Happy New Year!
As if one needed extra reasons why to believe this board is second to none, here is one more. With my well publicized journey into Pinot lately, many have offered to send me bottles for no reason whatsoever, The generosity of this board is only eclipsed by it’s combined knowledge. This bottle was sent to my by fellow board-member Paul Menkes under the heading ‘bored palate’. Nothing boring about this!
Thank you, Paul!
2009 Kutch Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard- USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/1/2015)
Nose of baking spices wrapped around black raspberries. Palate has some fleshy red/black fruits with great presence and elegance showing in forefront. An interesting mix of black raspberries, pomegranate and framboise??. Hmm. A medium to light framed structure that seems to work overtime keeping all the lovely perfectly ripened fruits in place. Perfectly balanced, focused and developed, this drinks wonderfully right now. Long true finish on this wraps it all up nicely. Simply awesome. (93 pts.)
Thanks for the post mike. One question. In an earlier thread you said you didn’t think you liked whole cluster fermented Pinot. I believe jamie uses a lot of whole cluster in these, your thoughts?
Did I say that? I think for me it very much varies from wine to wine and producer to producer. I definitely do like how Jamie makes his and yes, he does use varying amounts of whole cluster. As a lot of other things, it doesn’t exist in and of itself as a good or bad thing for me, and apologies if a post of mine seemed to intimate otherwise. Now Grenache, on the other hand…
Maybe it was me. Findings are still inconclusive. These certainly are a bigger styled wines than some of those others I have been enjoying. 300-500 more bottles and I will form a real honest opinion.
I think it was—the curse of the Mikes! Fun, though, 'cause Chris “made me look”. I used the search and came up with 17 threads I’d participated on. One where I said it wasn’t my style was, e.g., on a long-ago note on a 2006 Rhys, but it has taken me some time to warm up to the Rhys Pinots. Lots of other instances where I very much enjoyed the whole cluster add.
Jamie used 30% in the McDougall, not sure off the top of my head about the Falstaff…
Thanks for the note, Mike. I’m you like this wine. FWIW, in the coming 13s, all the wines I believe are whole cluster, 100%. Yet, these are not stem bombs. The stems add complexity and verve to the wines but they are not green nor herbal. Our recent experience with all the 2013s is in the link below. Glenn is correct, in the wines Jamie is making, for me and what I like in pinot, these wines are indeed in the CA top tier. The 12 Falstaff PN was my red WOTY for 2014.
Dale, that 2010 'Doug is what locked me into Jamie’s wines. Love that wine, what I think is the biggest in his lineup (not in terms of ripe or booze but I mean color, structure and body). And the best part that I have seen, just like you mentioned in your post…the wines keep getting better each vintage.
I did indeed mean Mike Pobega, sorry for the confusion. I see now that you are more in the process of gathering data points, Mike P. Fair enough.
Mike G. I understand and agree it’s not always a good thing, but in a high quality producer more often than not I tend to enjoy what it brings. Would like to try a Kutch one day, especially to compare to my favourites Rhys and Arcadian.
A replacement 09 Falstaff will be there within a week. And yes, Frank was correct in that beginning in 2012 we have moved to 100% whole cluster across the board.
Thanks for the kind words Mike Pobega and thanks Paul Menkes for sharing the bottle! Back in the day, when I was still living in NYC and working at a desk, someone sent me a bottle of wine I was inquiring / hunting for. No charge. It simply showed up. It’s an amazing community even if that when I was on E Bob.
Jamie, I think he meant uncorked, as in opened? But if you’re sending out New Years presents, you have my address! Any reason to hurry on these? Mine are resting comfortably in the cellar.
We just had the wine among four of us and everyone was like “wow”; it’s a singular PN and I can’t really recall one really like it. Au jus, that framboise thing Mike noted, some smoke, tangy dark fruit but not sweet - rather savory. Real finish and interesting tannins.
An achievement and no question a January 1st wine!
Moving at mach speed, as usual and I was reading too fast.
Glenn, I am really glad that Falstaff is being recognized. For me, it’s incredibly distinct and unique amongst our line-up. The soil definitely expresses themselves in the red spectrum.
Glad it helped bring in the new year! Cheers to you both.
It must be a sign that I actually have a bottle of this conveniently at hand in my home storage. Just need to negotiate with the cook on a good pairing…
