Kistler Vineyards Occidental Station Vineyard Cuvee Catherine Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, USA

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Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine has a youthfully subdued yet staggeringly beautiful perfume of lavender, moss-covered bark, fallen leaves and rose hip tea over a core of pomegranate, kirsch and black raspberries with a waft of wild thyme. Medium-bodied with a taut, very well-structured palate, it has firm, ripe, exquisitely fine-grained tannins and a lively backbone of freshness supporting the intensely fragrant fruit and earth layers, finishing with some mineral hints. It really needs another year or two in bottle and should drink over the next 15+ years.

Brisk, saline notes give the 2011 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine much of its energy and precision. The Cuvee Catherine remains powerful and inward, but at the same time, there is a lot going on in the glass. The small clusters of the Calera clone in this site pack the wine with notable fruit intensity. Though still not fully formed, I sense quite a bit of promise here. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. It is always a pleasure to visit with Steve Kistler and his partner Mark Bixler. The 2011s and 2010s are excellent across the board, although I currently have a preference for the 2011s. Vintage 2011 is shaping up beautifully, for both the Chardonnays and Pinots. As was the case throughout the region, the season was cool and slow to develop. The 2011s were picked at lower sugars than is the norm here, but very much in keeping with the personality of the year. Steve Kistler commented that a poor set in 2011 resulted in their lowest crop loads in years. Like a lot of his colleagues, Kistler noted that the experiences of 2010 had a huge positive impact on how he responded to similar challenges in 2011. The 2010 Chardonnays are beautiful across the board. Although solid, the 2010 Pinots aren’t quite at the level of the superb 2009s and I expect, ultimately, the 2011s. It was a tough vintage for the Pinots. Yields were mercilessly low. Sadly, there is no Cuvee Elizabeth, as the little fruit that came in went into the Kistler Vineyard bottling. Tel. (707) 823-5603

The 2010 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine blasts from the glass with waves of seamless dark fruit. A brooding wine, the Cuvee Catherine is endowed with serious power for the year. Ash, smoke, tobacco and incense add complexity as the wine opens up in the glass. The 2010 boasts serious structure, with big tannins supporting the huge, dramatic finish. Readers will have to give the 2010 another year or two in bottle. For now, it is the wine’s structure that dominates. It will be very interesting to see the direction the 2010 takes over the coming years. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2022. It is always a pleasure to visit with Steve Kistler and his partner Mark Bixler. The 2011s and 2010s are excellent across the board, although I currently have a preference for the 2011s. Vintage 2011 is shaping up beautifully, for both the Chardonnays and Pinots. As was the case throughout the region, the season was cool and slow to develop. The 2011s were picked at lower sugars than is the norm here, but very much in keeping with the personality of the year. Steve Kistler commented that a poor set in 2011 resulted in their lowest crop loads in years. Like a lot of his colleagues, Kistler noted that the experiences of 2010 had a huge positive impact on how he responded to similar challenges in 2011. The 2010 Chardonnays are beautiful across the board. Although solid, the 2010 Pinots aren’t quite at the level of the superb 2009s and I expect, ultimately, the 2011s. It was a tough vintage for the Pinots. Yields were mercilessly low. Sadly, there is no Cuvee Elizabeth, as the little fruit that came in went into the Kistler Vineyard bottling. Tel. (707) 823-5603

A subtle, detailed style, trim and spicy offering fresh-cut lavender and floral scents. Crushed rock, wild berry and blueberry flavors push through on the finish. Best from 2013 through 2023. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 535 cases made. –JL

The 2009 Pinot Noir Occidental Station Cuvee Catherine is flat-out beautiful. All of the elements are in the right place in this majestic, towering Pinot. Layers of fruit emerge gracefully in a wine that seems to never end. The finest, silkiest of tannins frame the fruit through to the exceptional, sensual finish. This kaleidoscopic, marvelously complete wine is a stunning effort from Steve Kistler and his team. The wine continues to open up in the glass in a fabulous display of class and elegance. I can hardly wait to own this extraordinary Pinot. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. I was blown away by these wines from Steve Kistler, his partner Mark Bixler and assistant winemaker Jason Kesner. Over the last few years Kistler has refined his approach, as he wasn’t totally satisfied by the way some of his earlier wines had developed in bottle. Today Kistler is picking his Chardonnays at lower Brix levels, using less French oak (with no stirring of the lees) and keeping the wines in barrel for a shorter amount of time, all in an effort to preserve as much freshness as possible. The result is wines that are totally different in style from past years. The Pinots see a maximum of 50% new oak barrels and that number will continue to trend downwards over the next few years. The 2009 harvest started around September 4 for both Chardonnay and Pinot. The 2009s were bottled in December 2010. Unfortunately, I was not able to taste the 2010s, as they had been bottled just prior to my visit. I will taste those wines in October, 2012. A frequent source of frustration among Wine Advocate readers has been the lack of in-the-bottle reviews for Kistler wines. Beginning this year, all wines tasted from barrel will be subsequently reviewed from bottle as well. Readers who haven’t tasted the Kistler wines in some time owe it to themselves to do so. These are some of the most thrilling wines being made in California today. Tel. (707) 823-5603, www.kistlervineyards.com