Steve Kistler fell in love with coastal vineyards in 1975 when he was working at Ridge. He admired the “vivid aromatics” and “bright natural acidity” of the wines coming from the cooler climate sites overlooking the Pacific Ocean. In 1993 while working at Kistler, he began making Pinot Noir from a coastal site and the sensational results inspired him to purchase 1.6 hectares of vineyards on the coast, which he named Occidental Vineyard. In 2011, Occidental was officially established following more land acquisitions and a winery was later built in 2013. Today, Steve and his family have a total of 34 hectares of Pinot Noir planted in Freestone-Occidental, which benefits from the cool breezes of the Pacific Ocean. The original 1990s vine stock came from two grand cru vineyards in Vosne Romanée and subsequent plantings have been from their selections. The Occidental Pinot Noirs are picked at the edge of ripeness, in the cool of the night to preserve their delicate aromas. Whole clusters are retained especially on millerandage (hen and chicken) bunches. Primary and malolactic fermentation is carried out by indigenous yeasts and bacteria. There is a very gentle treatment of the fermenting must which is only punched down to distribute heat and they do not press the skins so there are no harsh tannins being extracted. The Pinots undergo malolactic fermentation in Francois Freres oak barrels (25%) new where they remain for around 12 months before bottling. These wines are always on location and in limited supply. The Occidental Pinot Noirs are benchmark examples of California’s potential for cool climate Pinot Noirs in marginal coastal climates
