Occidental

Founded in 2011, Occidental is a Kistler family winery dedicated to the production of world-class Pinot Noir from the Freestone-Occidental area. In the mid-1970s, after launching his wine career at Ridge Vineyards, Steve Kistler steadily grew an affinity wtih Pinot Noirs that have vivid and highly pronounced maritime character beyond the usual interpretation of ""cool climate"". Here, he works vines planted at the very western limit of where Pinot Noir can successfully grow. The Occidental wines are produced from vineyards on a south-west facing ridge overlooking the Pacific Ocean, just outside the town of Bodega. This ridge, and its surrounding headlands, mark the western edge of the Freestone-Occidental area and are among the coldest and latest ripening sites where Pinot Noir is grown in western Sonoma. The team's goal in wine growing is to farm sustainably, relying heavily on organic techniques to maintain a natural balance in the vineyard and to keep man-made inputs to a minimum. The levelling of peaks and drops in temperature owing to the proximity of the vineyards to the Pacific Ocean result in a long, consistent growing season for optimum ripeness at lower sugar levels. Occidental’s approach seeks to develop vineyards that are as naturally self-regulating as possible, in order to best withstand the unpredictable coastal conditions.The beauty of these maritime sites and the challenging conditions these vineyards face is all reflected in the Occidental wines. Working as closely alongside nature as possible, Kistler's seemingly instinctive knowledge of his craft has lead to his well-deserved recognition and reverence in the wine world. The Occidental Pinot Noirs are crystalline wines with vivid aromatics and intense red fruit flavors. They have a wonderfully chiseled quality, layered with savory and mineral character.