Pinot Noir "Cuvee Elizabeth, Bodega Headlands Vineyard", Occidental, Sonoma Coast, CA, 2023

Occidental Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvée Elizabeth Pinot Noir 2023

Professional ratings

• Jeb Dunnuck: 98
• Vinous: 97
• Wine Advocate: 94+
• Wine Palate: 97

What the critics say

• Jeb Dunnuck — 98: Extremely aromatic, with incense, sweet tea, rosehip, umami and black raspberry. Medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, with refined tannins, vibrant red cherry, mineral structure and a long, floating finish. Dunnuck considers it both approachable and capable of long aging. SSkurnik Wines & Spirits

• Vinous — 97: Calls it a wine of “pure and total seduction.” Galloni highlights lavender, blue-toned fruit and exotic spice, describing it as rich and textured but still racy and energetic. KK&L Wine Merchants

• Wine Advocate — 94+: Finds sweet red cherry and pomegranate alongside rooibos tea, red licorice, woodsmoke, saline and bitters. The palate is light-bodied but complex, with crunchy, earthy fruit, coastal-forest character, firm lacy tannins and bright acidity. The reviewer expects it to be long-lived. KK&L Wine Merchants

• The Wine Palate — 97: Describes it as a particularly pretty, elegant expression of Bodega Headlands, emphasizing red raspberry, crushed stone, fresh rose petal, hibiscus and strawberry, with a delicate but bracing saline edge and a very long finish. OOccidental+1

Overall assessment

~97 points — Outstanding. This is the elegant, perfumed and mineral-driven side of Occidental Pinot Noir: red-fruited, floral, saline and finely structured rather than heavy or extracted.

Drinking: Approachable now with air, but likely best 2028–2038+. Its acidity and tannin should allow substantial development in the bottle.