Occidental Wines
SWK Vineyard Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, USA
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of red and black fruits with light wood, black tea, spices, light licorice, chocolates, herbs and tobacco leaf.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, chocolates, tobacco, light cedar, herbs, licorice, light earth and black pepper.
Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast. Rich and fruit forward. Elegant and complex. Nicely balanced and easy drinking, with a nice mouthfeel.
This 12-year-old Pinot Noir is drinking beautifully now, and drinking at its peak. Will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.
Wine Advocate 95 points.
Drinking beautifully by itself with a light chill.
100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in (30% new) French Oak barrels for 12 months. Unfiltered and unfined.
14.1% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$120.
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of red and black fruits with light wood, black tea, spices, light licorice, chocolates, herbs and tobacco leaf.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, chocolates, tobacco, light cedar, herbs, licorice, light earth and black pepper.
Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.
This is a delicious Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast. Rich and fruit forward. Elegant and complex. Nicely balanced and easy drinking, with a nice mouthfeel.
This 12-year-old Pinot Noir is drinking beautifully now, and drinking at its peak. Will continue to drink nicely in the next few years.
Wine Advocate 95 points.
Drinking beautifully by itself with a light chill.
100% Pinot Noir grapes were aged in (30% new) French Oak barrels for 12 months. Unfiltered and unfined.
14.1% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$120.
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. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2018)
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. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2018)
Apr 26th, 2018
Truly awesome. We opened this with lamb after a Pinot from Calera. When we first received this a few years ago it was too tight. Now, it is drinking like a Premier Cru, but with more cola and berry than the best vintages of Burgundy. If you can find this, buy it. We are holding off on the 2013's for another year or so. Possibly the best expression of Pinot in the Western hemisphere. Only potential downside is that this is a very rich Pinot, and in no way a lean offering from Burgundy.
Truly awesome. We opened this with lamb after a Pinot from Calera. When we first received this a few years ago it was too tight. Now, it is drinking like a Premier Cru, but with more cola and berry than the best vintages of Burgundy. If you can find this, buy it. We are holding off on the 2013's for another year or so. Possibly the best expression of Pinot in the Western hemisphere. Only potential downside is that this is a very rich Pinot, and in no way a lean offering from Burgundy.
2 people found it helpfulOct 18th, 2016Bright and surprisingly open.
Bright and surprisingly open.
Jun 17th, 2017
Aromatic with bright notes of raspberry, sour cherry, mineral with some nice weight on the palate.
Aromatic with bright notes of raspberry, sour cherry, mineral with some nice weight on the palate.
Feb 15th, 2017
Packed with acidity. Bright fruit. Minerality also comes through. Super cool.
Packed with acidity. Bright fruit. Minerality also comes through. Super cool.
Aug 15th, 2016
Very floral/perfumy wine. Bright red fruit, high acidity.
Very floral/perfumy wine. Bright red fruit, high acidity.
Apr 14th, 2015
This is very good. Big style but not overly fruit forward or ripe. Though I don’t know about the winemaking it has some of the backbone I associate with whole cluster. Whatever the cause, I like the structure that comes through the midpalate. I hope the post-Kistler wines go in this direction.,
This is very good. Big style but not overly fruit forward or ripe. Though I don’t know about the winemaking it has some of the backbone I associate with whole cluster. Whatever the cause, I like the structure that comes through the midpalate. I hope the post-Kistler wines go in this direction.,
Aug 18th, 2018
Quite acid-forward at this stage. Be forewarned.
Quite acid-forward at this stage. Be forewarned.
Mar 7th, 2022
Agree with other raters. Lighter, more acidity and mineralty. Beautiful fruit
Agree with other raters. Lighter, more acidity and mineralty. Beautiful fruit
Jul 20th, 2021