Occidental’s 2024 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental is a 100% Pinot Noir from estate vineyards on the far, fog-influenced reaches of the West Sonoma Coast, the project founded by Steve Kistler and now involving second-generation winemaker Catherine Kistler. Fruit comes from a blend of the estate’s coastal sites, including Bodega Headlands, Occidental Station, and Bodega Ridge. The winemaking aims for precision: native-yeast fermentation in small lots, built from free-run juice, then aged about 11 months in French oak (about 25% new) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. Alcohol is modest for California, around 13%.
This is an excellent-reviewed vintage and bottling, led by Jeb Dunnuck’s **95-point** score. Dunnuck calls 2024 a “**Goldilocks vintage**…with cool to normal temperatures and no major heat spikes,” and describes a “**fantastic nose of ripe red pomegranate, blood orange citrus, salty fresh earth, and iron**.” He emphasizes the wine’s structure and drive, noting “**bright energetic lift…fine tannins…terrific vibrancy, and tension**,” with a drinking window of **2026–2040**.
Antonio Galloni (Vinous) also rates it strongly at **93 points**, writing that the wine is “**fabulous**” and “**brisk and energetic**,” with “**crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, spice and pomegranate**.” He highlights the wine’s transparency—“**beautifully translucent Pinot**”—and points to “**pretty floral top notes and brisk saline accents**” that carry a “**clean, bracing finish**.” Galloni adds that “**the stars clearly aligned**” in a vintage that was “**both high in quality and bountiful**.”
Wine Spectator, likewise at **93 points**, focuses on aromatic lift and momentum, citing “**inner brightness driving an ebullient mix of hibiscus, iris, boysenberry and mulberry**,” with “**steady, persistent juiciness**” on the finish.
Taken together, the reviews paint a Pinot Noir that prioritizes freshness, coastal savor, and finely shaped tannins over weight or oak, with enough energy to drink well young and develop in bottle.
