Freestone Pinot Noir 2022

The Occidental estate is devoted exclusively to producing world-class Pinot Noir on the Sonoma Coast. Steve Kistler, the visionary winegrower behind Occidental, began his remarkable journey into the world of wine and winemaking more than four decades ago. His passion for coastal vineyards began during his internship at Ridge Vineyards. It was there, during his first harvest in 1975, that he first discovered the unique character of coastal terroir. The Occidental vineyard, perched at the western edge near Sebastopol, won his heart and became the catalyst in his quest to craft world-class Pinot Noir from the coastal ridges of California.

The grapes for this Pinot Noir come from the Bodega Headlands, Occidental Station and Bodega Ridge vineyards. All the fruit is harvested at night and arrives fresh at the winery the next morning, where it is carefully sorted twice. Each plot is fermented separately and with great care. Fermentation relies on native yeasts. The wine is bottled after 14 months' ageing in old barrels, unfined and unfiltered, with minimal SO2. It expresses complex aromas of red cherry, redcurrants, lavender, pomegranate, raspberry, wild berries, minerals, dried herbs and white pepper. The palate is multi-textured, dense, saline, fresh and generous. Certainly one of the finest examples of Pinot Noir produced in California.

Wine Advocate (Robert Parker) – Rated 98: 

"The 2021 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental is incredibly expressive and detailed! Its aromas slowly unfurl from blueberry, rhubarb and cranberry to tones of bitter orange, amaro, moss bark and lavender, continuing to reveal new accents with every return to the glass. Light to medium-bodied, it floods the palate with perfumed, detailed fruit supported by chalky tannins and a concentrated, shimmering acidity that invites another sip. It has a mesmerising finish loaded with spicy layers, and it is very hard to put this delicious wine down. Drink it now for its transparency and perfume, or let it develop savoury complexity in bottle over the next decade."

In the United States, 90% of the wine produced comes from California. It was the influx of gold prospectors to California that boosted the California wine industry in the mid-19th century, particularly in the Sonoma and Napa region. At the start of the 20th century, there were 800 wineries. From 1919 to 1933 Prohibition destroyed the vast majority of the California wine industry so that by 1933, only 140 wineries remained producing wine. It was only from 1960 that the wine industry began to recover from Prohibition and California was primarily known for the production of fortified wines (in the style of Port). It was also in the 1960s that some of the most famous estates were created (Mondavi, Heitz Wine Cellars, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, etc...). In 1976, a significant event took place: the legendary tasting competition better known as the "Judgment of Paris". He sees the greatest French wines opposing the new American wines. This May 24, an unexpected result shakes the world of wine, since to everyone's surprise, it is the United States which wins. However, this competition remains relatively unknown to the general public. Today, there is no doubt that the United States produces great wines. Even though California largely monopolizes the reputation of American wines with its excellent Zinfandels, the state of Oregon produces some of the best Pinot Noir in the world and the state of Washington offers excellent Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon.