In 2011, legendary winemaker Steve Kistler established his new family winery, Occidental. His mission was simple — create world-class Pinot Noir in Sonoma’s Freestone-Occidental area, where he had been quietly purchasing vineyard land since the late 1990s. Renowned for his opulent Kistler Chardonnays, it was Steve’s Pinot Noirs, to me, which were the dark horse. His Occidental Pinots, though, are more grown-up than the Kistler prototype; they are less flamboyant and more reserved, with an invisible web of dark red fruit, fine tannins, and savory minerals. The crème de la crème of the Occidental collection, the SWK block is the highest and steepest section of the Bodega Highlands Vineyard, planted in 1999 by Steve. With sandy loam soils and marine sediments, the vines face southwest and west, enduring the cozy afternoon sun to develop plump berry flavors. Hand-picked at night and de-stemmed in the cellar, each block is fermented separately with native yeasts. The fruit is intentionally not cold soaked, and punch downs are used only as needed to distribute the heat of fermentation, ensuring a gentle extraction. Aged in 25% new French oak barrels and bottled un-fined and unfiltered, the 2021 SWK has a generous core of wild berry fruits which slowly unfolds into black tea spices, crushed red flowers, and molten earth. At 13.3% there’s just enough oomph to sink your teeth into, powered by lithe tannins and silky acidity. A total knockout, SWK will age for many years to come, but just like a Kistler, it’s already perfect straight from the bottle. ~Allegra A