TN: 2016 Kutch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast (USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast)

  • 2016 Kutch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (6/20/2021)
    In a word, fascinating. There is so much going on in this wine it is hard to know where to begin. The unique white pepper note might be a good place to start. Maybe the struck flint that isn’t in your face, but rather carried on a breeze from an adjacent camp site. The fruit is present, but does not lend itself to easy analysis. That’s really all to the good, as a dry recitation of descriptors does not convey what is really going on with this wine. What is going on is an expression of the sum of its parts. It is a complete wine, with all the components in balance. It’s early in the journey of where it is going, but impatient me has blown through almost all of my bottles. I knew it was good when it was released. I did not know it was this good.

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thanks for the look David

D@vid

I’m such a huge fan of your palate/taste as well as Jamie. The '14 continues to be my all time favorite domestic Chard. Great descriptor, thanks!

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This vintage has been my “go to” white for special gatherings in 2021 and it has been stellar each and every time. I’m thinking to box some up and hide it out of sight because even at five years these have even more aging potential.

If I had any discipline whatsoever (I don’t) it would be fun to open only one or two bottles per year until I run out and chart it’s evolution. I’d wager this wine has five years minimum more to run before cresting.

Great note, David. I was equally smitten by the last two bottles of '15 I’ve opened. Not sure how the vitnages compare, but Jamie does have a nice touch with these wines. I don’t drink them with enough regularity. Need to fix that.

For some reason I have been afraid to try the Sonoma coast bottlings out of fear of disappointment. I’ll rectify that on the next offer.

For years now I’ve been screaming from the hilltops about Jamie’s Chards. They are flat-out phenomenal and I’m sure they age beautifully – my problem is I can’t keep my hands off them. I still have a couple '14 Santa Cruz Chards that I’m keeping for the longer haul. While there are others in the conversation, for my palate no one is making better new world Chard than Kutch.

And the value is exceptional. The Sonoma Coast is $39 and the Trout Gulch is $49, I think, and you can order as many as you want from Kutch.

Thanks for posting this great note, David, and others for chiming in. I agree that the 14 Santa Cruz has to be in at least my top-5 Cali Chard list. My note on the 16 was from about a year ago—it looks like (a) it needed more time in bottle and (b) I should try another one of mine :wink:

"2016 Kutch Sonoma Coast Chard

This has Jamie’s signature acidity and drive, and it starts out with some tangerine and floral nose and citrus and star fruit dans la bouche. This is good, but not great. I think that’s because my style preference is heavily skewed in favour of Santa Cruz (in general, not just in Jamie’s case) right now for Chard. There is one thing here—Jamie usually advises serving his Chards without a chill on them and I normally am in complete agreement. I think, though, that this particular one may perform best chilled."

Same here…I just can’t avoid drinking them before I get a chance to age them.