2013 McDougall Ranch Pinot Noir

Dark red and purplish fruit emerge from the 2013 Pinot Noir McDougall Ranch. There is more than enough fruit to fill out the wine's frame quite nicely. This south-facing site yields fruit of notable depth and richness, while the whole clusters add a gorgeous sense of lift.

Much darker ruby than Kutch's other 2013s. Produced from 114 clone planted in 1998 on a greywacke and sandstone site at 935 ft elevation only 3.5 miles form the ocean. Like all the Kutch 2013s, this was 100% whole bunch fermented with ambient yeast, punchdown twice a day by foot, natural malo in barrel and aged for 10 months on lees. but in this case 50% new oak was used. (Just 500 cases produced.) You can smell a little bit of the oak at this point so I would wait awhile but it is certainly the most ambitious of this range, the densest and the sweetest, though compared to the California Pinot norm it is bone dry and tingly. Some candied violets notes and a bit of gaminess. For food rather than sipping as an aperitif. The most Nuits and the most ambitious of the Kutch 2013s with excellent, confident persistence. Well done. (JR)