Copain 2016 release schedule posted

Checked my Copain membership page and the release schedule for 2016 is posted.

I was limited to 2 for the Trousseau. Everything else seemed unlimited. Their default allocation gave me less then 12 bottles for the spring release. Odd since they require a purchase of 12. This is my second year in the vineyard club.

Any recommendations for “must get” bottles?

SPRING RELEASE
'14 Dupratt Chardonnay, Anderson Valley
'13 Kiser ‘En Haut’ Pinot Noir; Anderson Valley
'14 Trousseau Noir, North Coast
'13 Baker Ranch Syrah, Anderson Valley
'13 Hawks Butte Syrah, Yorkville Highlands

FALL RELEASE
'14 Laureles Grade Chardonnay, Monterrey
'14 Brosseau Chardonnay, Chalone
'13 Kiser ‘En Bas’ Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
'14 Wendling Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley
'12 Brosseau Syrah, Chalone

Morgan, thanks for the heads up. I need to get in there and tee up my order for the year. The Trosseau is limited and there is very little of it so 2 sounds about right, and I don’t think anyone else is getting access to that, aside from membership folks like you and I.

I need to get up there and taste. I keep swearing I am going to head to Nor Cal. [head-bang.gif]

Looking forward to the release, and seeing Frankie up here in NorCal!

Thanks for the heads up.

They seemed to have switched things around from the past few years. The new DuPratt in '13 and the Syrahs have been shut out the past few years, completely due to budget and space. Finally tried the 13 DuPratt last night (highly recommended, but that deserves a separate thread), and I enjoyed it quite a bit, so I’ll have to make room for that bottle this spring.

Wish I could afford more/any Copain syrah, but if I want to buy Copain whatsoever, tough choices must be made. Back in 2008 whan I started with Copain, I never, ever would have guessed I would value the Copain chardonnays over their syrahs, but there it its. Palate hasn’t changed, and I don’t love their syrah any less. It’s just that I, love their chardonnays. Forget the Chablis comparisons, which are as dull and tedious as comparisons of CA Pinot to Burgundy. They are bright, energetic and transparent expressions of chardonnay in CA, and you can enjoy them with about any meal.

Andrew is right, the chardonnays are the brightest lights in their small constellation. That’s no slight on the other wines, which are all great, but I’d say the Laureles Grade, Brosseau and DuPratt chards (in that order of preference) are the most can’t miss part of this lineup. I’d say the two 13 Kisers are a close second.

Their syrahs are great for people who like syrah and in a cool climate style - that isn’t really me, but I can understand cerebrally why those are a hit with some people.

No Monument Tree Pinot?

The part about the Chardonnay rings true for me, too. I really enjoy the wines and the acidity and textures of the 2013s are terrific. Since Andrew mentioned the Dupratt, I’ll post in my note below to help support his comment. I’d enjoy seeing his TN on it too if he has time to post it. On the syrahs, I’ve learned to know what I like and spend accordingly. I enjoy them all but I like Brosseau the most, for its color, structure and flavors. I like Baker Ranch the least so I’ve adjusted how I allocate my order. The Pinots, similarly. Focus squarely on Kiser and Wendling. Mike, I don’t know what’s up with the Tree.

  • 2013 Copain Chardonnay Dupratt Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (9/23/2015)
    Had not tasted this before, my first note on this 13. After tasting the 13 Laureles Grade this past weekend, and that wine being a laser of acidity and racy, this is just a bot creamier and rounder than that wine. It shows pear, intense green apple, vivid pineapple and some slate, with a refreshing lemony acidity in the finish. At this stage, I believe I prefer this Dupratt because it does have a bit more flesh as compared to the Laureles Grade. But, like with the other Copain chards, and this is what I continue to like about all of them Wells is making, there is virtually no oak signature that I can find on these, which is what I appreciate about the style of Chards he is making. Plenty for tomorrow, a revisit to see then how it is coming along…retasting the following day, what I like about this wine is the slate this shows, the minerality that is refreshing and the creamier finish. The acidity here will not suit some people but my palate loves acidity so again, I find a real liking to the 2013 Copain chards, this one too. I suspect this will age and improve for some time.

Posted from CellarTracker

I had not even noticed, Mike.
bummer

…ta da. Note that I’m a notoriously lazy note-taker, and although my impressions are from memory, they describe what was bouncing around in my head Friday night.

  • 2013 Copain Chardonnay Dupratt Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (1/22/2016)
    This was my only bottle since, and I wanted to give it a try. Wife and I were excited to have 45 minutes sans child to hit the new Vietnamese restaurant in otherwise culinary-challenged Ladera Ranch. For me, red wine and spicyi asian food = no bueno, so I typically turn to acidic or slightly sweet Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay or Riesling. The restaurant was decent, but the DuPratt killed. Spine-tingling acidity balanced with a dense core of tangy lime/lemon fruit provided a striking level of tension. Provides a different but similarly transparent experience compared to Copain’s other Chardonnays from Chalone and Monterey. Less savory and saline, more wild and sexy. Good for my palate, bad for my budget, since I have no choice but to make room for this bottle in my regular purchase, just when I had planned to try to squeeze in some syrah after an involuntary hiatus. I’m so glad Wells decided to make Chardonnay!

Posted from CellarTracker

Happy to see the Trousseau, though. I definitely will check that out. Monument Tree was not an annual buy for me anyway, as the other PNs in the portfolio have always been better for my palate.

My interest in Copain started because of the Syrah. Now, I buy several bottles of all of whatever Chardonnay is offered in a particular release and fill out the rest of the case with what I like most among the remaining wines. It requires some difficult choices because I can’t just buy them all. Based on the comments upthread, it would seem there are a lot of Berserkers who have taken a similar path.

To answer the OP’s question, I think that Copain’s Pinot, Syrah and Chardonnay are all uniquely distinctive expressions. Particular favorites of mine are the Baker Syrah, En Bas Pinot and Laurles Grade Chardonnay (a local favorite). One of my favorite suppliers of one of my favorite hobbies.

That said, I just noticed another missing wine - Halcon Syrah.

I seem to remember that the Halcon was going away.
My faves are the same as Mike’s faves.
The Laureles is my favorite Calif Chard right now.

I really enjoy Copain syarh, and it was not a conscious choice in my part to stop buying them, rather I filled my twice-yearly orders with Pinot and Chardonnay. As of this fall, I realized I needed to find a way to get a few semi-regularly. I plan to do that hopefully next year, but with the new DuPratt I’ll simply need to increase my purchase and cut elsewhere!

(nothing meant by the emoticons. My 5-year old son Kian wanted to add them…)

pileon strawman

My daughter is 11 now. A few years ago, she was the primary reason behind any emoticon in a post of mine. I am sure people were confused by some of them.

No Wentzel PN either, is that new this year? Interestingly Halcon is making one.

Michael

…so you get it! Those without kids/with grown kids likely won’t.

Guys, I actually like that the sources (and offered wines) is smaller. It allows me to focus on the winery better and not find myself spreading out my budget or making hard choices. We knew Halcon had gone away but Paul Gordon still has it so there is good continuity for someone else doing that wine who knows his stuff. M Tree was bought up by another larger concern and so what can you do? Wells did a marvelous job with that plot, the 2013 is delicious and I will miss that plot. As for Wentzel, similar story with lost to someone else but they still have as a small section. Keep in mind that they still have plots up in the Deep End, like Abel, like Hennenberg which is what goes into the Voisins (and is around the bend from Bearwallow, Kiser and Wendling). http://www.everyvine.com/map/?vineyardID=2979 (to show where Abel is).

I am happy with just buying Kiser, Wendling and may just circle back to Les Voisins and add that to my regular order. As for syrah, Brosseau is killer, so too is Hawks Butte and then the delicate Baker Ranch. That is like 6 core wines. Plus, 3 excellent chardonnays.

Do we need more?

It’s like I don’t even know you any more.

You only want me for my Copain, you user :frowning: