2011 Kutch Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch
A Pinot Noir Dry Red Table wine from
Sonoma Coast,Sonoma,North Coast,California,USA
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Review by Antonio Galloni
Wine Advocate # 206 (Apr 2013)
Rating: 95
Drink 2014 - 2020
Cost: $59
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The
highlight among these current and upcoming releases, Jamie Kutch's 2011
Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch is drop-dead gorgeous. Savory herbs, dried
flowers, black cherries and licorice all jump from the glass in this
deep, layered wine. The 75% whole clusters come through only in the
bouquet, as the fruit is so intense, they are barely noticeable on the
palate. The balance of fruit, acidity and tannin is exceptional. I can't
wait to see how McDougall Ranch ages. It is clearly one of the most
impressive wines of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2020.
Jamie Kutch is one of the most thoughtful and introspective of
California's generation of young, emerging producers. Those qualities
are serving him very well as the wines continue to move in the right
direction. Overall, I find the 2011 Pinots a notch above the 2010s. In
2011 Kutch opted to use a higher percentage of whole clusters, an
approach that has paid off in spades. Kutch also decided to bottle his
2011s a little earlier than normal, after 10 months in oak versus 18 for
the 2010s, a move that seems to have preserved a measure of focus that
has at times been missing in the wines. Sadly, 2011 is the last vintage
for Kutch's Savoy Pinot, but that site has been replaced by two new
additions: Hirsch beginning in 2012 and Alder Springs in 2013. It will
be fascinating to see where Jamie Kutch goes next. One thing is clear --
the road is wide open.
Tel. (917) 270-8180
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