Ratings & Tasting Notes:

98 points Wine Advocate
Review Date: 01/2015
As good as the Cuvée Catherine is, there is another Occidental Pinot that is also profound. The 2012 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard also comes from his 65 acres planted in Occidental. This is a 1,000-case cuvée from a site that sits above the Bodega Headlands Vineyard. With a dark ruby color like its siblings, it is made from 100% Calera and sees only about 30% new French oak. This wine offers a copious mouthful of red, blue and black fruits, medium to full body, terrific acidity, and intense black raspberry and black cherry fruit along with spring flowers, forest floor and spice box. This is a stunning, super-complex, compelling Pinot Noir… (RP)

97 points Vinous
Review Date: 01/2015
The 2012 Pinot Noir SWK Vineyard, from a parcel just above Bodega Headlands, is the wine where all of the concepts Kistler is developing at Occidental converge. Vertical, structured and explosive on the palate, the SWK is built on a serious core of minerality. Graphite, smoke, violets and a host of mineral-inflected notes hit the palate in an intense, saline Pinot that is going to need time to fully come together. Today, the SWK is totally crystalline and nuanced, but it is also very, very young and in need of time in bottle. (AG) 97+

Cult Wines International Notes:

The 2012 Occidental-Kistler ‘SWK Vineyard’ Pinot Noir represents a benchmark vintage from the flagship label of Steve Kistler, one of California’s most revered winemakers. Sourced from the cool, windswept high-elevation vineyards of the Sonoma Coast, this wine is a masterclass in balance and coastal influence.

The SWK bottling is known for its intense complexity, showcasing a dark, concentrated core of black cherry, wild berries, and forest floor complexity, uplifted by a vibrant acidity that is a hallmark of the site. Fermented using native yeasts and showcasing exceptional purity, the 2012 vintage was highly acclaimed for its warmth and structure, offering both immediate pleasure and outstanding aging potential. This wine is a powerful, profound expression of true Sonoma Coast terroir.

Bottle Size:

750 mL

Storage History:

Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.

Condition:

Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.

Outstanding condition.