Tasting Notes 56 found

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 (899 views)

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Strawberry bursts out of the glass. Long fijishborncurrants and blackberries. Very nice wine. (1439 views)

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Drinking very well now and I think it still has a lot of life left. (1547 views)

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Consistent with previous tasting notes. (1654 views)

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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. (1696 views)

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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. (1498 views)

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Aired out for 2 hours. Drank very smooth and with good fruit. Paired well with grilled pork Chops. No reason to wait longer (1404 views)

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Good, enjoyable, not as fruit forward as some. Paired with Roast Chicken fairly well and whole bottle was consumed (1520 views)

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Consistent with previous tasting notes. (1839 views)

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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. (2133 views)

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CADomer's note says it well. Dark savory fruit. Not your typical Kutch. But that's not a pejorative comment. I liked it. (2320 views)

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Darker and slightly riper than I have grown accustom with more recent vintages from Kutch. Savory herbs and caramelized dark stone fruits. (2143 views)

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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. (2092 views)

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Austere; light tannins; not sure if long road ahead; light blackberry; light finish. (1872 views)

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Consistent with previous tasting notes. (1671 views)

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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. (1717 views)

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Lighter bodied in character- sweet pomegranate and cherry notes. A bit of heat on the finish detracts. Past prime. (1586 views)

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This wine is amazing right now! Great development of fruit and great balance makes it a joy to drink. Aged very nicely. (1575 views)

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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. (1870 views)

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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. (1622 views)

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Great balance, drinking very well right now. Medium to lighter bodied, nice fruit, smooth finish. Lovely (1562 views)

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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. (1504 views)

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Not my cup of tea.... (1707 views)

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Dark cherries and raspberries on the nose and palate with tasty spice and earth notes with refreshing acidity culminating in a moderate finish. (1905 views)

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Consistent with previous tasting notes. (1795 views)

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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. (1747 views)

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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. (1837 views)

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Similar tasting notes to previous bottle. (1718 views)

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Really enjoyed this. Very clean, minimal funk, deep rich cherry. Thankfully no cola. Nicely made and balanced, medium/Med full body. (1549 views)

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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. (2149 views)

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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. (2378 views)

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Dark cherries and raspberries on the nose and palate with tasty spice notes and acidity culminating in a moderate finish. (2185 views)

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Consistent with previous tasting note. (2029 views)

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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. (2469 views)

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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. (3057 views)

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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. (2834 views)

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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. (2847 views)

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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. (2609 views)

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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. (2634 views)

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Pretty and light - lacks depth and grip. (1938 views)

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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. (2390 views)

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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) (2960 views)

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Do ya'll really think Parker meant to say that the drinking window was 2011-2012? Dead wrong....... (2622 views)

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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. (2031 views)

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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. (1976 views)

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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. (2105 views)

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Tragically young but this could be special in 5-10 yrs. Impeccable balance and very pure pinot fruit. (2769 views)

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Tart raspberry and spice. Short finish. (1166 views)

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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). (3052 views)

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In Pursuit of Balance (NYC): Very nice. Dark cherry and spice, complex. Smooth. (3161 views)

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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+ (2571 views)

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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) (4455 views)

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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. (3161 views)

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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. (3049 views)

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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. (4607 views)

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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. (4023 views)

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