Occidental Wines
Pinot Noir 'Bodega Headlands Vyd - Cuvee Elizabeth'
Pinot Noir 'Bodega Headlands Vyd - Cuvee Elizabeth'
- Certified Sustainable
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Bodega Headlands Vineyard was planted in 1999 by Steve Kistler
- Certified Sustainable
- West/Southwest Orientation
- Goldridge, sandy loam soils over marine sediment and fossils
- Hand-harvested at night
- Hand-sorted as clusters before completely destemming
- Each vineyard block is fermented separately in 2-4 ton fermenters
- Not cold-soaked prior to fermentation
- Native yeast fermentation
- Punch downs are used only as needed to distribute the heat of fermentation, ensuring a gentle extraction
- After fermentation is complete, the tanks are drained and only the free-run wine is transferred by gravity to Francois Freres barrels (25% new) to age 11 months
- Native malolactic fermentations
- Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a minimum level of SO2 (~50 ppm)
- 13.3% abv
Info
Producer:
Vintage:
2021
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
West Sonoma Coast
Variety:
Pinot Noir
Color:
Red
Farming Practice:
Sustainable
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-OCC-41-21 | 12/750ml |
Press & Reviews
Decanter
Score
97
Date
2024-04-22
"Dry farming is always an option, even in hot vintages. In 2021, Occidental grew abundant canopies, and a cool September meant a more relaxing vintage. Everything is destemmed, tasted from bottled #1566. This wine is aromatically haunting with lots of high-tone red fruited character with wild violets, white pepper and turned soil. The gorgeous flavours of blueberries and wild green strawberries meld together for a well-knit palate, with elegant spices, clove, five spice and wild anise. Certified sustainable, all estate vineyards are a proprietary massale selection of mixed clones."
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
98
Date
2024-06-28
"A jeweled magenta ruby color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard is from a coastally exposed site planted with vine cuttings from two Grand Crus in Vosne Romanée and sheltered to the north by redwoods. In the glass, the wine is highly expressive on opening, boasting a rich and refined perfume of violets, raspberry liqueur, pine, and pristine dark spices. Medium-bodied and elegant, it's one of the richer wines in the range from this noble vintage and offers a ripe feel through the palate, with polished tannins and a hint of underlying mineral richness through its long finish. It's a fabulous wine that will benefit from being stored properly for another year or more. Drink 2025-2040."
Vinous
Score
96
Date
2024-01-16
"The 2021 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvée Elizabeth is bright, aromatic and effusive right out of the gate. Rose petal, lavender, red/purplish fruit and spice are beautifully articulated. Medium bodied and gracious, the 2021 is all precision—all class. Bright saline notes resonate on the vibrant, persistent finish. I especially admire its understated personality. This site, planted in 2001 with suitcase clones on 101-14 rootstock and picked early for vibrancy, yields a tense, aromatic, red-toned Pinot endowed with tons of class."
Wine Spectator
Score
96
Date
2024-02-28
"Waves of succulent black cherry and mulberry fruit drape over a subtly piercing mineral aspect, while a backdrop of red and black tea, dried anise and blood orange zest adds alluring range. Racy, finely beaded acidity provides a nearly invisible corset of structure, letting it all play out with confidence through the lengthy finish. Best from 2025 through 2035. From California.—J.M."