Occidental by Steve Kistler "Freestone-Occidental" Pinot Noir 2024
(West Sonoma Coast, California) - [JD 95] [JS 94] [VM 93] [WS 93]

About the Winery:
Produced entirely from estate-fruit from Occidental's coastal vineyards. The vineyards are Certified Sustainable. All Occidental vineyards are grafted with proprietary massale selections developed over three decades by Steve Kistler.

The Freestone-Occidental pinot noir includes a blend of fruit from our Bodega Headlands, Occidental Station, and Bodega Ridge vineyards. It also shares the same winemaking techniques as our vineyard-designated pinot noirs. All our pinot noirs are fermented with native yeasts and native Malo-Lactic bacteria.

This bottling expresses the same energy, precision, and purity of flavor that gives all of Occidental’s wines lift and perfume, along with the deeper soil tones that contribute to its complexity. Made entirely from free-run juice, it is delicious now and will develop nicely in bottle. Currently available in restaurants and very few selected retail stores.

Notes from the Winemaker:
The 2024 Freestone-Occidental wine shares the same winemaking techniques as our vineyard designated pinot noirs. Crystalline, bright, mouthwatering, and a bit salty with a saline mineral finish, the 2024 Freestone-Occidental evokes juicy red berries and a near perfect balance of finesse and energy – of bright, primary red fruits and saline elements. It conveys outstanding precision and lift in the mouth and finishes vibrant and long with beautifully sculpted tannins. Its modest alcohol (12.8%) makes this wine a perfect complement to any meal. It is delicious now and will develop nicely in bottle.

Ratings & Reviews

95 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:

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. Drink 2026-2040.

The estate of Steve Kistler and his family in the Bodega Headlands, Occidental is exclusively devoted to producing coastally influenced Pinot Noir, and they are members of the West Sonoma Coast Vintners Association. Kistler was initially drawn to the area after tasting a bottling of Summa Vineyard that expressed a vivid and more cool climate style. Although Occidental was officially founded in 2011, Steve has been planting vineyards and purchasing property in the area since the 1990s and has retained his original cellar team for the past 30 years. The wines for this report were tasted at the estate with Catherine Kistler and her father.

94 Points - James Suckling:
"Fresh and aromatic with crushed raspberries and strawberry as well as green stem that follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and citrus finish. Bright and real pinot noir from the Sonoma Coast. Drink now."

93 Points - Vinous:
"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. (Drink between 2026-2034)" -Antonio Galloni

93 Points - Wine Spectator:
"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. Drink now through 2030. 4,550 cases made." -James Molesworth (Sep 2026)