▻ Jamie Kutch

Let's Talk With

18 Jul

Written By Sarah Kemp

Elin McCoy in conversation with Jamie Kutch

Episode Summary:-

Jamie Kutch is known for his stylish Californian Pinot Noirs, but his journey to that destination is equally interesting: He was a trader at Merrill Lynch stock brokerage in New York, but left to pursue his dream of making wine in Sonoma. Elin McCoy talks to him about what drove him to make that move, how his style has evolved over the years, and his further, apparently boundless, ambitions. Jamie tells how grew up in Long Island, and tap dancing, sport, magic tricks and being a DJ were his passions, until he was at college, where he met a Jesuit priest who introduced him to German Riesling, and the wine bug hit. The complexity of the Riesling fascinated him; he became a wine geek and an active member of the Robert Parker bulletin board. After a wine-tasting when Kosta Browne’s Pinot Noir came top, he wrote to winemaker Michael Browne to say how impressed he was with the wine, and how Michael was living his dream. Michael Browne replied, offering to help him--it was an offer he couldn’t resist. It wasn’t long before he transferred to San Francisco when a job came up, and then he started making wine with Michael. His first vintage consisted of six barrels which Michael allowed him to make, and sold out even before it was made, thanks to the interest from his fellow wine-lovers on the Parker bulletin board.

When he started, Cabernet Sauvignon was king in California, but he was attracted by the aromatics of Pinot Noir. He tells Elin how he approached vineyard owners to rent their land, not easy for a newcomer. He also took to buying older vintages of California Pinot Noir, and discovered the ones he preferred, such as 1985 Williams- Selyem Pinot Noir, were made with whole-cluster fermentation. “There weren’t almost any California producers, maybe one or two, using 50-100 percent whole clusters, and I started to experiment, and that set our wines really apart.” Jamie also tells Elin that he picks his grapes much sooner than other vintners, and thus the alcohol levels of his wines are subsequently and significantly lower. Burgundy has been a source of inspiration to him, he says, especially Christophe Roumier and Aubert de Villaine.

““I started to experiment, and that set our wines really apart””

— Jamie Kutch

He also joined the group “In pursuit of balance,” which was formed in 2011 as a counter-weight to the “bigger is better” movement. “I want wine to pair with food and for that you need acidity,” he notes. The wine he is most proud of? The first vintage of Chardonnay he made from the Santa Cruz mountains, which was mistaken at a tasting for a Coche-Dury. In 2021 he purchased a 12-hectare old apple orchard near Sebastapol, and he discusses with Elin the frustration of not owning the source of your grapes when there is a change in ownership, revealing that he will no longer be making wine from the McDougall Vineyard, from which he has sourced his grapes for many years.

What’s next for Kutch Wines? Jamie is releasing a new Chardonnay and is excited that his plans for a winery and tasting room have been submitted to Sonoma County, as well as the fact that, in two to three years’ time, there will be the fruit from his own vineyard to look forward to.

Running Order:-

0.00 – 19.50

“My palate loved Pinot Noir over Cabernet.”

– Growing up in Long Island.
– Meeting a Jesuit priest at college who introduced me to wine.
– Working as a trader at Merrill Lynch.
– Becoming a wine lover in New York.
– Connecting with Michael Browne of Kosta Browne.
19.51 – 38.02

“I prefer fruit to be a little less sweet, less frutti-tutti.”

– Making first vintage with Michael Browne.
– Sourcing grapes.
– The third vintage, beset by smoke taint.
– Why he believes in whole-cluster fermentation.
– The influence of Burgundy vintners.
38.03 – 01.07

“I want wine to pair with food, and for that you need acidity.”

– Joining the “in pursuit of balance” group.
– Jamie’s mentors.
– Buying his own vineyard near Sebastapol.
– Releasing a new Chardonnay.
– Future plans for Kutch Wines.