2015 Kistler Occidental Bodega Headlands, Cuvee Elizabeth Pinot, Sonoma Coast, Bottle (750mL)

JD99 " The 2015 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands is the richest, deepest, and most concentrated in the lineup. It offers slightly more black fruit as well as hints of graphite, cassis, flowers, and forest floor/leafy herbs. It still shows the more fresh and lively style of the Sonoma Coast, with brilliant acidity, yet it hits the palate with an incredible amount of beautiful fruit, plenty of tannins, and a layered, complex style that keeps you coming back to the glass. As with the other releases here, it needs a year or two of bottle age. Occidental Wines is the new project of Steve Kistler focusing on two sites located south of the town of Occidental, in the Bodega Headlands. These are higher elevation sites not far off the Pacific Ocean that were first planted early in the 2000s all to Pinot Noir. Despite the cooler climate nature of the sites, these are rich, powerful wines that have incredible aromatics and seamless, silky textures. These are undeniably some of the top wines in this report." JD Jun 2018

RP97+ "Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvee Elizabeth opens with a profoundly earthy nose, revealing notes of underbrush, fungi, fertile loam and black truffles over a core of crushed black cherries, raspberry preserves and wild strawberries with touches of star anise and black pepper. Medium-bodied with compelling tension between the wildly intense red and black fruit flavors and the incredible freshness, it has a taut, finely grained frame and long mineral-tinged finish." LPB for WA Jul 20189
Occidental Winery is a brand of Pinot Noir wines, produced by Steve Kistler in the Sonoma Coast subregion of California. It was founded in 2011 by Steve Kistler, the founder and previous winemaker of the cult-status Kistler Vineyards for 37 years.