2018 Occidental "Freestone-Occidental" Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
95RP
94VN
$129.99
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95
Wine Advocate
Reviewed July 2020The 2018 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental comes mostly from younger vines at the Occidental property but is made with the same attention to detail as the other wines in the portfolio, using free-run juice. Its nose is an aromatic well, offering crushed blueberries, charcuterie, Earl Grey tea leaves, graphite, saline, bitter orange peel and potpourri aromas. In the mouth, it explodes with lush fruits that give way after their initial rush to bitter, citrusy, minerally accents. It has a fine grain, seamless freshness and long, layered finish. It's enjoyable now but will age well over the next five to eight-plus years. (EB) 95+
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Professional Reviews
94
Vinous
The 2018 Pinot Noir Freestone Occidental is a truly remarkable wine. Maybe that is the vintage, or the added complexity the vines are acquiring with time, but the 2018 Freestone Occidental makes me incredibly curious to taste the rest of the 2018s. Bright, focused and beautifully sculpted, the 2018 is a wine of total elegance and finesse. Moreover, it captures the savory, energetic, saline style that is so typical of this part of the Sonoma Coast. (AG)
Staff Reviews
RW
Here's a rare opportunity to get your hands on some truly spectacular, world-class Pinot Noir from one of the world's most heralded estates. Steve Kistler's Occidental Winery is a fairly new project with the sole focus of producing the highest quality Pinot Noir in California. The new 2018 release is simply stunning. Beautifully focused, elegant, refined Pinot Noir that is flat out delicious. This wine really shows the precision and energy of the vintage with its high-toned floral aromatics and pristine forest berry fruits interwoven with subtle woodsy spices. Reminds me of top flight Volnay, very aromatic, pure, finessed. We've been personally recommending this wine to our customers since its release but the recent publication of two huge scores from The Wine Advocate and Vinous prompted us to take as much as we could get and sharpen the pencil on the price.
Notes
Previously labeled "Sonoma Coast," this wine now carries the name Freestone-Occidental to more accurately reflect its place of origin. The fruit in this Pinot Noir is from their Bodega Headlands, Occidental Station, and Bodega Ridge vineyards. Each vineyard block is fermented separately in two- to four-ton increments in order to capture individual site character. The wine goes into bottle after 14 months in barrel unfined and unfiltered with a minimum level of SO2.
Details
| Type | Red Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal | Pinot Noir |
| Origin | Sonoma County, California, United States |
| Bottle Size | 750 mL |
| SKU | 1465942 |