Occidental Wines
Pinot Noir 'Running Fence Vyd - Cuvee Catherine'
Pinot Noir 'Running Fence Vyd - Cuvee Catherine'
- Certified Sustainable
- 100% Pinot Noir
- From Occidental’s newest vineyard on the same ridgetop as neighboring Bodega Headlands Vineyards
- Planted in 2012 by Steve Kistler
- 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 Frères 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:
2020
Country:
United States
Region:
California
Appellation:
West Sonoma Coast
Variety:
Pinot Noir
Color:
Red
Sizes Available
| Full Bottle | US-OCC-40-20 | 12/750ml |
Resources
Press & Reviews
Wine Advocate
Score
94
Date
2025-01-16
"Despite the season's wildfires and extreme heat, the 2020 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvée Catherine is drinking beautifully, though it has tightened since I first tasted it in 2023. We really were just lucky here, Steve Kistler says, with that churn of wind off the ocean to flush things out, and we pick early. We started picking a day before the fires started and had everything in before smoke became part of the conversation. Medium ruby in color, it requires plenty of air to segue from initial wafts of graphite to pomegranate, blackberry, aniseed and Earl Grey tea leaves on the nose. The light-bodied palate offers ethereal flavors framed by powdery tannins and tangy acidity, and it has a long, juicy finish."
REVIEWS FROM PAST VINTAGES
2022
Decanter
Score
98
Date
2024-04-22
"Named for Stephen Kistler's daughter Catherine, who is the assistant winemaker. This wine was tasted from bottle #C1111. It a soulful hedonism in the bottle. The aromas show a real pungency of forest scents and feral wildness of turned earth; smoked sea salt and soy mark the aromas that are then followed by a smoldering flint minerality. There is a depth to the palate; a smoky richness melds into sappy blackberries and tangy notes of soy and hoisin. This wine dances between the elegance of its florality and earthen mineral core that is framed by a herbal tone of wild anise and chicory root. It's truly glorious."
2022
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2025-01-30
"The 2022 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvée Catherine is an archetype of what is possible on the West Sonoma Coast. Bright and explosive, yet also light on its feet, the 2022 soars out of the glass. Red/purplish fruit, blood orange, rose petal, spice and savory notes are all beautifully lifted. Clean mineral tones extend the finish. The Cuvée Catherine is a wine of subtlety and nuance above all else."
2022
Wine Spectator
Score
97
Date
2024-07-31
"With a pure, shimmering display of mulberry, damson plum and cherry puree flavors, this stunning red lets the fruit play out with aplomb. Black tea, dried bergamot, rose petal and singed anise notes all add a glistening edge to the lengthy, well-cut finish, where a late minerality emerges. Best from 2025 through 2037. 1,020 cases made."
2022
Wine Advocate
Score
95+
Date
2025-01-16
"The 2022 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvée Catherine offers a strong sense of place with aromas reminiscent of both the forest and the ocean: mushrooms, nori, saline and autumn leaves complement a core of pomegranate and wild berry, and it becomes more floral as it opens in the glass. The palate derives power from highly concentrated, nuanced flavors, a sense of delicacy from taut, lacy tannins and energy from vibrant acidity. It opened dramatically over several days and will benefit from long-term cellaring."
2021
Decanter
Score
98
Date
2024-04-22
"Named for Stephen Kistler's daughter Catherine, who is the assistant winemaker. This wine was tasted from bottle #C1111. It a soulful hedonism in the bottle. The aromas show a real pungency of forest scents and feral wildness of turned earth; smoked sea salt and soy mark the aromas that are then followed by a smoldering flint minerality. There is a depth to the palate; a smoky richness melds into sappy blackberries and tangy notes of soy and hoisin. This wine dances between the elegance of its florality and earthen mineral core that is framed by a herbal tone of wild anise and chicory root. It's truly glorious."
2021
Jeb Dunnuck
Score
97
Date
2024-06-28
"Pouring a ripe jeweled ruby/magenta color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvee Catherine comes from a vineyard situated just outside the winery, which they began planting in 2012 on more well-draining, gravelly soils. The wine is spicy and layered on the nose with umami undertones, boasting a savory marine influence in its notes of black raspberry, brambly red berries, iodine, and incense. It has a good deal of richness in texture, with ripe tannins and a long finish. This is built for the long haul."
2021
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2024-01-16
"The 2021 Pinot Noir Running Fence Vineyard Cuvée Catherine is gorgeous. Dense and layered, with tremendous vibrancy, the 2021 captures the magic of the West Sonoma Coast in its marriage of fruit intensity and energy. Dark blue/purplish fruit, spice, new leather, menthol, licorice and crushed rocks all race across the palate. This really explodes on the back end. All the elements are so well balance, and there's real depth and density here. The mix of suitcase clones on Riparia Gloire rootstock expresses notable darkness and richness, all with the freshness and lower alcohols that are typical of the West Sonoma Coast."
2021
Wine Spectator
Score
97
Date
2024-02-28
"With a pure, shimmering display of mulberry, damson plum and cherry puree flavors, this stunning red lets the fruit play out with aplomb. Black tea, dried bergamot, rose petal and singed anise notes all add a glistening edge to the lengthy, well-cut finish, where a late minerality emerges. Best from 2025 through 2037. From California.—J.M."
2019
Wine Advocate
Score
99
Date
2022-07-14
2019
Vinous
Score
97
Date
2022-01-01