2015 SWK Pinot Noir

More vegetal than their Cuvée Elizabeth, with that exotic stemmy note that lifts up the dark, powerful cherry fruit. Naturally well endowed in every respect – chewy tannins, potent fruit, garrigue complexity and insistent length. (RH)

The 2015 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard is another heavenly effort from Steve Kistler. The most finesse-driven, elegant, and medium-bodied in the lineup, it offers a perfumed and floral nose of red fruits, spice, and forest floor. With integrated acidity, ultra-fine tannin, no hard edges, and perfect balance, this beauty just glides over the palate and has everything you could want from this variety. It’s already hard to resist yet will keep for a decade or more. 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.

A wine that was ethereal and alluring from tank, the 2015 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard has come together beautifully since I last tasted it. Exotic, thrilling aromatics set the stage for a brilliant, utterly impeccable wine long on class and nuance. Racy and plush, with tremendous flavor intensity and tons of supporting minerality, the 2015 simply has it all. This is another magnificent wine from Steve Kistler and Occidental.