2015 SWK Pinot Noir
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Tasting notes
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard is a little reticent to begin, slowly opening to allow glimpses at an incredible array of earth, mineral and savory characters—moss, loam and ceps—over a beautifully perfumed core of red cherries, violets, raspberry leaves and redcurrants plus a touch of iron ore. Medium-bodied with a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and electric freshness, it has an incredibly tightly wound palate of red fruit and savory layers with a very long, minerally finish.
Critic scores
Average Score
Richard Hemming MW, jancisrobinson.com
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
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.
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.