This wine is simply in my zone, where I look for pinot that expresses these qualities. Just a gorgeous wine from what should be considered one of the best pinot plots in Nor Cal, from a winery that gets it. Thanks for reading.
2011 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (6/1/2014)
This is the first 2011 Copain Kiser I have tasted. In thinking of this plot of land, then the vintage and finally the appraoch Wells takes to pinot, I was eager to see how this turned out. Open about an hour, with a slight chill. Pours with a cool ruby color. The palate is perfectly balanced with zingy cherry, red apple, raspberry and a gentle but long coating of mineral though the finish. Oak? Maybe, maybe a hint of vanilla and toast on the aromatic but that’s it. Alcohol signature? None, although this isn’t surprising knowing the vintage but as importantly, the way Wells makes his pinots now. This is simply dynamite and yet another example of 2011 really showing off a treasure.
Was at copain over the weekend, and took back a bottle of the 11 en haut and en bas. Were with another couple staying at a house in healdsburg and finished them both off over the weekend. I was able to re supply on my 10 brosseau as well as they surprisingly to me had a case left.
Even got another 09 Wentzel.
The kizers were singing for sure.
Tried the 09 halcon as well and it’s starting to come around as well. I was very sorry to hear wells would no longer be working with halcon. Oh well, there are several new producers coming online with that fruit, so new things to try now.
Brad, the wine drinks fine for me now. However, by now you probably have figured out that I don’t age my wines for long stretches and prefer the energy of younger wines. With 2011, the acidity is bright but that to me adds a refreshing counter and makes the wine a pleasure to drink now.
Mr Hudson, it’s about time I opened a 2010 Brosseau syrah again here this summer. That is a helluva wine.
Here is an update to my note from last year. Dang, I love Copain Kiser.
2011 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (3/10/2015)
With the comments about the 2011 vintage, I still believe and stand firm that some great wines were made, wines of class. The sibling to this En Haut, the 2011 En Bas, is of great class so I figured we’d check in on the En Haut again. With the 24 hrs being open under the pulled the cork, and with a perfect chill and stem, there is much here to like. This has a lot of fruit depth, plenty of dark raspberry, strawberry and blueberry as the fruit’s profile. There is a smoky note to the fruit too, which I would take to mean some new wood, as I think the Kiser PNs usually see about 30%. With the fruit and smoke, a good dollop of orange rind citrus that helps to add energy to the wine. Finally, like last night, there is a mineral support in the finish, or call it some tannin, whatever you want but it is there, along with a distinct blue fruit note to round it all out. As it warms up and approaches room temp, that mineral/tannin really comes out and the blueberry gets a touch of sour strawberry, too. This will go plenty of time ahead and will be I suspect too lean for some but it’s where my palate is these days and the wine does just great for me.
Mark, I have to differ with you on the Wentzel, as we had one blind a month or so and it was big. I have one left that I will get into soon. Hey, this ain’t to say your palate is wrong, not my intent here. I would say if you dig into a 2009 Monument Tree, you might find something as good or better than the Wentzel.
Mark, be curious too as to your thoughts on the 2011 vintage, versus 2009. You have some bottles open of the 2011 to this point to provide a perspective?
Frank - you are the man when it comes to Copain notes…as you know, I echo a lot of your thoughts on the pinots so, just to help add perspective to the conversation, here’s my note from 1/25/2015:
I opened this up last night, took a glass and am now finishing the last of it ~20 hours later. Man, this is lean and taut, so if you’re acid-shy then this certainly isn’t for you. Maybe tending more toward the purple/floral tones than the normal red/black cherry spectrum that I usually associate with the Haut. There is indeed some fruit lurking in the background and I do think time will let it shine a bit more against the strong acids, but I doubt it will ever take center stage. On the balance, I am enjoying this Haut because I happen to like pinots with some good punch and cut from the acids, but I also think it is going to need to find a better sense of balance against the fruit if it will ever be a great Kiser En Haut.
Of the 2011 pinots, I’ve had both the Kisers, the Monument Tree and the Wentzel and can say that, thus far, my take is that the energy from the acids in 2011 is right up my alley as an acid-lover. Having said that, I also think that a few years in bottle will help settle things down and, in the case of this Haut, ease the tension and (hopefully) allow the fruit to come up a bit…we’ll see, but I’m not in any rush to pull corks on these '11s when there are more approachable vintages in 2009 and 2010 sitting alongside these bottles in the cellar. That said, each '11 I’ve opened has been enjoyable, and if you’ve got a few, no shame in popping a bottle to get a better view of the vintage in all of its acidic glory.
RJ, thanks for dropping back in with the commentary and TN on the 11s. You know, I found the acidity on the En Haut the highest of the 4 wines you listed. My last Tree was over T-Giving and that showed acidity but not like the Haut, more of a shading as my I put in my last TN. The Wentzel, it’s been a year but that wine was surely zesty, as my TN called it. Then the En Bas from a few months ago, I didn’t find as acidic as the Haut, but surely energetic and I put that sucker on my WOTY list.
These 11s are real good. The Kisers will go a long time, wonder if they will rally against those Kiser beauties Wells made in 2007. Those wines are amazing.
We’re in total agreement on the Haut being the most acidic of the lot, but they all have a great snappy core to them…moreso than any recent vintage that I can think of. The 2007 Haut was a mind-bender a few years ago when I had it last…I have 1 750ml and 1 mag, and I have no idea when to open them…though I’m betting that 10 years from vintage will find those 2007s just beginning to hit their stride.
I take a couple cases each year so I am sure I have all the 11s but dont keep them at home. I only have the 09s here currently.
For whatever reason I did not get a MT in 09 so I dont have one to compare. I am waiting for all my shipments before I hit the offsite, but I will grab an 11 and check it out.
Finishing the weekend, and having last night drank a split of the '11 Kiser En Bas, I went for the other part of Kiser, the upslope plot, which is En Haut. No doubt, the En Haut is better in '11 and just shows a more complete, more intense expression. I don’t get blue fruits from En Bas, but I do often find it with En Haut, and in this vintage, the En Haut shows the rocky tones that makes Kiser so good. En Bas just doesn’t compete with En Haut this vintage but it was great to try them both this weekend. Copain was cool to offer these in splits this month and I grabbed three of each. At $23 per, with shipping in, it was just a screaming way to get some 1/2s in to my cellar. Thanks for reading.
2011 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (11/15/2015)
Last night, I worked through a split of the '11 En Bas so I figured why not travel upslope and do a split of '11 En Haut. The En Bas was good last night but it didn’t wow me like the previous couple bottles. Like last night, put a cool temp onto it and poured a glass. I’ll say, I like EH better. Where they are alike is in the dark raspberry and red apple but the EH is the better wine in '11. Why? The acidity is better, more focused and present than the EB. The EH intensity is better, whereas the EB is more drinkable now and lacks the depth of the EH. All in, the EH is just drinking with more depth and energy and I prefer it. I do not find it tart nor lean, as my note earlier this year was written, so I suspect the wine is filling out. It is generous like the EB, but the blue tones and rocky note just hits me better. I suppose the wine can age further but there is something attractive now, with the dark raz and blue tones, the crushed rocks, it all works. For me, I will finish both Kiser 11s in the next 2-3 years max.
We had a great visit to Copain last week. I loved the 11 En Haut and thought it was really in it’s sweet spot. It was a great contrast to the 10 En Bas. I got me both and some Syrah. Glad i finally made it up to the winery for a visit. Great wines.
Fred, glad you made it out to the winery and enjoyed yourself. Coincidentally, I opened the same wine last night. Paired it with a turkey meatloaf and farrow. I think the wine is in the sweet spot, too.
2011 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (5/27/2016)
In support of Wells and the winery, and seeing him exit the hospital after what was a tough week last week, I open this in a toast to him and the crew there. From 375, these were such a killer deal last year when the winery offered them by the case at like 25 bucks a piece. Much like the bottle from late last year, I find this drinking well right from the first glass. Plenty of fruit here, quite expressive, a mix of blue and dark raz, and coming off at least right this moment as very approachable. Some light acidity here but as I had said about the wine last time, this vintage of Kiser, both for EB and EH, will be in my view the earlier drinkers. This reminds me too of where the 2007 EH is at this stage–open, easy to drink and not a candidate to lay down for the cellar. I’ve got a good glass left for later/tomorrow and so if this changes or tightens up, I will come back and add that edit.
Fred, those 375s were a steal. I tried to go back later and pick them up from the winery but they were a one-time offer. I kick myself, as I should have bought a case of each. Having a wine of that caliber in 375, ready to drink, they are super convenient.
We tried our first bottle back home and the 11 was even better than i remembered from our visit. I just love this wine. Nice comparison to the 10 Bas which is a bit deeper and rich. Both are great wines.
I figured I’d keep adding to this thread, to show the linear quality of wine over time, and admittedly, my change of opinion and evolution of how I see the 2011 vintage. You can see in my earlier TNs that I defended the vintage and found some points of light within it but my more recent notes on this 11 Kiser EH show that these wines (at least for me) are becoming drink now and move on wines. As contrast, the 2012 Kiser bottlings are excellent and really show what a difference a vintage makes.
I offer below my current TN that I wrote today for the bottle that has been open for about 24 hours, as well as the TN from the July 2017 note when we did about a dozen Kiser EH bottles at the winery as part of a vertical. The 2011 then just didn’t wow me, and this bottle isn’t much different. Thanks for reading.
2011 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (7/23/2017)
Tasted as part of a Kiser En Haut vertical we did with Wells @ the winery. 12.7% ABV. I will maintain my recent comments about this wine, this vintage, and say this is ready to go. 2011 was a tough year for Kiser, for many wineries given the vintage and this wine simply doesn’t bring the complexity of the best vintages. Tart plum, apple skin, some structure and spice but just lacking the balance and core of great Kiser.
2011 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (12/28/2017)
Last time I had this bottle was at the winery this past July when we did a vertical of Kiser EH. I remember the wine that day, and as my note from then narrates, the wine was ready to drink and I didn’t see any aging potential/benefit, and with this bottle I feel similarly. I opened the current bottle yesterday and had a glass or so. I’ve let the wine come towards room temp for writing the note. There has been some evolution since yesterday, as it’s showing a mix of sous bois and aged, loamy quality. The fruit is a mix of light black and zesty red, like a moderately ripe blackberry. There is acidity here, yet very little structure in my opinion to age the wine. To me, given the aged quality this is showing, I remain convinced that the 2011s need to be enjoyed and finished in the next few years. I don’t like where this wine is headed as it lacks the intensity, complexity and beauty of Kiser EH.
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