Farr Vintners Logo

Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard, Kutch 2018

RegionU.S.A.
Subregion U.S.A. > California > Sonoma
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyPinot Noir

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Kutch

Logo

Tasting Notes

Coming from a vineyard on the Sonoma Coast and not destemmed, the 2018 Pinot Noir Falstaff Vineyard is unquestionably one of the softer, more approachable wines in the lineup. Wild strawberry, passion fruits, violets, and rose petal notes all emerge from the glass, and this pretty, supple, elegant effort has rounded tannins, a great texture, and outstanding length. It also happens to be the lowest in alcohol in the lineup at 12.5%. Drink it any time over the coming 8-10 years. 2020-2030

93
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, May 2020

Falstaff is 8.2 miles (13 km) from the ocean at 505 feet (155 m) but, because it sits in a particularly foggy pocket, the Kutchs describe it as 'easily our coldest site. In 1999 owners Ron and Judy Lougheed planted the Goldridge soils to three different clones of Pinot Noir. Today they have managed to cultivate some of the most intense and smallest clusters of fruit we receive. With berries often the size of peas, our tiny yields are often below 1 ton per acre and while economics are challenged, the quality is bountiful.' Made the same way as the Sonoma Coast blend. Picked on 1 October. 22 barrels produced. Morello cherries on the nose of this wine that should probably be tasted before the richer McDougall Ranch Pinot. Rather a delicate wine which, for some reason, seems less marked by whole-bunch acidity – perhaps because of the mineral zestiness from the site itself. It certainly vindicates Jamie Kutch's single-vineyard approach because it is so distinctively different from the rest. Very fine-grained. But not too freighted by tannin, so it could be enjoyed already, with or without food. Sinewy. 2019-2025

17.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, December 2019

The 2018 Falstaff Vineyard pinot noir from Jamie Kutch is one of his lowest octane wines in this vintage, coming in at 12.5 percent, but this is hardly a surprise, as this vineyard is one of the coolest on the Sonoma Coast. The wine saw no new oak, is one hundred percent whole clusters and had its punch downs done by foot. The nose wafts from the glass in a superb blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, raw cocoa, gorgeous soil tones, sweet stems, woodsmoke, pigeon and a gentle topnote of mustard seed. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish, transparent and tightly-knit, with a good core, impressive balance and grip and a long, svelte, moderately tannic and vibrant finish. This is one of those pinot noirs that seems very likely to put on weight with bottle age and should start really singing five to seven years out. Fine juice. 2025-2055.

92+
John Gilman, View From the Cellar (85), March 2020
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.