TN: 2011 Copain Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard (USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone)

I thought I’d post this wine and see if anyone else has a take on what I experienced here. For the sequence, it was a bottle in December in 2014 that seemed like it had light TCA (that note is in CT). Then I figured hell, the winery is kind enough to replace the bottle so I will crack the other one I have. This was last week, and that one too seemed corky so I hit the winery and they offer to replace it yet again. Thus time, I declined, as I am starting to think maybe it’s just me. So, I open tonight what was the replacement from December, and by god, that one seems corky. OK, now I am just puzzled and humbled at the same time? Making peace with myself, and my thanks to Alexis @ the winery for hanging in there with me , the nature of this wine, for my own palate, it’s just a nuance that I get that seems corky. Yet the fruit on this bottle is perfect, not muted at all and the wine is drinking great, especially good on a 80 degree night here in the OC. You know, this wine thing is funny, and even after so many bottles and TNs over my tasting journey, there is always something to learn with wine. I would enjoy any comments about this post or my experience, most of all, thanks for reading.

• 2011 Copain Chardonnay Brosseau Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone (3/14/2015)
  This wine has confounded me for about 3 months now. I have drank 3 bottles of it, and damn if I didn’t think the first 2 were corked. I opened the third bottle tonight, sent to me by the winery as a replacement. I pulled the cork tonight and as I do whenever I open a bottle, I smell the cork. I’ll be damned if this doesn’t smell corked, too. However, I need to step back and think about this, as there is something else here, perhaps it is this vintage of Brosseau, that maybe it’s me and not the wine. This bottle, the fruit tastes clean and perfect, comes across as a bit of sea air, Chablis-like. So, wanting it to be the ideal temp, I finished the first pour and then put the bottle into the freezer for about 20 mins. The aromatic doesn’t go away but what is clearly in scope with this bottle is the fruit depth–it exhibits a creamy, spicy intensity of yellow apple, mandarin orange acidity and lime. It kind of leans in the direction of chenin, although it lacks the stone fruits for it to be chenin for me. And as I think about the aromatic, I think it’s fair to land now with a mix of crushed rock/dust and white pepper. The finish is all about an orange creaminess, apple and mineral. I can’t ever recall a wine making me pause over so many bottles and teaching me a little something, too. Drink this now, drink it later, drink it whenever! I will enjoy watching a few more notes get added on this wine and see what others think.

Posted from CellarTracker

So, was there any of that possible corkiness in the wine itself? I have found smelling corks to be completely pointless. Too often I have had a cork that reeks like TCA and a completely clean wine. One cork recently was so bad that I threw it away and washed my hands after handling it. The wine was perfect.

Frank - not sure if I had that vintage, but I don’t recall any corky Brosseaus. I do have an 11 in my cellar, I will put a note on the bottle now to remind me when I open it to respond to you. That and Laureles Grade I typically love.

Regarding corky corks: I find more often than not that the cork is the first warning. I rarely find evidence of TCA in a cork that does not show in some way in the wine. I usually dump them, as the experience has already been tainted by the smell and the thought of a flawed wine.

I’ve experienced it quite a few times, enough that I don’t bother smelling the cork anymore. Several people I’ve talked to about it have said the same thing. I suspect that you’ve dumped some sound wine if you tend not to even smell the wine itself when the cork smells bad.

Sorry - I was too quick and not clear. I should have said I almost always end up dumping them after I have had a corky cork. But of course I will smell the wine and taste the wine, more than once. But…but…my experience is that 99.9% of the time, a corky cork translates into a level of TCA that I find unpleasing to my palate. Some people who are more TCA tolerant, or have some kind of “investment” in the bottle (if it is not my own wine or my own purchase), will sometimes drink it. Or, to my way of thinking, suffer through it. I will admit I am very willing to dump a wine - does not bother me one bit.

It isn’t about tolerance or investment. I have no problem dumping any wine that is not correct. I am quite sensitive relative to a lot of people I’ve tasted with, and my wife is probably the most TCA sensitive person I know. That 99.9% figure is way too high for my experience.

I didn’t dump the bottle. I found the wine to drink fine but there is certainly some kind of defining aromatic here that I’m struggling with. If the cork smells, or the aromatic off the bottle smells on first opening, it’s my own queue to taste the wine and see. I have one glass left for tonight, which I will revisit and have one more chance to wrap my head around what’s there.

I agree with this. Also don’t forget NOT to swirl the glass before you smell it first. To many minor issues can be blown off or hidden if you swirl before the first sniff. Its a hard thing to get use to as I often find myself swirling every beverage but beer out of habit.

Man, what a wine this is. That mysterious aromatic is still in the neck of the bottle and to some extent the wine yet this wine also pushes a big dollop of yellow apple, lime skin and that same mandarin/mineral finish.

I know there are people here on da board who have this wine in the cellar. Take one for the Murray team, open a bottle and post a note. I’d dig seeing what a few other tasters think. For me, though, this wine is gone, save a few ounces for the Dr Mrs for her meal later.

Frankie, I’ll put a bottle of this into my blind tasting of AFWE chards and pinots on Wednesday, and we’ll see how it shows. Sorry you’re going to miss it.

In case you hand’t heard, in a blind tasting, YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT THE WINES ARE.

The trap is set.

Tried the 13 version last night at IPOB. Stellar wine.

There is a difference between double blind and single blind. Both are blind.

I have the wine and do notice I don’t like this year as well as others (years) but from my perspective all my bottles were the same.

What I also notice is this board is populated with a lot of folks who are “highly” sensitive (or their wife is) to TCA…I have seen post after post about this on one wine or another

Well, Frank, I don’t know what ya’ll got in your glass, but it does not sound like this!

I get no corkiness, no weirdness, nothing but pure pleasure. Nothing that confounds in the slightest. If I had to hang my hat on a single descriptor, it would be honey. Big time honey. On the cork, in the glass. A secondary flinty, gunpowdery aroma and taste, which I also like.(Right, when was the last time I smelled a gun.)

Now I’m out my last bottle of this. What a day here at the ranch.

Gee, I thought in a blind tasting you were supposed to where a blindfold over both eyes?

Ok, I think I stepped in the trap…

Last night your bottle was '12 correct? It had the black label.

I’ll add a tasting note later.

[edit] it was the 2012, I’ll return you back to the 2011 now.

Thanks for posting the note, Merrill. It’s simply a wine out of all the many I have drank over the years that just has my head scratching. The gunpowder aroma is an interesting way of putting it.

Hey Merrill…go DUCKS!

Sure, Frank. Let’s see what is going to happen…