2014 Kutch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Community Tasting Notes

Community Tasting Notes (97) Avg Score: 90.5 points

  • Was curious how this one would develop - Sonoma Coast with 10 years in the bag.
    Quite recognizable nose, with fresh strawberries, raspberry, some toffee and cola, cardamum and some wet mould. Spart from the weight being a bit more towards the spicy side and a slightly more earthy tone, not much happened here.
    Still fresh fruits, medium weight and nice complexity to it. Integrated sleek tannins that just provides a spine to the wine, being almost negligable. Medium long sour-fruit and earthy finish. Holding up very well.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This has eased into middle age quite nicely - the volatile acidity I experienced with prior bottles has settled down, and the rose/honeysuckle notes have stepped back and merged nicely with the fruit, leading to a smooth, almost delicate wine on the attack, with a nice spine on the finish.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Nice juice. Not particularly memorable but nice.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Fantastic. Mature raspberry fruit, earth, leather. Soft, round, slightly stemmy but with plenty of plummy sweetness. No hurry to drink but perfectly ready.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • PNP. Dark red and purple fruit almost violet like waft from the glass with some stemmy spice lurking underneath. The palate continued with the same fruit profile with spice box, juicy acidity and cherry pit on the finish. Resolved tannins, the wine is in a great spot and ready to rock today. Enjoy!

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Good fruit, not a massive finish but well made and balanced

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Kutch Grand Tasting Round 1; 4/25/2022-5/3/2022 (FMIII in the OC): Fairly dark. I get Chambord, red fruit and a whiff of stems. Fruit forward, not bad, just a little fat compared to the lineup.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Kutch Verticals--Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (My House): Lightly whole cluster influenced aroma, along with what Andrew called something tea-like, which for me on hearing that remark (a good one, too) that I thought of earl grey and licorice. This is a blue fruited core, with some edges of red, juicy and concentrated. The blue fruit here is cool, different than the earlier vintages of this wine. I could even say the wine had a syrupy quality, but that sounds negative. So, instead take my inference here to mean a concentrated blueberry finish, which I enjoyed.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Kutch Retrospective Sonoma County Chardonnay/Sonoma Cost Pinot Noir; 4/30/2022-5/1/2022 (FMII’s in San Juan Capistrano): Boysenberry/blueberry up front, juicy, good acid/tannin/structure, nice overall balance, spicy finish.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Opened, poured and let sit about 45 min. Then, started out much like my 12/3/21 note: Maybe a bit of red-fruited nose, with a nice red-fruit taste. Good balance, kind of soft mouthfeel, light-to-medium body, not much on the finish. After about 1/2 hr from first sip it had weakened considerably; very faint red fruit taste, no finish. Given the fading taste and body towards the end of the glass, I probably should have skipped the air. Based on this bottle, hard to see any upside to waiting longer to drink.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Opened and let sit about 1/2 hr. Then: Maybe some red fruited nose; maybe some red fruit on the taste, along with some citrus. Initial impression was light bodied ("watery" came to mind) with some warmth on the weak finish. After another 1/2 hr, it put on some weight, but still somewhat light bodied - in a good way. More red fruit taste and the warmth on the finish disappeared, although still not much of a finish. Tannins weren't an issue and reasonable balance by the end of the glass. Certainly better by the end of the glass and I like the lighter weight. Too many modern pinots are heavy, lush, over-extracted. This is none of those, but hard to tell where it goes from here. If drinking now, give it some air and time.
    Day 2: Still a little red fruit on the nose and a bit of red fruit taste, but less than Day 1. All in all, a lesser version of Day 1 with little, if any, aftertaste. Maybe 88 on Day 2.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This wine is quite energetic for it's age. it seems to have great acidity, a nice unique brambly earthiness to it that I don't find with many CA Pinots. also getting some nice floral character on the nose. Overall an interesting Pinot that leans more to an earthy mineral-driven experience than big fruit.
    Noted some wetness seeping down the side of the cork about 1/4 of the way. Something to watch.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Last of 6 that I bought 4 years ago. Same results

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined and left at room temperature), note from day 2. Appearance: Clear, medium ruby. Nose: Clean, aromas of red fruit - cherry, raspberry, and cranberry, earth, and spice. Palate: Dry, medium+ acid, medium- tannins, medium alcohol and body, medium+ intensity and length with flavors of spicy red fruit, cola, and earth. Very good overall excelling in complexity and length. Can drink now or over the next 1-3 years.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Very happy with this bottling, once again. Great QPR. Opened and let slow ox for 60 mins. Drank over the next two hrs with a roasted leg of lamb. Superb nose. Cranberries, cherries, spices, turned dirt, mushrooms. Dried red fruit. Touch of rose petals. Similarly on the palate. Good acidity, touch of earth. Great balance.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consistent with my prior notes from over 1.5 years ago. Still lots of sneaky tannins and that savory / herbal / whole cluster profile. Wish I had the patience to see how this would taste the next day, but sadly my last bottle

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • As always, excellent. A bit rounder and more fruit forward than my previous bottle, but still with wonderful earthiness and herbal notes (from stem inclusion, likely), and excellent acidity. Delightful.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Enjoyed over two days. There is a real richness and pedigree here for a Sonoma Coast blend. Loads of spice and an herbal/stem quality that adds complexity. Rich, fresh and long. Cruising right along in a peak window with no end in sight.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Been a couple years since I have opened one of these. This is my last bottle of 14 SC, and seemed like a good fit to continue contributing to our Tasting Note Challenge over on Wine Berserkers to raise money for Laura's House. I opened this about 30 mins ago and I am drinking the first glass of this at room temp of 67f. 12.9% ABV. This is definitely plusher in tone, a hard cherry candy note to the red and black fruit. And looking back at my very first TN for this wine, I made a mention of 'syrup'. This was my impression tonight before I realized my 2015 TN comment, and it remains true 5 years later, too. While the texture is not thick nor heavy, the sweetness borders on a suggestion of jammy, concentrated fruit quality. There is tangy, plummy acidity here, which adds an effective counter for the fruit...open an hour, this is just a fruit-centric vintage for this bottling, one that affirms my comment in my 2018 TN that this was a more near-term drinker. So, blah blah blah, what does it all mean? It means that the 2014 SC is ready to go, and you should expect a more up-front fruit driven mouthful of wine.

    3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Direkt vor dem Probieren geöffnet.
    - Typischer CA Pinot Noir. Intensive Frucht. Rund.
    - Nicht den Nachhall und die Komplexität von einem Bon Climat.
    - Richtig guter Wein und typisch für CA.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Pop and pour. This hit a lot of good notes for me. Red raspberry and strawberry fruit that popped without being the least bit jammy. Long smooth finish with good balance of acid and tannin. Maybe missing some mid palate notes, but that's just being picky.

    3/30/2021 Ditto. That finish just goes on and on. Jamie hitting his stride with this one.

    8/20/2021 Nothing much to add. This is just a style I'm really enjoying right now.

    4/14/2022 Don't know if it's losing something now or just me, but really noted lack of complexity or finish after the initial hit of fruit. Still very enjoyable and like the restrained style, but a little less enamored that previously.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • PAME. Just an excellent Sonoma pinot with tons of fruit, but balanced and complex for its simple origins. There's no cola or crap like that, it's just a lip smacking delicious under 13% pinot. Bravo.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Coravined 2 glasses tonight. Aging wonderfully and really coming into its own right now. Bright youthful nose of violets and strawberries. Soft on the mouthfeel the vibrant flavors of raspberries and dark fruit emanate effortlessly. Nice long savory finish makes this incredibly enjoyable. Notably pairing aged Kutch Pinots with spicy, Latin foods really seems to be a great combination. It really draws out the diverse, rich flavors in the wine while also augmenting otherwise fine spicy meats.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Medium red to the darker side; expressive red fruit, some pepper, wild strawberry; a bit thin entry and middle, almost as if water has been added, rich “dark” aftertaste which lifts it up

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This is a lovely Pinot noir with juicy red fruits, including cherries and raspberries, maybe some blackberries too. It seems to have gained complexity since I last tried it and it is quite satisfying now. The nose is very aromatic with blue violets and dark fruit aromas. Based on this bottle, I believe this wine has some years to go, but why wait?

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Brighter and more perfumed than my previous bottles. Still lacking a ton of mid-palate complexity, but enjoyable.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consistent with previous tasting note.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Medium red to the darker side; ripe strawberry; soft, silky, smooth, gentle rounded body with a bit of fatness and acidity to keep it all in good balance, long fresh aftertaste; really well made and right in the drinking window (completely different from tastings two respectively three years ago, so much improved)

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This is a good Pinot Noir from Kutch. This is their entry level Pinot and it has nice dark red fruit and soft tannins. It is not for long term aging.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • This is an enjoyable Pinot with nice red fruit, good minerality and modest tannins. It is not a rich, complex wine, but it provides good pleasure at its price point.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This took a bit to start opening up. Darker fruit, on the more savory any almost meaty side with sneaky tannins. Could probably use more time and longer decant or even a day open. Pretty tasty but distinct profile. Whole cluster coming through as well.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Dark fruit, but showing a touch more elegance than my previous bottle.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Upon opening and through the evening, this was showing very fresh and young. Frankly, I found the fruit a bit strong. Day 2 showed a wine coming together with more balance and a nice even finish. I am a believer that Jamie’s wines need some bottle age to evolve into what they are: a California burgundy. Drink from 2020-2025.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Dark, savory, and rich. This didn't feel like what I am used to with Kutch, but will be interested to see how this wine continues to evolve.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • PnP. Dark ruby red color. Quite aromatic, but needed about 30 minutes to really open. Decanting would have helped. Cherry, spice, earth, herbs, some stems, anise on the nose and flavors. Well balanced with good acidity to keep the wine bright and lively. Smooth finish. really good now, but should hold a while. No hurry to open the remaining 2 bottles.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Pop and pour and tasted without food (other than corn nuts and cashews).
    Ruby color.
    Nose offers some cherry notes, spice elements and an earthy character (loam?).
    This leans towards an earthier style with a good herbal element. Nice acidity to give this lift. Good structure and enjoyable, but missing the"wow" element.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This has gotten even prettier since last time I tasted in 2016. Gorgeous red fruits on the nose with roses, herbs, spiced tea. Brisk and bright with dusty tannins and lively, crisp, lip-smacking red fruit. Complex elements of rhubarb, white pepper, sage, chewing tobacco, mushroom. Gorgeous stuff. I bet it'll be even better in two or three more years.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consumed over 2 days (vacuvine), note from day 2. Color: Very dark for a Pinot - fingers not visible looking thru glass with white background in well lit area. Nose: Medium-plus expressiveness, jammy raspberry and black cherry, violets and bacon fat undertones. Palate: Medium bodied, sweet dark red fruit attack with spicy undertones, good balance and mid-palate persistence, black pepper and earthiness appear in the back-end. Finish: Medium length, 30-45 seconds, showing spicy dark red fruit.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • I really like this Pinot Noir. Lovely smell with lots of fruits and balanced aftertaste.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, black cherry, strawberry patch, violets, and hints of saddle leather. Palate: Medium bodied, black cherry, raspberry, solid acidic backbone drives a nice mid-palate lift. Finish: Medium-plus length showing black cherry, ice tea, and Asian spice.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • On the acidic, medicinal spectrum, but no greenness here. Lovely ripe dark red fruits, somewhere between crunchy and coulis. Tinges of spice, there is vibrancy and elegance, but somehow it's not all knit together. Decanted for 2 hours, seems like it might need more time.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • I opened the bottle about 3 hours ago and let it sit, drinking now at room temp of 73f. Perhaps too warm for Pinot but on a fall night watching the World Series, seemed like a good fit. At this serving temp, some wines might fail as the warts come out at this temp, especially Pinot Noir (at least in my view). No warts here. This is moderately plush, with juicy black and red qualities, mainly a dark raspberry and some red apple too. The stemmy quality from my 2017 bottles is virtually gone, leaving behind a nice floral component on the aromatics. Hell, the nose could fool me a for a bit of Syrah, as much as the 2017 bottle did and my TN speaks to from back then, too. A cool, juicy spine of tangy acidity cuts through the wine but with little tannin imprint, making the wine drink well now. Aging this further doesn’t to me add anything to this wine so my advice is to enjoy now. I have one left, I will share it with friends in 2019 I suspect. Delicious.

    4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Medium red; some strawberry, some sharpness; quite austere, fruit seems to be there but hiding not coming out, instead acidity, sharp and little pleasure

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted for about an hour. A little on the lighter side which is expected and paired great with seared tuna. Drinking fabulously

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Very nice. Darker bodied, effervescent, note of licorice on the nose.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Pop and pour, which was a mistake - a little more air would have helped dispense with some of the volatile acidity. In the glass, ruby red at the rim, shading to dark, slightly opaque red at the core. On the nose, perhaps the most rose-scented floral Kutch we've had so far. On the palate, the aforementioned volatile acidity, paired with stemmy fruit and a touch of honeysuckle (and yes, I do mean honeysuckle on the palate). If the acidity settles down over time, this has some upside.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Very impressed with this wine. Great QPR. Opened and let slow ox for 60 mins. Drank over the next two hrs. Superb nose. Cranberries, cherries, spices, turned dirt, mushrooms. Dried red fruit. Touch of rose petals. Similarly on the palate. Good acidity, ample earthiness (often missing in CA PN’s). Some savory notes. Great balance. Low alcohol. If only more CA PN’s were like this! Looking forward to revisiting in a yr or so.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • The wine has a nice Pinot nose including a little mint to it. It offers lovely red fruit, some kirsch, spice and mint on the finish. This is a delicious wine.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Paired wonderfully with homemade pate.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Somewhat closed at first but opened in the glass over about 30 minutes with primarily dried red fruits and spice. Good structure, tannins not too prominent. Medium body and finish. Overall pleasant to drink. Didn't get as much complexity as I was expecting.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Light ruby in color. Closed at first, but after about an hour, boy did it become a super-refined wine. A Pinot with smooth intensity, elegance and length on the tongue. Subtle cranberry, red raspberry, cherry, forest floor on the nose that also are present on the pallet.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Really opened up after an hour in bottle. Medium bodied and medium acid (maybe med plus on both). Really nice depth and extraction of that remains fresh and far from syrupy/candied. Fresh strawberry and raspberry dominate with black cherry, cloves, and roasted elements providing weight in the background. Minerality runs through the center again reinforcing freshness. Thoroughly enjoyed. I’d drink in the next year or two.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Corked. Bought at Stanley Wet Goods in Culver City 1/8/18.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Right out of the gate this showed a fresh red raspberry fruit core that was later complimented by floral (gardenias!) and spice aromas. It showed darker on the palate, heading more to a black cherry fruit, but a very dry expression of that fruit. There was nothing candied or overripe. The structure is mostly based on acidity, but there are some sneaky tannins on the back end. Good showing for this wine, and it appears to have a positive future.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Wide open and ready for business. Pleasing. Balanced.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Pop and pour and tasted with food (Pho Ga, in case you were wondering).
    Followed for about 4 hours with and without food.
    Light ruby red color. Nose offers some spice and fresh raspberries.
    Bright acidity and red berries - cranberries, raspberries, and a hint of some herbs (stems?).
    Enjoyable.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Decanted for about an hour, served slightly above cellar temp (58’ish). Interesting nose of roses,cherry,tobacco and herbs. On the palate, tart cherry and red fruits with a spicey/savory note. Medium plus acidity gives a good zip to the fruit. One of my favorite SC appellation wines, will try to hold the last bottle until 2019!

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Smooth and pleasant. Tart cherry and herby.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Full bodied and lush but not richly so. And shows the stems but not over doing it. JOe notes a fruit pip bitterness to the finish but in a good way.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Maybe 92. Needs more time.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • California Vacation (Sonoma, SF, Monterey); 8/5/2017-8/12/2017: Tasted at winery. This was a bottle that had been open for some time. Still showing some nice dark cherry fruit, this had some caramelization and was showing age. Still pretty tasty!

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Bought at the recommendation of several Wine Berserkers who suggested the Kutch style is similar to Rhys.

    Clear purple wine in the glass. Red fruit on the nose with a hint of flowers, leading to dark cherry, raspberry, and earth on the palate. Very fine, soft tannins perfectly balanced with just the right amount of acidity. There’s a mineral note on the long finish. Really pretty, yet deeply flavored wine. Not quite up to the $45 I paid for the bottle, though that’s a New York City price. Better value if you can find it for around $35-40.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Showing a juicy, fresh black cherry that finishes with a dark cherry note in the finish.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • This was ripe and obviously California pinot noir with ripe berry fruit, cobbler, etc.... and then this juicy, almost Lapierre like personality would appear out of nowhere. I'm still puzzled by Kutch.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Pop and pour and served without food. Light ruby color. Nose shows whole cluster and some alcohol. Bright red fruits; some tartness and herbal notes. Showing some basil notes along with red berries.
    I suggest serving this slightly chilled as the alcohol shows some heat on the finish. ABV listed at 12.9% but at room temperature, it is noticeable.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Blinds at RN74 (RN74): Slightly reductive, elevated intensity nose with prominent ripe red cherry, slightly confected (10-15% whole cluster),, slight butter (either malo or byproduct of semicarbonic), and a hint of freshly turned earth. Sweet and savory nose. Very appetizing. Florals - fresh roses, slight white peach (terpenes).
    On the palate, dry, medium body, medium alcohol 12.5% - feels 12.9%, medium plus acid, medium minus tannins.

    Old world, cool-climate, red-fruited, thin-skinned, unoaked wine.

    If it were Burgundy, I'd expect a little more impression of oak (maybe used in a basic Bourgogne), and less exuberant carbonic notes.

    Conclusion: This is a Cru Beaujolais, made in a more serious style, from a heftier village - not as tannic as a Moulin-a-Vent, but maybe a Morgon, Julienas/Chenas, Cote de Brouilly. 2014 (2015 had hail). Higher priced for the region - $30-40.

    Actually: Jamie Kutch 2014 Sonoma Coast Pinot. 12.9%

    Analysis: I just didn't pick up any oak, which tilted me towards Gamay. I think in the context of Sonoma Pinot this is an outlier - low alcohol, restrained ripeness, high acid. I'm a big fan of this - delicious, complex fruit, and a good integration of whole-cluster notes and ripe fruit, without any overt oak!

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • dark cherry, violet perfume, nutmeg, light smoke. the nose on this is so pretty. palate shows similar, with juicy red fruit and flowers. medium finish. nice balance and structure. still needs time.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Fantastic on day two. Needs time.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Remember the Cherry Smash? Now available BTG, wrapped in silk.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • What Ultimatewinekick_Andreas said. It is pleasant, soft and a little short.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Really, really good. Great QPR. Opened and let slow ox for 75 mins. Drank over the next two hrs. Superb nose. Cranberries, cherries, spices, fine dust. Similarly on the palate. Good acidity, some spiciness (from the whole clusters?). Some savory notes. Great balance. Looking forward to revisiting in a yr or so. This will likely be even better.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • I generally prefer wines with several years of age, but one where I love the youthful expression is the Kutch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Boisterous red cherry fruit is balanced by bright acidity, some light dusting of tannin, and hovering aromas of violets and fresh spices. When I first opened the wine it seemed a touch disjointed, but after an hour of air it blossomed and integrated. It then maintained grace and poise through night two when I finished the bottle. This marks 4 straight vintages of outstanding Sonoma Coast Pinot in my experience with Kutch, and makes me look forward to each new release.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

  • Gorgeous cranberry, strawberry, and mentholated herbs. Blossomed after a 60 minute bottle breathe

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Thiere was a little spritz when I opened this. I recooked and waited till next day. The wait was worth it! This has become predictable... in a good way. There was pretty Christmas spice and a stemmy perception. The fruit was purplish, in that Sonoma way, with a hint of chalk that I have had before. It was also juicy and succulent, delicious.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)

  • Over a year since the last bottle, figure it's time to get after another. Opened this about 30 mins ago, with room temp of about 68-70f. The early impression on this show some unique qualities, which I suspect will smooth out with air. The aromatics show the cracked spice signature of whole cluster---not green but instead the pungent aspect of the stem impact. Also a gamy quality. The palate seems coiled to me, and while there is good texture here, it's a little punchy and one noted, showing smoky cherry, game, soil and red fruits. If it wasn't for the red-fruited pinot aspect of this, I could be fooled with going down the road of a Rhone syrah if served blind. Call me crazy, it's fine. In total, some syrah-like qualities, yet hard red cherry candy note of the fruit. I'll continue to air this for 3-4 hours and then retry over dinner.....this did flesh out and become a bit truer to form. Quite a bit of red and blue tones here, with the stems still hanging around. The stems actually seem more prominent to me in this vintage, at least this bottle and on this particular night, so we'll have to see how this ages and evolves.

    2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Blend of Sonoma Coast vineyards with high elevation and sandy soil.
    Intense, mainly dark, fruit with plums, blackberries but also some strawberries and hints of marzipan that adds some sweetness. Rather careful acidity but with a fresh and cool expression, and a rather soft tannic structure. On the palate there is also an abundance of cherries. Well balanced and pleasant wine.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Medium red; green notes, pepper; green impression, slightly fizzy, lean expression, well tasting when gerning through the layers of green and fizzy; not a "normal" Kutch bottle

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined), note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, black cherry, plum, white pepper, saline, and violets. Palate: Medium-full bodied, black cherry and Asian spice attack, mid-palate acid driven lift, plenty of sweet fruit persists through the back-end where it's joined by minerals and earthiness. Finish: Medium-plus length dominated by dark red fruit, spice, and earth.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Tasted with Jamie Kutch at winery. Gentle, light, food friendly. Nice balance between fruit and earth. Whole cluster. 12.9% abv. Lovely.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This one initially showed bright red fruits, stems and hints of rose water. Saved half the bottle for the next day, and lightly spiced dark cherries became prominent among the red fruit, and the stem presence was much more noticeable. Overall, enjoyed this wine, though seems some more time could be beneficial to help integrate the stems.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Christmas Tasting: Pretty aromatic display of red apple, raspberry and pomegranate, along with rose hips and fresh herbs. Medium-bodied, a fine layer of dusty tannins, and crisp, vibrant acidity hold this wine together wonderfully. Bright red fruit (tart raspberries and cherries, pomegranate, red apple peel), matched with sage, rose hips, spicy tobacco and potting soil. So pure and elegant. Lovely to taste this young, and it's showing so nicely, but I think I'll hold my other bottle for two or three years to see where it goes. Lots going on for less than $40. Jamie Kutch kills it again.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Lovely, delicate and feminine in appearance and on the nose that is expressive in its notes of strawberry, freshly cut roses, and blueberry. Sprightly and succulent on the palate, this effort is surprising and serious for an AVA level wine. Much of the seriousness is lost on the finish which lacked in tannin and let some serious sugar in, lasting for quite some time. Up until the finish, this may have been the finest appellation level California Pinot that I have had. Anxious to see if the frontal sugar attack mellows with the fruit or remains.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Consumed over 2 days (vacuvined),note from day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, cranberry, black cherry, raspberry and brush, with undertones of blueberry and mint. Palate: Medium bodied, a battle between stems and minerals versus sweet red and blue fruit fruit - with the former winning a close contest, provides good balance. Finish: Medium length dominated by spicy dark red fruit and brush. I think this will benefit from from 3 - 5 years of aging.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • A little softer and easier to drink this time and it seems different than my last bottle, fuller in texture. Now I wonder how it will age. It held up well over a few hours and although it lacks the stiff old burg spine (but why look for that in a California wine?), I think there is some structure under the fruit. Cinnamon, spice, strawberry pie, slight evergreen - it is a beautiful wine. I suppose I like the more linear traditional burgs with a bite, but this is a great example of California terroir.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Shows evergreen and green notes on the nose, some stem spice as well. And linear and structured, needs some time. Erin notes its delicious.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • young and miles to go before it sleeps, but a lovely West Coast Pinot that is balanced, earthy and beautiful - great source for elegance in a land of hot, alcoholic Zinfandelized pinot

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Softer ruby color. Sweet, ripe strawberry on the nose. Tight, slightly bracing finish with the right elements for balance if given some time. Should be nice a few years.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • The ‘14 Sonoma Coast Pinot was easy to like, showing ripe red berry tones with hints of plum, spice and sweet floral notes. On the palate, a mix of cherry, cranberry and apple came together in a juicy and soft expression. Notes of ripe apple and strawberry were found on the medium-length finish. You could sip this all day with its likeable personality and easygoing nature.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Given an hour of air this was a wonderful young pinot. Full of bright fruit with a lighter style body. This paired perfectly with Grilled Leg of Lamb with a pomegranate molasses glaze.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • I cannot say if the 2013 or the 2014 is he best yet of this. I can say that the trend is toward the bright red fruit spectrum. It also has light spice hints, and the neutral barrels are affecting the wine in a positive way. I really like this. It did start with some small bubbles that blew off rather quickly.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Sandhi and Kutch wines tasting with Sashi Moorman and Jamie Kutch (London Cru): Bright and sweet fruited cherry nose. Very dry, maybe a touch of bitterness to it and drinking like a young Beaujolais in some ways, the finish is a little short

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Tasted at Kutch with Jamie and Joanna.

    Clear, medium red color. Youthful aromatic nose. Dry, light body with fresh acidity and low tannins. Good balance, moderate flavor medium finish. 100% whole cluster.

    Overall 3/5

    Price $39 (good value)
    Abv

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • Gang of 5 Lady's Night: Just got a smaller taster from a bottle open the night before. Lots of stem here, a lot. Red berry fruit flavors and a bitter ending. It's OK but I didn't get excited and it probably requires food.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • This is bottle #2, a fresh reprise of the one from about 4 weeks ago, when we tasted all the other 2014s and a few 2013s together. This time, the wine is going solo, only me tasting it over successive nights. I opened this about an hour ago, put a light chill to it, good stem used too for my impression. This drinks more like the 2014 McDougall, so think darker, fleshier and more fruit centric. There is a creamy fruit purity to the texture, quite easy to like. Lots of purple fruit, at least giving me the sensation of that flavor, which is not blue or red alone, but perhaps both together forming something of a sum of their parts. Light touch of root beer, then a cool sense of pinot funk, then raspberry skin and a closing dose of bright acidity. At least for Night 1, this is really quite pure and squarely enjoyable with a core of moderate complexity...Night 2, still juicy with the purple/blue fruit (more blue toned as it warms). Appearing tonight now are the stems, which have created an herbal seasoning in the palate, along with a citrus rind component and some dusty, light tannin. I dig this for being juicy, stemmy spicy and flavorful....Day 3, no fade. For what is here, at around $40, it's terrific and represents well what CA PN can do at this price point for an AVA blend. As for a drink window, it seems silly to attach one to a wine this young but that aside, I do think this will drink fine with release and another 5 or so years out.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • Opened at 2PM, tried immediately and then re-tasted several hours later over dinner. 100% whole cluster, no new wood, 12.9% abv. And, like all the 2014s, was bottled in late August 2015. I had a mixed experience with this wine, candidly. It was better for me at the earlier tasting, showing rose water, blue and raspberry tones, although it did come across as fruit forward and seemed to resemble more of a barrel sampled wine. Over dinner, it was certainly approachable, with the red fruit sweetening up and the stems imparting some influence, too. My notes even had the term syrup written down, which I would use to associate to something that is texturally more dense and riper in tone. I'm going to be interested to see where this wine heads into the future, as for me I don't feel like it has matured yet and is still quite youthful and awkward. Knowing Jamie and his focus, contrasted against what I have described here, I would expect the wine to evolve and come around in time.

    1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

  • After having the Bohan, Falstaff and McDougall of the same vintage, I am glad I saved this one for last. I think I get it now. It's the alchemy of all good things found in some of these vineyard designates in a more approachable and easy-going styled wine. This is wonderfully fragranced; you smell this from 2 feet away from the glass. Nose of pure strawberries and blackberries. Palate flows forth with a multi-layered array for quietly place fruits. This has interesting notes of citrus I really like. What this really is all about is approachability and focus; it stays playful. Balance is fantastic on this. It certainly has less of the vineyard characteristics as one would expect, but the family resemblance will never be doubted. Finish is true and long and this shows itself as seamless. Maybe a lighter styled structure but it really shows elegance. When you think of its price point you realize it is a party in a bottle and all for $39

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

  • A Visit to Kutch: (Barrel Sample) Nearly identical to the 2013 in terms of style, though slightly darker colour, more aromatics and higher tannin. This pours ruby with shades of blue noted and a more purple inky core. The nose is of blue and purple mixed berry fruit, licorice, dry soil and smoke. The palate is quite tannic with moderate acid and a tangy medium finish.

    Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

What Do You Think? Add a Tasting Note

×
×