I swallowed hard, rehearsed an apology to my wife in my head, and made (for me, I’m not a balla’) a big order of these. Very excited about the wines.
As a general matter, when I receive an email with an offer from a producer from whom I previously purchased, I often pull a bottle and check on an older wine to see if I still want to purchase. Does their wine still provide pleasure, intrigue, interest?
In this case, I pulled the last of my 2011 Kutch Sonoma Coast Pinot.
2011 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (9/10/2019)
Pop and pour and tasted without food.
This is very enjoyable. So much better than my three prior bottles.
Deep ruby color. Cloudy.
Nose offers cherries, and blackberries and a slight touch of wood smoke.
Wonderful sour cherry on the intro, with tart cranberry on the mid-point, and a fresh, bright finish, with a hint of red apple peel.
I pulled this intending to have just one glass. I had already eaten dinner, with water as my drink of choice. After dinner, I just wanted a small glass of wine - something good and satisfying. After opening, I poured half into a 375ml bottle and put in the refrigerator. I poured a glass and put the remainder in the original bottle into the fridge, thinking I would try each (the sealed half-bottle, and the remaining wine in the open bottle.
Well, I ended up drinking a full half.
The years of age since release brings material improvement.
This is delicious. I look forward to the remaining half bottle.
Did you purchase any from the current release?
Yes!
I already committed before opening up the SC Pinot. I was fortunate to have tasted the Bohan Graveyard Pinot and Trout Gulch Chard at Falltacular. And McDougall was a given, as that tends to be one of my favorite pinot noirs from California. My tasting note may have inherent bias as I like the style of Jamie’s wines.
I revisited the 2011 Kutch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir last night, after refrigerating the half bottle saved when the original bottle was opened. This remains fresh, vibrant, with wonderful acidity, and tart, fresh sour cherry/cranberry fruit. Still delicious.
Six years ago when I tasted this soon after release, I found it good, but lacking in elegance. What a difference with 6 years of age. Candidly, I am not sure if that is my changing palate preferences or simply significant improvement in the wine.
T, thanks for the two impressions on the 2011. I looked and I have one bottle left, and I haven’t had the wine since 2016 so your note in CT helps. It’s worth pointing out that there are only 3 TNs posted this year so far on the 2011, which includes yours. Yet, there are 1,600 bottles in the community inventory. I wish a few more folks would open and post a note in there like you did. Maybe we can get Counselor Seiber to do another Kutch this week.
I just signed up for the list and picked up some Chard (hey, thanks for posting this thread Matt, because otherwise I wouldn’t have known about the release!).
Note to self: do not drink Kutch right before the Kutch fall release opens. Loving the 2014 Chardonnay right now and had to get more.
David, your post got me to pause. Not because you are drinking the 2014, but me reading into your post that you went out and sourced more 2014. Or did you mean you bought into the 2017 Chards in the offer?
Yes, the 2017 chards.
Enjoyed the 2017 'Staff tonight cruising around in Newport Harbor. Another fantastic bottle.
Just took delivery of mine…looking forward to trying a Falstaff very soon.
UPS truck is down my street, he’s got my Kutch on there. Waiting for him to pull up.
Greg, enjoy the 2017s. Sonoma Coast and Falstaff are gorgeous wines, and the Falstaff for me the best red wine Jamie has made.
I can’t even begin to describe the nose on this. It’s subdued yet addicting. Basically taunting me. No green, whole cluster nose, but rather like muted baked pie. This wine is a c*ck tease right now. You get a glimpse of how delicious it will be, but you just don’t get all of it right now. Damn it’s good.
Wanting to discuss the newest releases! And a little bit of being a fanboy, which is perfectly fine!