Occidental 2023 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental, Sonoma Coast

The Occidental 2023 Freestone‑Occidental Pinot Noir opens gently but clearly: tart red cherry and cranberry sit poised over a faint crush of coastal herbs. The aromas feel defined, not precious—focused, but patient.

On the palate, the red fruit remains vivid, framed by saline minerality and a thread of cold, loam-like earth. Flavors stretch with clarity before a lean structure and chalky tannins pull everything back together. It’s polished, yet rooted.

This wine speaks of place. Occidental’s coastal vineyards—overlooking the Pacific on the West Sonoma Coast—sit at fog-grazed ridgelines where steep hills meet marine air. Steve Kistler blends fruit from Bodega Headlands, Station, and Ridge vineyards, fermenting entirely in free-run juice, using native yeasts and malolactic. The result —shrill clarity and subtle mineral depth.

Here is Pinot made quietly spectacular. It doesn’t call attention; it earns it. Occidental 2023—Sonoma Coast Pinot that stays on the palate like a last line of a well-crafted poem.