Occidental Freestone-Occidental Pinot Noir 2024 (750ML)

Steve Kistler's (wine operations overseen by Cathy) Occidental draws this Pinot Noir from its own estate vineyards around Freestone on the Sonoma Coast, planted at 400 to 800 feet in Goldridge sandy loam, where morning fog and Pacific breezes keep the fruit cool. The 2024 is 100% Pinot Noir, picked by hand at night, fermented with native yeasts and worked with gentle punchdowns before 11 months in French oak, only a modest share of it new. It came from a season that was generous in both quality and quantity, and the wine carries that abundance lightly: red cherry and cranberry up front, a flash of citrus peel, rose petal and spice on top, and a salty, sea-air tang through a taut, clean finish. Critics see it drinking well from 2026 through 2034. Serve it alongside duck breast, seared salmon or mushroom risotto.