Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Jeb Dunnuck
Coming from a more inland vineyard that’s one of the first to be harvested, the 2017 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Vineyard sports a deeper ruby/purple color as well as a tighter yet intense style carrying lots of almost blue fruits, violets, peppery spice, and spring flowers. Despite showing ample power and richness, it has a vivid spine of acidity, ripe, present tannins, and a great finish, all pointing to a solid decade or more of prime drinking. I think it will show every more complexity with a year or two of bottle age. Rating: 96+
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2017 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Vineyard comes from vines planted by Steve Kistler in 1998. He says this is usually the first vineyard to be picked, up to three weeks before the other Pinots are picked. This wine was made using about 30% whole clusters, the highest percentage Kistler normally uses. It has a medium ruby color, and the nose bursts with aromas: saline, tar, dried tea leaves, iron, crushed stone and violets with a core of fresh red and black berry fruit. The medium-bodied palate is a bit more lushly fruited than the others this vintage, but it is extremely classy with a super fine grain, seamless freshness and long, ethereal finish. This is a stunning wine that will benefit from another few years in bottle. Rating : 95+
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.