Regular readers will know that I have long admired the work of winemaker Jamie Kutch, who has been honing his craft for two decades now as a soulful producer of some of California’s finest Pinot Noirs. The 2024 vintage, which he begins to release on January 15th of next year, is his 20th, and tasting them, you get the impression of a winemaker who has truly hit his stride. His single-vineyard expressions of Bohan Vineyard, Falstaff Vineyard, and Mindego Ridge are stunning, and his Sonoma Coast bottling proves excellent, as usual.

Admirably, Kutch’s prices have remained quite reasonable over these last two decades. Comparing them to producers such as Ceritas, Cobb, Rhys, Peay, Failla, and William Selyem (in whose class they undoubtedly sit), these wines can seem downright affordable in comparison. Of course, they are made in small quantities, so getting your hands on them can prove difficult, regardless of the price.

2024 Kutch Winery Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberry, green herbs, and a hint of flowers. In the mouth, raspberry and cherry flavors mix with green herbs. Lightly grippy tannins, decent acidity. A mix of purchased fruit from various sites declassified into a wine designed for by-the-glass programs. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Generally, for restaurants only.

2024 Kutch Winery Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberries, flowers, dried herbs, and wet earth. In the mouth, silky flavors of raspberries, redcurrants, and a hint of strawberry are wrapped in a gauzy haze of fine-grained tannins, excellent acidity, and great length. Ambient yeast fermentation with 50% foot-stomped whole clusters, then aged for 12 months in neutral French oak. 13% alcohol. 750 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5.

2024 Kutch Winery “Bohan” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberries, raspberry pastilles, and flowers. In the mouth, gorgeously bright raspberry and redcurrant flavors are silky and juicy with gauzy tannins that stiffen slightly with time and amazing citrus brightness. Supple, sexy, and gorgeous. Fruit from 40-year-old vines undergoes ambient yeast fermentation with 50% foot-stomped whole clusters, then aged for 12 months in neutral French oak. 13% alcohol. 200 cases made. Score: around 9.5.

2024 Kutch Winery “Mindego Ridge” Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberries, violets, earth, and hints of forest floor. In the mouth, raspberry, dried herbs, earth, and a touch of wet redwood bark. There’s a hint of dried citrus peel in the finish. Supple, gauzy tannins. Lovely balance. Ambient yeast fermentation with 50% foot-stomped whole clusters, then aged for 12 months in neutral French oak. 13% alcohol. 175 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5.

2024 Kutch Winery “Falstaff” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cedar boughs, flowers, raspberries, and dried orange peel. In the mouth, citrus peel, raspberries, cranberries, and dried herbs are wrapped in gauzy tannins and bright with excellent acidity. There’s a lovely stony note that lingers in the finish. Ambient yeast fermentation with 50% foot-stomped whole clusters, then aged for 12 months in neutral French oak. 13% alcohol. 350 cases made. Score: around 9.5.