2016 Occidental Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvée Elizabeth is chiseled, energetic and surprisingly youthful. It offers complex aromatics that unfurl dramatically in the glass: initial touches of flint and tar give way to wild cherry, blackberry, blood orange, iron and seaweed. The palate's highly concentrated flavors combine with vertical acidity to create refreshing waves of bitters-laced fruit, and the finish is defined by singular oceanic tones. It will continue to mature gracefully in bottle over the next 15 years or more.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvee Elizabeth is another more elegant, almost perfect wine from this estate. Thrilling notes of smoked red cherries, earth, forest floor, and graphite all give way to a medium-bodied, vibrant, racy wine that has flawless balance, crunchy, vibrant fruit, notable tannins, and a great finish. This is another awesome wine that will benefit from a year or two of bottle age and keep for a decade.
The 2016 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth is a fascinating wine to taste for a number of reasons. One of them is that the Bodega Headlands Pinot was formerly in the Kistler range, which makes for an easy comparison of the wines Steve Kistler made at Kistler and those he makes now at Occidental. The stylistic shift between then and now is startling. Once a dark, inky Pinot, the 2016 Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth is perfumed, intensely savory and nervous in feel. Crushed rose petal, mint and chalk add nuance to a core of bright, red-toned fruit. Intensely saline and vibrant, the 2016 is magnificent today.
About the producer
Steve Kistler is a man who needs little introduction. He founded, and – for almost 40 years – made the wines at, Kistler. Since leaving his eponymous estate in 2017, Kistler has been focused exclusively on Occidental, his new, family winery on the outer edges of the Sonoma Coast.