KUTCH 2009 Pinot Noir lineup

[Roy Hersh]

All of the TNs below were from “final blend” cask sample bottlings that Jamie had sent four days prior to my tasting. I wanted to give them a few days to settle down immediately after they had been shipped. Each bottle was tasted over a two day period of time without any food whatsoever.


2009 Kutch, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – Light strawberry pink color. An initial note of alcohol blew off within a couple of hours and was accompanied by smoky scents of red fruits, dried leaves, leather and earth. Medium weight but with a rich, smooth mouthfeel and ample acidity. Restrained red fruits lean towards the dry rhubarb realm. The Sonoma Coast held up very well for the entire 36 hours it was open. Good length with a slightly tart cranberry flavored aftertaste. 288 cases were produced. 89-91 points

2009 Kutch, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir – A brighter nose than the Sonoma coast, with strawberry, nut skin and cedar scents. Overall it seems slightly riper and more exuberant than the Sonoma version. Medium weight, raspberry flavors, good concentration and fine structure. Silky smooth texturally, especially the second day. The finish was medium-long and I found this a bit more refined than the Sonoma Coast. 264 cases produced, predominantly sourced from Deer Meadow Vineyard. 90-92 points

2009 Kutch, Savoy Vineyard (Anderson Valley) Pinot Noir – The Savoy exhibits evocative aromas of dried flowers, tar, minerals and game. Framed by fleshy, earthy dried cherry flavor laced with leather and dried red currants. Sexy silk across the palate yet firmly structured with vibrant acidity, chalky tannins and a captivating dry wild berry and rhubarb aftertaste. Due to the powerful tannins this may take some years to flesh out, but it is darn good right now and I’d suggest a couple of hours in decanter. Voluptuous and smoother with slightly more verve the second day, the aftertaste lingers on and on. The Savoy represents a small batch release of just 192 cases. 93-95 points

2009 Kutch, Falstaff Vineyard (Sonoma Coast) Pinot Noir – The Savoy was a tough act to follow, but the Falstaff provides plenty of old school style and old world influence. This Kutch exudes dark tart red fruits, a meaty nuance along with pine resin, spicy black pepper, minerality and a long dry finish. The Falstaff is lithe with a smooth presence, distinctive feminine elegance and lightness of being. It’s concentrated yet not over extracted and well balanced, with a long fresh, earthy aftertaste. The smallest production of any of Jamie’s 2009 bottlings with only 168 cases made. 91-93 points

2009 Kutch, McDougall Vineyard (Sonoma Coast) Pinot Noir – A racy profile of black cherry, sous bois, Asian spice and truffle earthiness. Deeply concentrated strawberry and rhubarb fruits, taut and tart, this seems the most age worthy of the group, deftly balanced with firm tannins and exemplary acidity. This classy and complete Pinot Noir has exacting precision, mid-palate intricacy along with a crazy long persistent finish. With several more years of bottle age this will reward those able to keep their hands off this gorgeous young PN and should easily cellar for a decade. The large production of 288 cases was due to Jamie’s having sourced a whopping six tons of fruit from this site; 40% of which was vinified whole cluster. It’s undoubtedly my favorite wine Jamie has ever made! 94-96 points

Common threads in these Kutch Pinots: red fruit dominates their profile, sublime mouthfeel, very dry stylistically, age worthy, judicious use of oak and low presence of alcohol. The coastal wines are SRP $39 while the SVD Pinots are $48. All are unfined and unfiltered.

[Andy Velebil]

Glad to see he's switching to a more traditionally styled Pinot, i.e. less alcohol. I look forward to trying them.

[Roy Hersh]

I wish they were easier to come by. His mailing list is small and with a long waiting list and although I think a good amount of his production winds up going to those on the list, the majority of what is left over goes to top notch restaurants, but not a lot ever makes it to retail.