From Chardonnay to Pinot Noir – Brice Cutrer Jones and the Evolution of a Winemaker

My guest this week is Brice Cutrer Jones, who is virtually synonymous with California Chardonnay. For 25 years, he was the renowned producer of the eponymous Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay. Cutrer Jones has switched gears and is now applying the same passion, skill, and marketing savvy he and his team used to become makers of world-class, stylish Chardonnay, into crafting an iconic Pinot Noir from his Emeritus Vineyards in Sonoma County. “Fifteen years ago I said western Sonoma Coast was going to be the Côte d’Or of California, and we’re out to prove it,” says Jones. “Should we try to taste like Burgundy? No, but we should emulate their charm, elegance, balance. I want my pinot noirs to be a holistic, seductive experience.” The result is Emeritus Vineyards. Brice and I will discuss his years at Sonoma-Cutrer, starting again with Emeritus, what it takes to make a world-class wine, his two “noble” Pinot Noirs, food and wine pairings, marketing, distribution and much more.

As the son & grandson of West Point officers, Brice Cutrer Jones’ career path was clear. He graduated from the Air Force Academy with an engineering degree in 1961. During a temporary tour of Europe in ’63 he discovered wine…the rest is history. In 1970 he resigned his Air Force commission to enter Harvard Business School, gaining the expertise and knowledge to form his own vineyard and winery enterprise. A handshake secured financing for the fledgling Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards in ’73. With the precision of an engineer, the focus of a fighter pilot, and a vision that belied his youth, Brice surrounded himself with insightful employees and consultants, and together they created a vineyard and winery dedicated exclusively to Chardonnay. After a successful 25-year run, Brice struck a deal to sell Sonoma-Cutrer to Brown-Forman in April of 1999. In June of the same year, Brice and his partners bought a spectacular 115-acre apple orchard near Sebastopol, now home to the Emeritus Vineyards.