Kutch Wines
I have ridden along with Jamie Kutch on his road to success since his first vintage in 2005. More recently, I
have found his Pinot Noirs not only unique (he uses a high percentage of whole cluster) but exceptional in
quality across his entire range of offerings.
Kutch Pinot Noirs are all sourced from impeccable Sonoma Coast and Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards. Over
the past year, Jamie has worked to develop his first estate vineyard on the Sonoma Coast (read the whole
story at www.kutchwines.com in the winery's 2022 Spring Release Newsletter).
Jamie produced no wine from the challenging 2020 vintage. Smoke from North Coast wildfires led to the loss of
all grape sources except McDougall Vineyard which was picked early before plumes of smoke tainted the
grapes.
The lineup of 2021 Kutch Pinot Noirs is reviewed here. Jamie told me, “All of our vineyards were harvested
with exceptional fruit quality. Small clusters and small berries led to an intensity that was framed with exceptionally
fresh and bright acidity. The wines are expected to age well.” I found the aromatics of each wine arresting. The
wines are definitely terroir-driven and not just about fruitiness. The whole cluster inclusion is complimentary
and not as prominent a feature compared to some past vintages that had 100% whole cluster fermentation. All
in all, this is a very impressive lineup and sensibly priced considering that qualitatively comparable Pinot Noirs are
currently often priced in the $85 to $100+ range.
Kutch wines are sold through a mailing list.
2021 Kutch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 625 cases, $42. Release January 10, 2023. Composed of
select barrels from each of Kutch’s vineyard sources. 50% whole cluster and indigenous yeast fermentation.
Aged in used French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Very
nice, fresh perfume of bright Bing cherry, floral goodness and earth. Mid-weight red and black cherry fruits are
supported by bright acidity, a tag of oak and mild tannins. Silky in the mouth and satisfying. This wine has many
of the same traits as the Kutch single vineyard wines in this vintage.
Score: 91
2021 Kutch Falstaff Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 550 cases, $69. Release January 10,
2023. Sandy loam marine soils (Goldridge). Vineyard planted in 1999. 50% whole cluster and indigenous
yeast fermentation. Aged in used French oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderate garnet color in
the glass. Vibrant aromas of dark cherry and raspberry with a earthy tone and a hint of iodine. Sleek in the
mouth with mid-weight flavors of cherry, raspberry and a subtle herbal, woodsy tone. There is noticeably bright
acidity with a slinky texture and a decent but not exceptionally long finish.
Score: 92
2021 Kutch Bohan Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 175 cases, $54. Release January 10,
2023. This historic vineyard was planted in 1972 at 1,400 feet elevation 3.05 miles from the Pacific coastline.
Goldridge soils. 50% whole cluster and indigenous yeast fermentation. Aged in used French oak barrels and
bottled unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderate garnet color in the glass. Lovely aromas of black cherry, dark berries,
forest and rose petals. This wine has a unique forest theme underpinning the mid-weight blackberry and
pomegranate fruit flavors making it very interesting beyond simple fruitiness. A moderately firm tannic
backbone predicts age-ability.
Score: 94
2021 Kutch McDougall Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 500 cases, $69. Release July 11,
2023. This vineyard is perched high above the fog line at 1010 feet and 3.5 miles from the Pacific coastline and
receives more warmth than any of the vineyards Kutch works with. 50% whole cluster and indigenous yeast
fermentation. Aged in used French oak barrels and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark garnet color
in the glass. Soaring aromas of purple berry, dark rose petals, wood pile, and sous bois. Very charming at a
young age with middleweight flavors of purple and black berries and dark chocolate endowed with appealing
spice. Redeeming balance is evident but the wine’s nose is its most striking feature. The quenching, very long
finish leads to an urge for another sip. Pinot Noir from this vineyard is stellar year in and year out.
Score: 94
2021 Kutch Bohan Graveyard Block Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 100 cases, $54. Release July 11, 2023. A 1-
acre block of Bohan Vineyard marked by a tombstone dating to
1875. Located 1,500 feet elevation 3.05 miles inland from the
Pacific coastline. The vines are own-rooted, head-trained, and
raised without irrigation. The soil in this block is distinctly rocky
in a base of sandstone.100% de-stemmed and fermented with
indigenous yeast. Aged in used French oak barrels and bottled
unfined and unfiltered.
·
Dark garnet color in the glass. A
mysterious nose offering aromas of wine cave, animale, chalk,
and a dark berry medley. The richly appointed dark fruit core is
well-spiced and accented with a hint of herbs. Somewhat primal
and intriguing with a healthy tannic backbone and quenching
acidity on the finish. This wine totally captured my interest when
sampled the following day from a previously opened bottle.
Score: 95
2021 Kutch Mindego Ridge Vineyard Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir
13.0% alc., 500 cases, $69.
Release July 11, 2023. A high elevation (925 feet), 10-acre vineyard located 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean
owned and farmed by David and Stacy Gollnick. Vineyard planted in 2009. 50% whole cluster and indigenous
yeast fermentation. Aged in used French oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark garnet
color in the glass. Plenty of aromatic goodness on the nose with scents of blueberry, dark cherry, cola, and
savory herbs. An explosion of dark stone and berry fruit greets the mid-palate, expanding and then saturating a
fortuitous finish featuring memorable, spicy fruit. This wine is clearly the best Pinot Noir I have had from this
vineyard. A treasure chest of Pinot goodness.
Score: 95
