Ft. Ross-Seaview area. I was eager to compare these two coastal pinot noirs to those I was making at Kistler Vineyards from some of the best sites in the Russian River Valley.
1995
Together with Warren Dutton, I planted a four-acre pinot vineyard on Taylor Lane directly across the street from the Summa Vineyard. I named it “Occidental Vineyard” because it overlooked the Pacific and reminded me of my time at Ridge.
1998
I had the rare opportunity to taste the coastal pinot noirs I was making from the Flowers and Hirsch vineyards alongside the first pinots produced from the Occidental Vineyard on Taylor Lane, as well as the Littorai pinots from the Thierot Vineyard next door. These comparative tastings were invaluable in guiding the direction that Occidental’s future vineyard development would later take.
1999
I purchased the 100-acre Bodega Headlands property. Twenty acres of pinot noir were planted in 2001.
2008
I purchased the 250-acre property next to Bodega Ridge, on the same ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Beginning in 2012, we planted 65 additional acres of pinot noir and built a small winery that was completed in time for the 2013 harvest.
2011
I founded Occidental, the new Kistler family winery, dedicated to the production of world-class pinot noir from the Freestone-Occidental area.
Today
Occidental farms 85 acres of pinot noir vineyards in the Freestone-Occidental area. The vineyards are farmed with great skill and commitment by many of the same men and women who have worked alongside me at Kistler Vineyards. The Occidental wines are produced by my original cellar crew, many of whom have worked with me for twenty-five years.
The Wines
2016 Occidental Station Vineyard
Deeply-pitched aromas of purple fruits, graphite and cassis. A stony minerality energizes and elevates the palate, which features an impressive array of red and black fruit flavors. Delivering great intensity and concentration without giving any impression of weight. Finishes vibrant and long with a delicate violet and blackcurrant perfume.
This wine comes from the best blocks of the Occidental Station Vineyard, which have been the source of the Cuvée Catherine bottling for nearly fifteen years. The site was planted by Steve Kistler in 1999.
2017 Freestone-Occidental
The 2017 Freestone-Occidental wine shares the same winemaking techniques as our vineyard designated pinot noirs. The 2017 Freestone-Occidental is a vibrant, perfumed wine with a chiseled red fruit character that is typical of the wines from our Bodega Headlands and Bodega Ridge properties. The 2017 Freestone-Occidental offers a superb balance of primary red fruits and saline elements. It conveys outstanding energy, precision and lift in the mouth and finishes vibrant and long with discreet tannins. Its modest alcohol (14.1%) makes this wine a perfect complement to any meal. It is delicious now and will develop nicely in bottle.
The Offer
2016 Occidental Station Vineyard - $110
2017 Freestone-Occidental - $65 |
