2011 Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine Pinot Noir

The 2011 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine reminded me of a grand cru Musigny from Burgundy. Elegant floral, raspberry, red and black cherry, forest floor and crushed rock aromas soar from the glass of this medium-bodied, beautifully knit, surprisingly concentrated Pinot. Made from yields of no more than one ton of fruit per acre, the intensity and depth of flavor were easy to obtain. It should drink well for 8-12+ years. A new project owned and managed by Steve Kistler, Occidental has 18 acres of Pinot Noir planted primarily with the Calera clone on low yielding root stock Riparia Gloire. The vineyard, situated in the Petaluma Gap, is extremely windy and cold. As readers may know, a majority interest in Kistler Vineyards was recently sold to entrepreneur Bill Price, and Steve Kistler, who will continue to consult at Kistler Vineyards, decided he wanted to have his own estate. I tasted two Pinot Noirs from the 2011 (the debut vintage) and 2012 vintages. While a lot of noise is made about getting lower sugars in California, and that alcohols have gotten too high, this particular site appears to provide full phenolic ripeness at a much lower sugar level. Moreover, if the crop yields are kept low, excellent intensity and richness are also present. So perhaps in selected micro-climates, California is capable of making very concentrated, ageworthy wines with alcohols in the 12.5-13.5% range. Although those terroirs and sites are few and far between, this would appear to be one of them. Tel. (707) 823-5603

Brisk, saline notes give the 2011 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine much of its energy and precision. The Cuvee Catherine remains powerful and inward, but at the same time, there is a lot going on in the glass. The small clusters of the Calera clone in this site pack the wine with notable fruit intensity. Though still not fully formed, I sense quite a bit of promise here. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. It is always a pleasure to visit with Steve Kistler and his partner Mark Bixler. The 2011s and 2010s are excellent across the board, although I currently have a preference for the 2011s. Vintage 2011 is shaping up beautifully, for both the Chardonnays and Pinots. As was the case throughout the region, the season was cool and slow to develop. The 2011s were picked at lower sugars than is the norm here, but very much in keeping with the personality of the year. Steve Kistler commented that a poor set in 2011 resulted in their lowest crop loads in years. Like a lot of his colleagues, Kistler noted that the experiences of 2010 had a huge positive impact on how he responded to similar challenges in 2011. The 2010 Chardonnays are beautiful across the board. Although solid, the 2010 Pinots aren’t quite at the level of the superb 2009s and I expect, ultimately, the 2011s. It was a tough vintage for the Pinots. Yields were mercilessly low. Sadly, there is no Cuvee Elizabeth, as the little fruit that came in went into the Kistler Vineyard bottling. Tel. (707) 823-5603

The 2011 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine reminded me of a grand cru Musigny from Burgundy. Elegant floral, raspberry, red and black cherry, forest floor and crushed rock aromas soar from the glass of this medium-bodied, beautifully knit, surprisingly concentrated Pinot. Made from yields of no more than one ton of fruit per acre, the intensity and depth of flavor were easy to obtain. It should drink well for 8-12+ years. ||A new project owned and managed by Steve Kistler, Occidental has 18 acres of Pinot Noir planted primarily with the Calera clone on low yielding root stock Riparia Gloire. The vineyard, situated in the Petaluma Gap, is extremely windy and cold. As readers may know, a majority interest in Kistler Vineyards was recently sold to entrepreneur Bill Price, and Steve Kistler, who will continue to consult at Kistler Vineyards, decided he wanted to have his own estate. I tasted two Pinot Noirs from the 2011 (the debut vintage) and 2012 vintages. While a lot of noise is made about getting lower sugars in California, and that alcohols have gotten too high, this particular site appears to provide full phenolic ripeness at a much lower sugar level. Moreover, if the crop yields are kept low, excellent intensity and richness are also present. So perhaps in selected micro-climates, California is capable of making very concentrated, ageworthy wines with alcohols in the 12.5-13.5% range. Although those terroirs and sites are few and far between, this would appear to be one of them.||Tel. (707) 823-5603 Wine Advocate.December, 2013