Steve Kistler’s pioneering spirit and pursuit of world-class Pinot Noir took him to the town of Occidental and beyond, with vineyards extending right out to the Bodega Headlands, within sight of the Pacific Ocean. The first vineyard sections for his Occidental label were planted by Steve in the early 2000s when few were even considering this now sought-after extreme coastal area. In 2017, Steve’s daughter Catherine joined him as assistant winemaker at the estate, poised to one day take over.

Kistler’s Occidental Vineyard sections are planted on a ridge line over the Pacific Ocean at 400–750-foot elevations facing south. The climate here is so cold and erratic that yields are usually painfully small. Two tons to the acre is a good haul. The maritime climate moderates the diurnal shifts (day and nighttime temperature differences) due to its proximity to the ocean. The growing season is consistently cool, but without the hot days and cold nights experienced further inland. 

“The modest diurnal temperature variation allows the fruit to ripen slowly throughout the day as well as the night, a phenomenon experienced only in a true coastal environment,” said Steve. “This slow, steady ripening promotes the development of fruit that reaches true physiological maturity at lower sugar levels.”

The site is just one factor that makes Occidental unique. The other is the planting material. There was a little Calera clone initially planted here, but for subsequent plantings, Steve has focused more and more on the suitcase clones he acquired from two Grand Cru vineyards in Vosne Romanée in the early 1990s. The rootstocks are Riparia, which have a shorter vegetative cycle and maintain low yields.

"2021 was absolutely a dream vintage."

“2021 was absolutely a dream vintage,” Steve said as we sat to taste the upcoming releases. “2021 was the highest yield we’ve had. We averaged 2 tons per acre. The harvest was cool, and so we could really take our time. Our picking window was nice and wide—you could pick each block at its peak. For sorting, our fruit looked like caviar. The attention for detail we achieved in 2021 was incredible. We are careful not to break any berries going into the fermenter. When picking at night, there is naturally a lag time before fermentation begins. Most of the sugar is fermented at temperatures in the mid-80s (Fahrenheit). The technology with the de-stemmers is so different than it was twenty years ago. We don’t use many whole clusters, but the whole, intact berries are what’s important. That’s how you get the high-tone notes.”

"Each of the 2021 wines is so distinctly different."

The Occidental 2021 wines were bottled a year ago.

“Each of the 2021 wines is so distinctly different,” added Catherine. “But from the moment the berries enter the winery, they are treated exactly the same. The 2021 vintage comes across as a combination of 2018 and 2019. The wines are very chiseled and precise. They are developing like the ’18s but have that exuberance and fruit of the ’19s. They are still so salty and are evolving very slowly. The alcohols this vintage were all 13.3 or lower, and pHs were low; everything was perfect in 2021.”

I stopped in my tracks as I tasted SWK Vineyard Pinot Noir. The sheer scale of nuanced intensity in this Pinot is off the charts. Combined with the tension and level of tannin ripeness, the wine is mind-blowing. 

"The 2021 SWK Vineyard is labeled 13-something alcohol, but it’s more like 12.8," smiled Steve.

Meanwhile, the Kisters are preparing to plant the new site they acquired in 2021. This virgin land is located 2.5 miles from the coast and on another of the headlands. The plan is to plant 50 acres, all Pinot Noir, using a massal selection of the suitcase clones from the existing Occidental sites. 

“We’ll begin planting vines at the new property next spring,” said Catherine. “We’re developing the site in two phases. The rootstocks are being planted this Spring—all Riparia. The Riperia rootstock really works well here. We get less shatter, but we don’t know why. In 2025, we’ll graft onto the rootstocks. Last year, we built a reservoir at the new vineyard, which is already half full. This was completely bare ranchland—it is great to see it in every stage of development!”

Occidental’s Vineyards