40% whole cluster, 13.1% ABV, 168 cases made. This is the oldest Kutch wine I've tried, as I was a bit late for this train and didn't really start buying Jamie's excellent pinots until the 2013 vintage. Actually, at one point I do recall signing up for the mailing list around 2010, but never got on. I picked this up at auction for about $30 all in and am quite pleased with that purchase. This has a really expressive nose showing kirsch, pomegranate, currants and a bit of dusty spice (the hallmark of high stem inclusion). Quite juicy and bright, finishing with nearly mouth-puckering acidity (which doesn't bother this acid-phile) and raspberry and red cherry notes. A nervy and energetic wine that would not be out of place in a lineup of burgs. Excellent, and with plenty of gas in the tank
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Popped and poured. Dark red/maroon in color, with no lightening at the edges. Reticent nose of red fruits and earth. Soft and lush, deep fruit flavors of dried cherries and pomegranate. Fully mature and easy to drink. I'll open my last bottle sooner rather than later.
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Popped and enjoyed over two nights. Much better on night 1. This wine does not have the stuffing left to drink over 2 nights. Notes are more on the savory side as the wine is fully mature and the wine has started it's slow decline. Drink now and finish the bottle when you pop this one. All in all still a satisfying bottle.
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Slightly bricking red in color, with redcurrant and spice on the nose. The palate shows juicy dark cherry, with herb, cola, and mineral tones. Finishes with fine, ripe tannins.
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Not as good as last year. The fruit has either faded or the wine (or bottle) is in a dumb phase right now. It needed that fruit to balance the acidity. I would hold any bottles right now to see where the development takes this wine.
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Pop and pour and served with food. This was opened at L'Apicio (NYC) and tasted along with a variety of appetizers - grilled octopus, arancini, and burrata and beets. Wonderful nose of dark red berries, forest floor and a hint of smoke. round fruits in a velvety texture; enough acidity to give the wine lift but balanced such that you don't get the angular edge of too much acid. Some nice savory herbal elements to give the wine greater depth. Delicious.
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I enjoyed this wine quite a bit. On the nose, bing cherry and high-toned red fruit, accented by clove, black tea and orange peel. Waves of cherry and black tea wash across the palate, with a spicy finish. 40% whole cluster adds some complexity and nuance. Bright and lively. Right in my sweet spot for pinot. I could see this aging effortlessly for many years.
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PnP (opened during first hour in the glass - consider decant). Light garnet with hint of orange brown on rim. Cherry/raspberry fruit on nose with stone, baking spice and earth. Medium (-) fruit weight with excellent balancing acid and light tannins. Brigt refresshing, some complexity. Drinking well now, but no hurry.
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Light bodied Cali PN. Simple cherry and earth on the nose. The fruit has faded leaving a bit of an astringent understructure. I suspect that I missed this wine's prime drinking window.
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Don't get the low-ish scores. I really enjoyed this, beautifully balanced cherry, exotic earthy notes, clean finish. Loved the 13.1% etoh. Shame it was my last one.
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Purple/ruby in color. Nice nose of dark cherries, sour cherries, slight spice and a bit of birch beer. Very nice wine, still quite young. Deep. It unwinds a bit in the glass. Nice full bodied texture. I guess I was expecting it to be a bit more delicate, but I really enjoyed this as did our guests. I will hold my other bottles for now.
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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.
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I see what Frank is saying about the oak influence. While less might be better, I think the wine still comes off as genuine. Sure it's on the powerful side of pinot with spices and cola on the nose. It has classically pure CA pinot fruit on the palate with a faint sweetness. Mid weight and just starting to come together. It'll be nice to see how this wine evolves over time. Well done.
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Excellent wine, steak and steak sauce on the nose, the body has ripe fruit balanced by powerful as acidity. Very long finish - the balance, acidity and length promise a long life! This will definitely keep me on the Kutch list.
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Opened last night, saved about 1/2 glass for today. I like this bottle a bit more than the last one, but I'm still not seeing this wine as in what I think of as Jamie's style. The wine here seems heavier, with broader shoulders and what seems like the oak influencing the wine more than it needs IMO, giving it brown spice flavors that for me negatively affects the finish and adding a candied note. There are some cooler red fruit edges here, what others mention as cranberry and such--I can see that quality but in total, I don't enjoy what seems to be the wood here.
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Lean, bordering on thin. Tart cherry and raspberrry fruit. Not much but fruit and acid. Good news is it cut right thru the richness of some fatty pork steaks.
7/13/2014 Much different experience this time. Still the red fruit, but also caught some pleasant herbaceous notes on the nose. Some clear oakiness came through on the finish this time and added some much needed complexity. Bumped my rating to 89 from previous 87.
8/8/2017 Time in the bottle definitely seems to be helping. Or I'm just gaining appreciation for Jamie's style. Wouldn't have called it thin at all, and the tartness was a secondary note with super good food acidity.
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A bit simple. Nice cranberry/pomogranite nose. Slightly tart red fruit. Decent, it may open up more over the short term, but it doesn't feel like the stuffing is there. Good to very good.
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I liked it, but not as much as the 2010 McDougall nor the most recent 2011 SC. The Falstaff here shows a bit more weight than those 2 wines, blacker notes like black cherry and black raspberry, along with light mineral. As with several wines I had been enjoying recently, I was not able to finish over a couple nights, as is my usual routine, instead enjoying this one like the other bottles with the wait staff and leaving the remainder with them. Solid wine, just a bit heavier than I have been associating to Jamie's style.
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Blind Tasting Kutch Pinot Noirs (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Pomegranate juice with a touch of herbaceousness, like sweet vermouth, on the nose. Tart cranberry palate, earth and light tannins. I really thought this was the Burgundy ringer. (my 3rd, group's 4th)
Lovely velvet. Earth scented lilac, cloves, and cherry aromas, with a touch of chambolle smoke. Complex and nuanced palate with a deceptive density to its poise. Cola, all-spice, and some ripe, red, tiny fruits. Long, smooth finish. This has a lot of character and is quite tasty. There's a Burgundian sense of harmony and place, but it is clearly new world.
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Decanted for 45 minutes before service. In the glass, clear medium red. On the nose, some hints of nutmeg, honeysuckle, wet stone, and cherries, but overall muted. On the palate, very lean at first, and remained that way for an additional hour before it began to open up. When it did, it revealed a core of black cherries coupled with substantial minerality, a touch of ground pepper, and an increasingly silky texture, with noticeable tannins on the moderate finish. Can be drunk now, but needs a couple of hours in the decanter; alternatively, let it rest for 2-3 years.
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Quite a restrained nose, feels a little more woody than the other Kutch Pinots. Warming and quite densely flavoured with spicy tannins. Good acidity but feels a little less fresh than the Savoy or Anderson Valley. With a bit of time reveals a nice floral character which helps lift it.
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This manages the unusual trick for CA PN of being succulent while still very well balanced and fresh. Fruit is ripe, round and moderately weighty, and there's a bit of Burgundian stemminess. An intriguing peppery note (albeit a faint one).
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A waft of an orange blossom topnote on the nose; bit of earth as well. There's more energy already apparent on the nose here compared to the Ojai wines tasted just prior. On the palate, light and energetic - a pleasure to drink. Surprisingly open. 92+
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Fairly high acidity up front and I found this to be a lot more tart compared the other 09 Kutch wines. As another taster noted, this one seems to need the most time to come together. Stuff this somewhere in the back on the cellar for a while. If it all comes together as I expect it will, it should be pretty nice.
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Pop and pour and followed over three hours. Rich and vibrant black cherry nose. In the mouth, has good fruit and some black pepper and herbal notes. Shows some earthy stone elements. Nicely balanced. Light tannins that do not burden the finish. The McDougall showed more of the earthy side; the Falstaff had a nice sweet fruit element that lifted the wine.
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2009 Kutch Barrel Samples (Roy's): barrel sample nose: less sweet on the nose compared to the 2 previous wines (if that makes any sense) and definitely the greenest of the bunch. Not overtly so, but green-tinged, and then black pepper made an appearance. Interesting and arresting. palate: higher acid and greater intensity than the multi-vineyard blends. The fruit was penetrating, with grass and light tannin complementing dark cherry. Medium finish. Interesting flavors that bordered on medicinal at times, this was still lovely to drink. Of the lineup, this one felt the youngest and in need of some time to settle.
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11/17/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: 91 Points
40% whole cluster, 13.1% ABV, 168 cases made. This is the oldest Kutch wine I've tried, as I was a bit late for this train and didn't really start buying Jamie's excellent pinots until the 2013 vintage. Actually, at one point I do recall signing up for the mailing list around 2010, but never got on. I picked this up at auction for about $30 all in and am quite pleased with that purchase. This has a really expressive nose showing kirsch, pomegranate, currants and a bit of dusty spice (the hallmark of high stem inclusion). Quite juicy and bright, finishing with nearly mouth-puckering acidity (which doesn't bother this acid-phile) and raspberry and red cherry notes. A nervy and energetic wine that would not be out of place in a lineup of burgs. Excellent, and with plenty of gas in the tank
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12/5/2020 - mlawren1 wrote: 93 Points
Strawberry bursts out of the glass. Long fijishborncurrants and blackberries. Very nice wine.
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7/10/2020 - davudvl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well now and I think it still has a lot of life left.
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5/7/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes.
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3/27/2020 - scottj Likes this wine:
Popped and poured. Dark red/maroon in color, with no lightening at the edges. Reticent nose of red fruits and earth. Soft and lush, deep fruit flavors of dried cherries and pomegranate. Fully mature and easy to drink. I'll open my last bottle sooner rather than later.
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11/23/2019 - EhrlichDY wrote:
Popped and enjoyed over two nights. Much better on night 1. This wine does not have the stuffing left to drink over 2 nights. Notes are more on the savory side as the wine is fully mature and the wine has started it's slow decline. Drink now and finish the bottle when you pop this one. All in all still a satisfying bottle.
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4/27/2019 - jfkwines wrote: 92 Points
Aired out for 2 hours. Drank very smooth and with good fruit. Paired well with grilled pork Chops. No reason to wait longer
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1/4/2019 - jfkwines wrote: 88 Points
Good, enjoyable, not as fruit forward as some. Paired with Roast Chicken fairly well and whole bottle was consumed
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5/18/2018 - jshufelt wrote: 87 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes.
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12/8/2017 - scott davis wrote: 89 Points
Slightly bricking red in color, with redcurrant and spice on the nose. The palate shows juicy dark cherry, with herb, cola, and mineral tones. Finishes with fine, ripe tannins.
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8/15/2017 - BradE wrote:
CADomer's note says it well. Dark savory fruit. Not your typical Kutch. But that's not a pejorative comment. I liked it.
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6/25/2017 - CADomer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Darker and slightly riper than I have grown accustom with more recent vintages from Kutch. Savory herbs and caramelized dark stone fruits.
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4/17/2017 - suburbanfrog Likes this wine:
Not as good as last year. The fruit has either faded or the wine (or bottle) is in a dumb phase right now. It needed that fruit to balance the acidity. I would hold any bottles right now to see where the development takes this wine.
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4/11/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Austere; light tannins; not sure if long road ahead; light blackberry; light finish.
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3/30/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes.
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3/18/2017 - t_moderne wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour and served with food. This was opened at L'Apicio (NYC) and tasted along with a variety of appetizers - grilled octopus, arancini, and burrata and beets. Wonderful nose of dark red berries, forest floor and a hint of smoke. round fruits in a velvety texture; enough acidity to give the wine lift but balanced such that you don't get the angular edge of too much acid. Some nice savory herbal elements to give the wine greater depth. Delicious.
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12/14/2016 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 88 Points
Lighter bodied in character- sweet pomegranate and cherry notes. A bit of heat on the finish detracts. Past prime.
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11/15/2016 - suburbanfrog Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is amazing right now! Great development of fruit and great balance makes it a joy to drink. Aged very nicely.
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11/4/2016 - JOJ wrote: 94 Points
I enjoyed this wine quite a bit. On the nose, bing cherry and high-toned red fruit, accented by clove, black tea and orange peel. Waves of cherry and black tea wash across the palate, with a spicy finish. 40% whole cluster adds some complexity and nuance. Bright and lively. Right in my sweet spot for pinot. I could see this aging effortlessly for many years.
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10/7/2016 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
PnP (opened during first hour in the glass - consider decant). Light garnet with hint of orange brown on rim. Cherry/raspberry fruit on nose with stone, baking spice and earth. Medium (-) fruit weight with excellent balancing acid and light tannins. Brigt refresshing, some complexity. Drinking well now, but no hurry.
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9/24/2016 - domco wrote:
Great balance, drinking very well right now. Medium to lighter bodied, nice fruit, smooth finish. Lovely
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9/22/2016 - mjf@ulkner wrote:
Light bodied Cali PN. Simple cherry and earth on the nose. The fruit has faded leaving a bit of an astringent understructure. I suspect that I missed this wine's prime drinking window.
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5/23/2016 - budman Does not like this wine:
Not my cup of tea....
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1/26/2016 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Dark cherries and raspberries on the nose and palate with tasty spice and earth notes with refreshing acidity culminating in a moderate finish.
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1/15/2016 - jshufelt wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with previous tasting notes.
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12/25/2015 - thelostverse wrote: 91 Points
Opened on Christmas Day in Maui. Red fruits and orange peel with dusty tannins. I would drink this sooner than later if I had anything left.
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12/25/2015 - texaswinelover wrote: 92 Points
Don't get the low-ish scores. I really enjoyed this, beautifully balanced cherry, exotic earthy notes, clean finish. Loved the 13.1% etoh. Shame it was my last one.
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11/5/2015 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Similar tasting notes to previous bottle.
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10/28/2015 - texaswinelover wrote:
Really enjoyed this. Very clean, minimal funk, deep rich cherry. Thankfully no cola. Nicely made and balanced, medium/Med full body.
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10/24/2015 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): Notes of cherry compote & nutmeg. Medium-bodied. Flavors of cherry, spice, nutmeg and orange peel . Nice acidity. Guessed Sonoma Pinot.
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2/18/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Purple/ruby in color. Nice nose of dark cherries, sour cherries, slight spice and a bit of birch beer. Very nice wine, still quite young. Deep. It unwinds a bit in the glass. Nice full bodied texture. I guess I was expecting it to be a bit more delicate, but I really enjoyed this as did our guests. I will hold my other bottles for now.
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1/11/2015 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Dark cherries and raspberries on the nose and palate with tasty spice notes and acidity culminating in a moderate finish.
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1/9/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous tasting note.
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1/1/2015 - King Cab wrote: 93 Points
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.
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2/23/2014 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 91 Points
I see what Frank is saying about the oak influence. While less might be better, I think the wine still comes off as genuine. Sure it's on the powerful side of pinot with spices and cola on the nose. It has classically pure CA pinot fruit on the palate with a faint sweetness. Mid weight and just starting to come together. It'll be nice to see how this wine evolves over time. Well done.
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1/1/2014 - Edward Hafer wrote: 94 Points
Excellent wine, steak and steak sauce on the nose, the body has ripe fruit balanced by powerful as acidity. Very long finish - the balance, acidity and length promise a long life! This will definitely keep me on the Kutch list.
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11/26/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened last night, saved about 1/2 glass for today. I like this bottle a bit more than the last one, but I'm still not seeing this wine as in what I think of as Jamie's style. The wine here seems heavier, with broader shoulders and what seems like the oak influencing the wine more than it needs IMO, giving it brown spice flavors that for me negatively affects the finish and adding a candied note. There are some cooler red fruit edges here, what others mention as cranberry and such--I can see that quality but in total, I don't enjoy what seems to be the wood here.
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11/20/2013 - underwds wrote: 89 Points
Lean, bordering on thin. Tart cherry and raspberrry fruit. Not much but fruit and acid. Good news is it cut right thru the richness of some fatty pork steaks.
7/13/2014 Much different experience this time. Still the red fruit, but also caught some pleasant herbaceous notes on the nose. Some clear oakiness came through on the finish this time and added some much needed complexity. Bumped my rating to 89 from previous 87.
8/8/2017 Time in the bottle definitely seems to be helping. Or I'm just gaining appreciation for Jamie's style. Wouldn't have called it thin at all, and the tartness was a secondary note with super good food acidity.
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11/9/2013 - snipes wrote: 88 Points
A bit simple. Nice cranberry/pomogranite nose. Slightly tart red fruit. Decent, it may open up more over the short term, but it doesn't feel like the stuffing is there. Good to very good.
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11/3/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pretty and light - lacks depth and grip.
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7/1/2013 - Frank Murray III Likes this wine:
I liked it, but not as much as the 2010 McDougall nor the most recent 2011 SC. The Falstaff here shows a bit more weight than those 2 wines, blacker notes like black cherry and black raspberry, along with light mineral. As with several wines I had been enjoying recently, I was not able to finish over a couple nights, as is my usual routine, instead enjoying this one like the other bottles with the wait staff and leaving the remainder with them. Solid wine, just a bit heavier than I have been associating to Jamie's style.
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6/20/2013 - zscheiner Likes this wine: 90 Points
Blind Tasting Kutch Pinot Noirs (Tom's House, Palo Alto, CA): Pomegranate juice with a touch of herbaceousness, like sweet vermouth, on the nose. Tart cranberry palate, earth and light tannins. I really thought this was the Burgundy ringer. (my 3rd, group's 4th)
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5/29/2013 - dfontana wrote: 90 Points
Do ya'll really think Parker meant to say that the drinking window was 2011-2012? Dead wrong.......
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4/26/2013 - mzimberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely velvet. Earth scented lilac, cloves, and cherry aromas, with a touch of chambolle smoke. Complex and nuanced palate with a deceptive density to its poise. Cola, all-spice, and some ripe, red, tiny fruits. Long, smooth finish. This has a lot of character and is quite tasty. There's a Burgundian sense of harmony and place, but it is clearly new world.
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4/26/2013 - jshufelt wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 45 minutes before service. In the glass, clear medium red. On the nose, some hints of nutmeg, honeysuckle, wet stone, and cherries, but overall muted. On the palate, very lean at first, and remained that way for an additional hour before it began to open up. When it did, it revealed a core of black cherries coupled with substantial minerality, a touch of ground pepper, and an increasingly silky texture, with noticeable tannins on the moderate finish. Can be drunk now, but needs a couple of hours in the decanter; alternatively, let it rest for 2-3 years.
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2/13/2013 - Biggsy wrote: 88 Points
Quite a restrained nose, feels a little more woody than the other Kutch Pinots. Warming and quite densely flavoured with spicy tannins. Good acidity but feels a little less fresh than the Savoy or Anderson Valley. With a bit of time reveals a nice floral character which helps lift it.
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8/20/2012 - rc@ughey wrote:
Tragically young but this could be special in 5-10 yrs. Impeccable balance and very pure pinot fruit.
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7/3/2012 - brianofthevine wrote: 88 Points
Tart raspberry and spice. Short finish.
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5/6/2012 - djb wrote: 91 Points
This manages the unusual trick for CA PN of being succulent while still very well balanced and fresh. Fruit is ripe, round and moderately weighty, and there's a bit of Burgundian stemminess. An intriguing peppery note (albeit a faint one).
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4/22/2012 - cpsmith33 wrote: 92 Points
In Pursuit of Balance (NYC): Very nice. Dark cherry and spice, complex. Smooth.
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4/18/2012 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
A waft of an orange blossom topnote on the nose; bit of earth as well. There's more energy already apparent on the nose here compared to the Ojai wines tasted just prior. On the palate, light and energetic - a pleasure to drink. Surprisingly open. 92+
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3/19/2012 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
2012 In Pursuit of Balance Tasting (Julia Morgan Ballroom, Merchants Exchange Building, San Francisco, California): Medium cherry red color; intriguing, complex, floral, forest floor, tart cherry, cinnamon nose; tart red fruit, hibiscus, rosehips, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 91+ points (30% whole cluster, 30% new oak, 13.1% alcohol)
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12/17/2011 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
Fairly high acidity up front and I found this to be a lot more tart compared the other 09 Kutch wines. As another taster noted, this one seems to need the most time to come together. Stuff this somewhere in the back on the cellar for a while. If it all comes together as I expect it will, it should be pretty nice.
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11/26/2011 - t_moderne wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour and followed over three hours. Rich and vibrant black cherry nose. In the mouth, has good fruit and some black pepper and herbal notes. Shows some earthy stone elements. Nicely balanced. Light tannins that do not burden the finish.
The McDougall showed more of the earthy side; the Falstaff had a nice sweet fruit element that lifted the wine.
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4/10/2011 - alanr Likes this wine: 93 Points
TN: California Pinot "In Pursuit of Balance" tasting (RN74 Restaurant, San Francisco): Black pepper nose, black cherry palate with some wonderful complexity and good balance. Terrific Pinot.
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11/8/2010 - tarheel17 wrote: 91 Points
2009 Kutch Barrel Samples (Roy's): barrel sample
nose: less sweet on the nose compared to the 2 previous wines (if that makes any sense) and definitely the greenest of the bunch. Not overtly so, but green-tinged, and then black pepper made an appearance. Interesting and arresting.
palate: higher acid and greater intensity than the multi-vineyard blends. The fruit was penetrating, with grass and light tannin complementing dark cherry. Medium finish. Interesting flavors that bordered on medicinal at times, this was still lovely to drink. Of the lineup, this one felt the youngest and in need of some time to settle.
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