Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up on my doorstep asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have arrived recently.

I try hard not to take for granted my own good fortune at being able to spend a bunch of my time tasting wine, nor the sometimes exceptional bottles that come my way. I’ve been particularly blessed these last few weeks in the wine sample department.

This week, I’m recommending the final three newest releases from Kutch Wines. Jamie started purely as a Pinot guy, but he has really dialed in his approach to Chardonnay over time and is making some really stupendous bottles these days. I’d highly recommend any of his Chardonnays, which are made in that lean, faintly reductive, saline, acid-driven style that drives lovers of white Burgundy wild. His “entry-level” Sonoma Coast bottling is excellent, and his single-vineyard bottlings are outstanding. In particular, the 2023 bottling of the Salt Point Block at Bohan Vineyard is a knockout.

Winemaker Stewart Johnson has always been one of the leading proponents of wines from Marin County. His Kendric Vineyards brand is a standard-bearer for what the region is capable of, and he’s recently released his first traditional-method sparkling wines, both of which I like. His rosé, however, is my favorite of the two, with its combination of berry and potpourri spice qualities. He also sent along the latest vintage of his Pinot Noir, which I think is the best I can remember tasting of this bottling.

This past week I also started plowing through a tranche of wines from Scenic Valley Farms in Oregon. Scenic Valley is a family-run estate, started in the 1970s by Bob and Pam Zielinski. Their son Brian grew up on the property, and now works as the vineyard manager for the estate, and the wines are made by Gabriel Jagle. I started my tasting of their wines with a couple single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, both of which were very good. The Wild Hare bottling, from the Hare Vineyard had a beautiful texture and nice energy.

Lastly this week, I have two new vineyard-designated releases from Cathy Corison at Corison Winery. Both wines, the Sunbasket Vineyard and the Kronos Vineyard Cabernets, are excellent representatives of what makes Corison such a revered winemaker in Napa Valley. In a vintage marked by a lot of heat, and the conditions that could easily lead to fairly rich, brawny wines, Corison’s early picking and gentle extraction has resulted in wines with equal parts elegance and power, despite their extremely restrained alcohol levels (though Kronos ended up at 14%, which is on the high side for Corison—only the second time that Kronos has broken 14% in its history). Both wines will be released in the coming few months, and are as cellar-worthy as any of Corison’s Cabernets. Give these babies 10 to 15 years, and then watch out.

Tasting Notes

2023 Kutch Winery Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of white flowers, lemon curd, wet pavement, and a hint of yellow herbs. In the mouth, lemon pith, lemon curd, and white flowers have a faint chalky texture. Decent acidity, but I would like more edge. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $42. click to buy.

2023 Kutch Winery “Bohan Salt Point Block” Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California
Pale gold in the glass with a hint of green, this wine smells of salty lemon pith, pine resin, white flowers, and wet chalkboard. In the mouth, gorgeous saline flavors of lemon pith, struck flint, and wet chalkboard are shimmering with stony minerality and crackling acidity. Mouthwatering, vibrant, and stunning. An amazing expression of one of California’s most impressive vineyard sites. 13% alcohol. Score: between 9.5 and 10. Cost: $59. click to buy.

2023 Kutch Winery “Trout Gulch Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apple, lemon pith, lime zest, and white flowers. In the mouth, saline flavors of lime zest, lemon pith, wet chalkboard. Notes of lime zest linger in the finish. Stony. 13% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $59. click to buy.

2021 Kendric Vineyards “Blanc de Blanc” Sparkling Chardonnay, Petaluma Gap, Marin County, California
Light to medium gold in the glass with medium bubbles, this wine smells of wet chalkboard and lemon pith. In the mouth, candied lemon peel, lemon oil, pomelo pith, and a hint of crabapple are all delivered on the back of a nice, silky mousse. Tart and brisk without being austere. There’s a hint of pastry cream in the finish. 11.9% alcohol. 100 cases made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $30.

2011 Kendric Vineyards Sparkling Rosé of Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County, California
Light to medium copper-pink in color with medium bubbles, this wine smells of hibiscus, orange oil, and raspberries. In the mouth, rosehip, raspberry, orange peel, and clove flavors are borne across the palate by a silky, voluminous mousse. Mouthwatering acidity lingers with redcurrant brightness in the finish. 12.3% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $30.

2024 Kendric Vineyards “Loup Solitaire” Pinot Noir, Petaluma Gap, Marin County, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of flowers and raspberry pastilles. In the mouth, raspberry, sour cherry, and hibiscus flavors are bright and juicy thanks to excellent acidity. There’s a faint gauzy tannic texture here that stiffens slightly with time, but mostly just juicy, bright red fruit that soars for a long time through the finish. Very pretty. 13.2% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $28. click to buy.

2023 Scenic Valley Farms “Wild Hare – Hare Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of cherries and raspberries. In the mouth, bright cherry fruit mixes with raspberries and a hint of dried herbs. Bright and juicy with excellent acidity and a faint cottony tannic texture. Very pretty. Fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in Oregon oak. Bottled unfiltered. 13.4% alcohol. 75 cases made. Certified Salmon Safe and LIVE certified sustainable. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $40. click to buy.

2023 Scenic Valley Farms “Illahe Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Mt. Pisgah, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherries and raspberries with a hint of wet earth. In the mouth, cherry and raspberry flavors mix with a touch of river mud and hints of conifer boughs. Excellent acidity and faint cottony tannins. Fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in Oregon white oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered. 12.8% alcohol. Certified Salmon Safe and LIVE certified sustainable. Score: around 9. Cost: $40.

2022 Corison “Sunbasket Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of blackcurrants, black cherries, and violets. In the mouth, bright blackcurrant and black cherry flavors have a wonderful lithe lightness on the palate, as powdery tannins coat the mouth and stiffen slightly with time. There’s a weightlessness to this wine that is surprising. Fantastic acidity. 12.8% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: ~$125. click to buy.

2022 Corison “Kronos Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena, Napa Valley, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of blackcurrant, black cherry, black plum, and a hint of black pepper. In the mouth, gorgeous blackcurrant and licorice root flavors mix with what tastes like a hint of black peppercorn but without the spicy quality. Aromatic and mysterious, with lightly grippy tannins that stay supple with time and fantastic acidity. This wine is a baby yet and will take some time to show itself fully. 14% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: ~$250. click to buy.