Rarely anymore do I get the chance to do a deeper look and study wines I like, which in this instance, are Jamie Kutch’s wines. I have been actively buying the wines for about 5 years now and oddly have never been able to visit him; however, Jamie has made it down here previously to taste with the OC gang, and we also have done a few instances of what we call ‘bringing the winery to us’. Bringing the winery here is the result of working with the winery to bring down a collection of wines via shipper, we set a tasting stage for them around a table of good palates and we work them through. We did this with Jamie’s 2013s about a year ago, then most recently the 2014s on two occasions, which I want to explain.
About 6 weeks back, a handful of us dined at Playground and we put Jamie’s wines around a few flights of small plate food. We did the single 2006, then three of the 2013s and all of the 2014s, with those notes reflected below. After the event, I took a step back and looked at the results and the mixed results I experienced with the wines, namely the Bohan, Falstaff and Sonoma Coast. I let Jamie know, sharing with him my notes, and as we talked it through, he let me take another run at the 2014s, sharing with me another set, which I have finished tasting through and recording this week.
There are some interesting takeaways from this exercise, which I would like to share before I list the TNs.
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The two tasting contexts were different. For the first pass we did at Playground, there was 8 of us, the setting was darker and my senses were mixed with the restaurant environment, the table conversation, etc. Conversely, when I did the retaste the 2014s this past few weeks, I did them one a time, and with a few of them, only one bottle per week. I tasted them alone, they were the singly the star.
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The 2014s were affected by the frame. Why do I say that? My notes tell the story. The Bohan, which last month tasted one-dimensional and not all that expressive, the bottle I just finished this week was markedly different. Same with the Sonoma Coast, which I called a bit syrupy in the first pass, yet I enjoyed the wine far more when it played the starring role. Finally, the Falstaff, which was not well received over the dinner with the guys the previous month, I liked it far better this time and the wine took a few days to really uncoil and reveal what was inside of it.
Why does this matter? It’s relevant b/c context, setting, procedure and parameters affect the results. The generosity of Jamie allowed me to step back and evaluate a second time the wines and do it by modifying the frame. I could have very well found the wines to be as I did last month, and I would have come back and said that, but the truth here is that the wines indeed showed better.
At the end of the day, you can take my notes with a grain of salt and lump me in with the rest of the critics. Hell, I’m one dude just sharing my thoughts, just bear in mind that I enjoyed the luxury of taking my time and making one wine, one producer the focus, and the results did change. I want to thank Jamie for letting me take this journey, take it twice.
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2006 Kutch Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (11/12/2015)
Good on Jay Selman for bringing this to the dinner for contrast, as we put this alongside all of the new 2014s and nearly all the 2013s Kutch pinots. Listed abv of 14.4% and 30% whole cluster. For me, this showed a hard red fruit candy, heavier texture and a spicy finish that was a bit too much for my delicate palate. It was cool to visit this wine from the perspective of Jamie’s history but I would clearly rather stick with the new era Kutch style. -
2013 Kutch Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, neutral oak, 12.% abv. The earlier tasting of the wine showed a portrait of lithe weight, along with minerally strawberry and cherry, with a zesty, citrus quality in the long finish. Terrific minerality, licorice and cool cherry also keeps the finish going strong. Over dinner, it did richen up some, with the fruit darkening in cherry and raspberry tones, along with the same supporting mineral. The additional air also allowed the stems to emerge in the aromatic and palate but they fit in nicely. Finishes with a lovely rocky tone. FWIW, this seemed to be the winner at the table too amongst the palates who were alongside mine. Overall, an intense, lovely wine that is thematic for what Jamie does best. -
2013 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, neutral oak, 12.1% abv. For the early tasting, I found the wine infused with a citrus and smoky note, tarter-edged blue and red fruit, along with red apple skin. Finishes with a loamy note, along with the same funk and citrus. Reminds me a lot like Burgundy. Later over dinner, I found the same red apple, lithe in weight, showing the same cool citrus note, strawberry and a red fruited delicacy. The stems also infuse the palate a bit more now, too. Overall, this showed very well and is developing in the bottle nicely. -
2013 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, 30% new oak, 12.3% abv. The early taste showed lots of good structure, supported by spicy, cherry fruit, mineral and iron. It has a brooding, meaty quality. There is intensity, reminding me a lot of cool climate CA syrah with that pure focused energy that comes with say the Wind Gap syrahs. Over dinner, just an awesome aromatic, floral and spicy from the stems. With more time in the glass, more minerality shows. My notes showed two things I had also scribbled and circled, the words reading bitchen and awesome. Like 2013 Falstaff, this too is aging nicely in the bottle and showed the 'Doug character. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (12/14/2015)
This is my last visit with the 2014s, having re-worked through the others (Sonoma Coast, Falstaff and McDougall) in the past month. I opened this about 3 hours ago, no decant. Poured the first small glass at room temp, 66 degrees. Geez, the aromatics on this thing are great: stems, pepper, smoke and something floral. The palate is what really got my attention. Smooth, silky, just the most gorgeous, polished cherry fruit, simply pure. With the cherry, which is the dominant player, is strawberry and as best as I can describe it, a liquefied minerality that made me truly stop and pause. god, so this such a complete opposite experience to the bottle I had six weeks ago, almost like they are two different wines…with the chill on it, really just a cooling a few degrees, this is as good, just as expected a little firmer. The tannin shows up more and the wine is a little more slatey and tense. The fruit also darkens more, think now black cherry versus the red cherry from earlier. Still, this just drinks with such flavor and energy, so good. More for tomorrow…a day later, this stuff is just crazy to drink. At once, slick cherry, then the next moment a savory black cherry, the next moment something pure and exotic in flavor. There is plenty of fruit, structure and stuffing here so the drink window on this will go out for some time. Lots to like here. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, no new wood, 13.5% abv. And, like all the 2014s, was bottled in late August 2015. For the early tasting, this showed a richness that was similar to the Sonoma Coast and what my notes said ‘new barrel’ tannin. Given this saw neutral oak, chalk that up to being some other component. This also has the intensity of the '14 McDougall but it lacks the polish and definition of that wine, instead here being a bit one dimensional. Maybe air and re-tasting over dinner later would help it. When I revisited the wine over dinner, it still came across the same, lacking definition. It exhibited a bing cherry fruit, acidity and the finish was pretty rugged. But here is the difference, in comparison to the '14 Sonoma Coast. That wine is more rambunctious and forward, whereas this Bohan is just simply coiled up, with the raw materials yet to weave together. As good as the '13 Bohan is evolving, I would expect this to go the same way. Of note, the '13 is about 1.2% lower in ABV than this '14. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (12/3/2015)
This is bottle #2, a fresh reprise of the one from about 4 weeks ago, when we tasted all the other 2014s and a few 2013s together. This time, the wine is going solo, only me tasting it over successive nights. I opened this about an hour ago, put a light chill to it, good stem used too for my impression. This drinks more like the 2014 McDougall, so think darker, fleshier and more fruit centric. There is a creamy fruit purity to the texture, quite easy to like. Lots of purple fruit, at least giving me the sensation of that flavor, which is not blue or red alone, but perhaps both together forming something of a sum of their parts. Light touch of root beer, then a cool sense of pinot funk, then raspberry skin and a closing dose of bright acidity. At least for Night 1, this is really quite pure and squarely enjoyable with a core of moderate complexity…Night 2, still juicy with the purple/blue fruit (more blue toned as it warms). Appearing tonight now are the stems, which have created an herbal seasoning in the palate, along with a citrus rind component and some dusty, light tannin. I dig this for being juicy, stemmy spicy and flavorful…Day 3, no fade. For what is here, at around $40, it’s terrific and represents well what CA PN can do at this price point for an AVA blend. As for a drink window, it seems silly to attach one to a wine this young but that aside, I do think this will drink fine with release and another 5 or so years out. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, no new wood, 12.9% abv. And, like all the 2014s, was bottled in late August 2015. I had a mixed experience with this wine, candidly. It was better for me at the earlier tasting, showing rose water, blue and raspberry tones, although it did come across as fruit forward and seemed to resemble more of a barrel sampled wine. Over dinner, it was certainly approachable, with the red fruit sweetening up and the stems imparting some influence, too. My notes even had the term syrup written down, which I would use to associate to something that is texturally more dense and riper in tone. I’m going to be interested to see where this wine heads into the future, as for me I don’t feel like it has matured yet and is still quite youthful and awkward. Knowing Jamie and his focus, contrasted against what I have described here, I would expect the wine to evolve and come around in time. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/23/2015)
This is a reprise, as I tasted this wine just 2 weeks ago under different conditions. On that night, it was about 8 Kutch releases, all 13s and 14s. And, over dinner and not on successive days. This time, just me drinking and following it over 3 days. Now, to the wine. I remember this wine well from 2 weeks ago, as it showed an open quality that was approachable and engaging. This bottle too shows that way. The words that come to mind for me right now would be generous, depth, saturating, dark. And in seeing these words, if I read them from another TN writer, I might wonder if the wine was overdone with too much fruit, too much alcohol or stuffing, whatever overdone may mean. I have to say, this ain’t. What you get here is plush, a juicy tone, but lots of generous blue fruit, a delicious, gentle acidity. What about stemmy? Hell, it’s 100% whole cluster, right? It ain’t stemmy. It’s as if the 'Doug fruit and approach just consumes all of it. Maybe they emerge over the next few days but they’re not here tonight. Oaky? None, and FWIW, it’s done in neutral wood. The wine finishes with a gentle brushing of tannin. I’ll retaste tomorrow and post again…Day 2, man, this is a super wine. It is saturated with fruit, stem accents, and some finishing slate, just a beauty…and for Day 3 and what is the final glass, this is just really delicious. There is structure here, some stem accents, dark raspberry and blueberry fruit, darker color and savory/loamy note. All in, it’s got the broad shoulders and big boy pants of 'Doug fruit, yet not blowsy. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, no new wood, 12.4% abv. And, like all the 2014s, was bottled in late August 2015. In my early tasting, this came across like 'Doug often shows, with an intense, brooding quality. Dark raspberry and an earthy, blueberry quality. The finish was a bit chalky and tight. Inside of it, I found kind of a peaty quality, too. Over dinner later, this really improved and unfolded the finish to make the wine approachable. It picked up a distinct textural polish, supported with a dark raspberry and light mineral finish. Of all the 2014s, this seemed to be fairly complete already and very easy to drink and enjoy. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/18/2015)
Round 2 of '14 Falstaff. Last week, I tasted all the '14s together, over dinner and on just one evening with several other smart palates. This bottle, it just be me, over what should be 2-3 nights. Opened about 2 hours ago, ideal temp, no decant, burg stem. For Night 1, a few things pop. For one, the aromatic of stem, although they are seasoning and present, not dominating and green smelling. Yet, they are there. The palate is juicy, also accented by the stems again and they give an herbal touch. There is a peaty quality to the cherry and blueberry fruit that expresses as juicy and fleshy, with some rocky tannin closing the finish…Day 2, enjoying the wine with the same approach as yesterday. And, the wine is very similar to that profile in tone and taste. It retains the juicy core, more blue fruited tonight than red, with the mild stemmy influence and the brushing of rock in the finish. Tonight, I also find some of the citrus peel note, which is what I also found in the '13 a few weeks ago. Perhaps that aspect of Falstaff is the nature of its terroir? At this stage, this is softer styled, medium weight, juicy…Day 3 and last glass, this is the best showing. It’s finally picked up some edges, some astringent grip. Still juicy but finally has a zesty tone. I’m not the type that will say a wine will be this or be that with time–that’s a debate for another space but this wine is better, is different on this final night so take that info as you wish. I did enjoy the last glass above all the others and will look ahead to see how this will taste in say 2016, even beyond. -
2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (11/12/2015)
Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, no new wood, 12.9% abv. And, like all the 2014s, was bottled in late August 2015. Let me put out there right away that this bottle may have had some TCA in it. When I opened it, I caught a whiff of something musty, as my corking practice is to always smell every bottle before I pour and of the 7 Kutch wines I opened in sequence, this is the only that had that quality. Then later over dinner, Chris Seiber (who was seated next to me) commented that he thought it may have had some taint. No one led his remark so in the end, there may be some light taint to this bottle. That said, what I found in the early tasting was zesty blue and red fruits, a saline quality and a unique, Indian spice note in the finish. Over dinner, this became juicy and really tightened up with tannin. I found the fruit a little darker too, with a licorice note in the finish. The stems were pretty assertive too, being the most noticeable of all the 2014s. Not sure what to make of this wine now. Whether the TCA was a player (even to the light degree it may have been present), this wine like the '14 Bohan seems pretty coiled and in need of more bottle time. I love Kutch Falstaff so I will; reserve any judgment until I can taste another bottle in the future and provide another evaluation.
Posted from CellarTracker
