BLOOMBERG.COM At the Air Force Academy Brice Cutrer Jones learned
about "duty, honor, and country"; as a fighter pilot in
Vietnam he learned about leadership; at Harvard Business School
he learned to "question every assumption"; and when he
founded Sonoma-Cutrer vineyards in 1973 in the Russian River Valley
as a tax shelter he found out "that I was going to be broke
for a very long time." 
JOHNMARIANI.COM At the Air Force Academy Brice Cutrer Jones learned
about "duty, honor, and country"; as a fighter pilot in
Vietnam he learned about leadership; at Harvard Business School
he learned to "question every assumption"; and when he
founded Sonoma-Cutrer vineyards in 1973 in the Russian River Valley
as a tax shelter he found out "that I was going to be broke
for a very long time." 
THE WINE ENTHUSIAST
Emeritus 2005 William Wesley Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) 95 points. Tasted alongside its Russian River Valley sister bottling, released at the same time, this new wine from Sonoma-Cutrer founder Brice Jones shows far greater power. Just erupts with masses of sweet cherries and raspberries with a liqueur richness and nuances of forest floor, pine needles and smoky oak. Really notable for balance. Citrusy acids and firm, sweet tannins give this Pinot, from way out on the Far Sonoma Coast, a brilliant structure. Beautiful now and for the next ten years. Emeritus 2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) 91 points. Really balanced and elegant with such bracing acidity. Shows pure flavors of cherries and cassis, with earthy, forest floor notes and a touch of cherry tomato and beetroot. Only moderately oaked, just enough to add a smoky edge. Very young and minerally now, this should hold and improve for five to eight years. — Steve Heimoff 
02138 MAGAZINE Brice Cutrer Jones, 67, a former Air Force fighter
pilot and the founder of Sonoma-Cutrer wines, aims to make the best
Pinot Noir in California—all thanks to a tour of duty in Vietnam
and a lesson from his commanding officer, General George Simler. 
INTOWINE.COM Brice Cutrer Jones is virtually synonymous with
California Chardonnay (Hint: Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay). The logical
assumption is that the topic de jour of any interview with him would
be Chardonnay. However, I recently sat down with Cutrer Jones to
discuss - of all things- his foray into Pinot Noir. 
DECANTER For more than 25 years, Brice Cutrer Jones was known for the stylish Chardonnays he made at Sonoma-Cutrer in California's Russian River Valley. Now it's Pinot Noir that has the former pilot flying high, but only after he sold Sonoma-Cutrer to Brown-Forman in 1999, exiting in 2001.
WINE ENTHUSIAST For 20 years, Brice Jones co-owned and ran Sonoma-Cutrer
Vineyards, which was one of the top Chardonnay producers in California,
and helped solidify Sonoma's reputation for world-class, single-vineyard
Chardonnay. He left the winery in 2001 after selling it to the wine
and spirits giant, Brown-Forman.
WINE SPECTATOR Emeritus Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast William Wesley
2005 A rich, dense, full-bodied Pinot, with intense blackberry, wild
berry, mineral, sage and dusty berry nuances supported by firm tannins.
Needs time. Drink now through 2012. 570 cases made. –JL Emeritus Pinot Noir Russian River Valley 2005 Spice, floral and wild berry aromas fold over to
the palate, where they're intense, focused and delicate. Finishes
with a burst of wild berry flavors. Drink now through 2011. 5,700
cases made. –JL 
WINESPECTATOR.COM As of last weekend, Brice Jones was still wrestling with a name for his new venture. “I can tell you one thing,” he quipped. “It won’t be Sonoma-Jones.” |
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