Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2013 was the first year that the Kistlers were able to harvest and process the Occidental fruit at their winery in Bodega—before that, the wines were crafted at Kistler Vineyards in Forestville. “Out on the coast, we set good crops,” Steve Kistler remembers. "The weather was good, flowering was good. Clusters were relatively full, and in 2013 you even had to thin—you don’t have to thin out here very often.” Medium ruby in color, the 2013 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvée Elizabeth segues from initial tones of iodine and seaweed to waves of red cherry, cranberry, blood orange and iron. The medium-bodied palate explodes with highly concentrated red berry flavors and flourishes of citrus and bitters. It's structured by finely chalky tannins, and a crescendo of fresh acidity energizes the very long, nuanced finish.
The Sonoma Coast AVA is large in area but, not counting overlapping regions like Russian River Valley, only has a few thousand acres of grapevines—and it’s no wonder. Much of the region is rugged and not easily accessible. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean’s fog and cool breezes limits the varieties that can be cultivated, but it proves to be an ideal environment for high quality Pinot Noir.
Since fog is a frequent fact of life here, as are heavy marine layers that sometimes bring rain, the best vineyards are wisely planted above the fog line, on picturesque ridges that capture enough sun to provide even ripening. That, with the overnight drop in temperature that reliably preserves acidity, results in fine expressions of Pinot Noir that often receive tremendous critic and consumer praise alike, and are often in high demand.