- Certified Sustainable
- 100% Pinot Noir
- 100% Estate Fruit from Occidental Vineyards
- West/Southwest orientation
- Sandy loam and gravelly soils over marine sediment and fossils
- Hand-harvested at night
- Hand-sorted as clusters before completely destemming
- Each vineyard block is fermented separately in 2-4 ton fermenters
- Not cold-soaked prior to fermentation
- Native yeast fermentation
- Punch downs are used only as needed to distribute the heat of fermentation, ensuring a gentle extraction
- After fermentation is complete, the tanks are drained and only the free-run wine is transferred by gravity to Francois Freres barrels (25% new) to age 11 months
- Native malolactic fermentations
- Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a minimum level of SO2 (~50 ppm)
- 13.3% abv
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2023
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
West Sonoma Coast
Variety:
Pinot Noir
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Certified Sustainable
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-OCC-21-23 | 12/750ml |
Press & Reviews
Wine Spectator
Score
95
Date
2025-06-04
"A tightly focused beam of bitter cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis streams through, with mouthwatering cut in the form of ocean breeze minerality that runs from start to finish. Iris and rose hip notes fill in the background as the long, piercing finish shows a remarkably pure and unadorned feel. A high-definition Pinot. 3,650 cases made. - JM"
Wine Advocate
Score
94
Date
2026-01-13
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental is bursting with vibrant scents of red cherry, cranberry, black tea, conifer, pipe tobacco, saline and generous spicy nuances. The medium-bodied palate is bursting with layers of succulent fruit, and its expressive, earthy undertones are reminiscent of a coastal forest. It has a lacy frame of tannins, bright acidity and a long, tobacco-laced finish. It™s a touch more open than the rest of the 2023s and will be approachable sooner."
Jancis Robinson
Score
18.5
Date
2026-08-07
"Blended from three estate vineyards, Bodega Headlands, Occidental Station and Bodega Ridge. Native yeast, native malo. Farmed with organic techniques. Wild and savoury when first poured, this leads with cracked pepper and violet petals framing crushed wild-berry fruit. With air, a marine, nori-like scent emerges. It•s lively and silky on the palate, and its texture is lovely Ð balanced and charming Ð generous while it harnesses a cool-climate bite of acidity. - Patrick Comiskey"
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2024
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
95
Date
2026-06-30
"The 2024 vintage was a Goldilocks vintage here, with cool to normal temperatures and no major heat spikes through July and August. The 2024 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental is the multi-vineyard bottling from the two ranches out here and pours a bright ruby hue. It has a fantastic nose of ripe red pomegranate, blood orange citrus, salty fresh earth, and iron, and it delivers bright energetic lift on the palate, with fine tannins, clean, sanguine tones, terrific vibrancy, and tension."
2024
Wine Spectator
Score
94
Date
2026-09-30
"This offers a nice sense of pitch, with its inner brightness driving an ebullient mix of hibiscus, iris, boysenberry and mulberry along, while steady, persistent juiciness underscores the finish."
2024
Vinous
Score
93
Date
2026-01-13
"The 2024 Pinot Noir Freestone-Occidental is fabulous. Brisk and energetic, the 2024 is so expressive in the early going. Crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, spice and pomegranate are some of the tones that run through this beautifully translucent Pinot. Pretty floral top notes and brisk saline accents extend the clean, bracing finish. The stars clearly aligned for this wine in a vintage that was both high in quality and bountiful."