2017 Occidental Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Medium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth has deep aromas of cranberry sauce, blood orange peel, charcuterie, saline, tar and licorice. In the mouth, it’s medium-bodied with a bit more fruity flesh than its 2016 counterpart while still maintaining its pleasant core of bitterness. It has a crunchy, fresh fruit character with bright bitter sparks, a grainy frame and great freshness, finishing long and mineral driven.
Critic scores
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
One of my favorites in the lineup (but we are splitting hairs), the 2017 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvee Elizabeth comes from the estate vineyard located around the estate, lying at 400 to 750 feet in elevation. Mostly potential at this point, its dense purple hue is followed by incredibly pure notes of black raspberries, mulberries, pine forest, spring flowers, and an almost iodine/seaside-like salinity and minerality. Medium to full-bodied, with bright acidity, it’s an energetic, racy yet brilliantly balanced, lengthy Pinot Noir that’s going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for a decade. This is another thrilling wine from Steve Kistler and family. All these Pinot Noirs from Steve Kistler showed beautifully, with the slightly more focused, linear style of the vintage. These are classy, balanced, elegant wines that will benefit from bottle age.
The 2017 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Cuvée Elizabeth is a very pretty and expressive wine. Bright floral notes and red-toned fruits grace this supple, racy Pinot from Occidental. Hints of Asian spice and blood orange add pretty, exotic overtones. The 2017 was done with fully destemmed fruit, but it has a very attractive savory quality. This is such a classy and restrained Pinot, but there is plenty of density and weight as well. I can't wait to see how it ages.
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.