Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | U.S.A. > California > Sonoma |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
Moving to the single vineyards, the 2018 Pinot Noir Bohan Vineyard was not destemmed and saw the standard one year in neutral oak. Beautiful Burgundian notes of black cherries, dried herbs, forest floor, and darker currants all give way to a medium-bodied, firm, savory wine that has plenty of tannic grip yet pulls it off with solid mid-palate depth as well as outstanding length.
Vineyard with a history back to 1847; 3.05 miles (4.9 km) from the coast at 1,400 feet (430 m) planted, ungrafted, way back in 1972 by the current farmer George Bohan's father! Soils are Goldridge and sandy loam. Picked on 17 September. Made the same way as the Sonoma Coast blend. Just eight barrels produced. Notably pale crimson. Vegetal/forest-floor note on the nose. Seems almost to fizz with potential on the palate. It's a bit funkier than the other Kutch Pinot 2018s, with some violet notes. Presumably all of Jamie Kutch's Pinots qualify as 'natural', but this one is the most obviously so. (No faults though!) Less fruit-driven and more sucky-stony. As though the soils were pretty thin. 2019-2025
The 2018 Bohan bottling from Jamie Kutch is a really beautiful bottle of pinot noir in the making. The wine has a bit more ripeness than customary, as the it comes in at 13.4 percent alcohol, but still perfectly moderate by contemporary standards. The wine offers up a superb aromatic constellation of black cherries, dark berries, raw cocoa, lovely soil tones, hints of cola to come, woodsmoke, black tea and a topnote of sweet stems that recalls a hypothetical young Domaine Dujac wine without new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full, with a rock solid core, superb backend mineral drive, ripe tannins and fine focus and grip on the long and complex finish. This will need some bottle age to soften up, but will be outstanding. 2026-2055.
13.4% alc, 200 cases. 100% whole cluster, indigenous primary fermentation, natural malolactic fermentation. Minimal effect SO2. Aged in French oak barrels. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. ยท Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Deeper red fruit aromas arrive over time to compliment the scents of underbrush, sap and carbonic maceration. Light to mid-weight in style featuring red cherry, cranberry and raspberry fruit flavors, framed by energizing acidity and moderately imposing tannins. The wine finishes with a lip-smacking, slightly tart, cherryfueled finish that exhibits a modicum of astringency. A very young wine that needs time in the cellar. Much better tannin integration when sampled the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle.