2014 & 2016 Occidental Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Tasting Lot

“Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine has a youthfully subdued yet staggeringly beautiful perfume of lavender, moss-covered bark, fallen leaves and rose hip tea over a core of pomegranate, kirsch and black raspberries with a waft of wild thyme. Medium-bodied with a taut, very well-structured palate, it has firm, ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone of freshness supporting the intensely fragrant fruit and earth layers, finishing with some mineral hints. (LPB) 98+” (03/2016)

“The 2014 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvée Catherine is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty. A wine of depth, texture and pure pedigree, the 2014 will leave readers weak at the knees. It is every bit that striking. Succulent red cherry, blood orange, pomegranate, mint, spice and dried flowers are some of the notes that give the 2014 its exotic, haunting personality. Dramatic in its fruit intensity and yet also marvelously translucent, the 2014 simply has it all. Time in the glass just brings out more and more of the wine's deep, inherent character. (AG)” (03/2017)

“Aromas of blueberry and blackberry with hints of dark mushroom. Medium to full body with linear fruit and firm and silky tannins. Stone undertones. Cool and racy profile.” (05/2017)

“From Stephen Kistler's own operation. Mid crimson with a hint of blue. Pale rim. Beautifully judged sweet Pinot Noir fruit on the nose. (The name of the grape is in tiny letters at the bottom of the back label.) Sweet red fruit but not heavy or sickly. Really fine. Great texture and precision. Appetising, without any obvious alcohol. Lip smacking. Long and truly satisfying without being a copy of Burgundy, Clean and immediately appealing. 18/20 points (JR)” (11/2018)

“The only wine to see some whole clusters, the 2016 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard is one of the more structured, backward wines in the lineup. It reveals a deeper ruby color as well as a complex bouquet of darker raspberries, earth, graphite, and smoky notes. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it has great balance and concentration as well as building tannins. It's another classy, age-worthy wine from Steve Kistler that's going to benefit from bottle age and ... ranks with the top wines of the vintage. 98+” (06/2019)

“The 2016 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard emerges from the highest point of Steve Kistler's Bodega Headlands property. Vibrant and exquisitely beautiful, the 2016 is a striking wine that is going to need a number of years to come together. There is a lot here, but the 2016 is painfully closed at this stage. Dark red cherry, plum, blood orange, mint and rose petal all develop in the glass, with bright saline notes that give the wine shape and energy. Today, the SWK is utterly exquisite, but my impression is it will be an even better wine in a few years' time. (AG)” (01/2019)

“The 2016 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard offers a strong sense of place and a chiseled structure that will allow it to be very long lived in the cellar. The nose is reminiscent of the forest and the sea, its wild cherry fruit accented by wafts of mushrooms, fennel, tobacco, saline and seaweed, and it becomes more floral as it airs in the glass. The palate is bursting with layer after layer of salty red fruit. It’s structured by powdery tannins and lip-smacking acidity and has a long, dynamic finish. (EB) 96+” (01/2025)