2022 Kutch Mindego Ridge Pinot Noir

Kutch Wines is in Sonoma. It was founded by Jamie Kutch and its debut vintage was its 2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Since then Kutch has continued to make Pinot Noir from vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, in the Russian River Valley and Anderson Valley. The wines are made in very small quantities and are available generally only by mailing list. Wine reviewers have been complimentary and Wine Advocate rated the 2011 McDougall Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir at 95 pts, calling it “clearly one of the most impressive wines of the vintage.”

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA includes high elevation territory in the counties of Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Mateo. The AVA follows the coast line from San Francisco to Monterey with elevations from 400 feet to 3,000 feet above sea level. There are 1,500 vineyard acres and the AVA was established in 1981. Despite the challenging terrain in these rugged mountains and hills, highly esteemed wineries have been located here since the early 20th century, when Paul Masson, a Frenchman by birth, started making sparkling wine in the area. By the 1970s vineyards were growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Numerous microclimates within the AVA offer viticulturists diverse growing conditions, and many varietals are grown successfully.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.