I wanted to update a note on a wine that a few of us around here enjoy. I was able to enjoy another bottle of this last night and this is such a beautiful glass of PN, one that is aging well and that I made a mistake on back in 2016 when I called the wine ready. I believe now the wine continues to evolve and it’s squarely in a place for me of great stature. I’ve said on a # of occasions that this vineyard was the class of the Copain portfolio, so it’s disappointing to know that the vineyard is no longer going to be made after 2016’s vintage. However, with the fruit source now online for Wells across the road from Kiser at Maggie’s, we’ll see if Wells can get that fruit to show the class of Kiser. For now, we can still enjoy the Kiser history and this 2010, the upper slope, is just wonderful. Thanks for reading.
2010 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (8/27/2017)
Drank this last night, the bottle from a friend’s cellar. And like the bottle I had at the winery last month, this bottle showed very well, as good as that of July. And I have to say once more, my TN from 2016 when I said this wine would peak within a year, that is no longer my opinion. I was wrong on that call, as both the bottles now from this summer have showed energy, nice tension from the structure, beautiful balance, red fruits. This wine continues to drink great.
2010 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. 12.8% ABV. I gotta say, this bottle drank better than the one in 2016, when I made a comment that I thought the wine would be best and peaking in the following year. I want to change that comment, based on what I found in this week’s bottle. This is aromatic, deliciously zesty, with red apple, cracked spice and mineral. It also has the razzy berry quality of the best vintages that Kiser can show. My notes are starred here, meaning I also found this to be the best of the early years bottlings, and is drinking great with stuffing to keep going.
2010 Copain Pinot Noir “En Haut” Kiser- USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (10/23/2016) Anderson Valley Deep End tasting at my place; 10/22/2016-10/23/2016 (My Place): This drank very well and was in my Top 3 for the night. Floral, juicy, blue fruited, kiwi, good energy and bright. No hurry in drinking this wine as I still think it has some upside, too…retasted the followiinjg AM from leftover. Getting red apple in this bottle, little loam too, and the blue tones are faded back on this now, bit more juicy red, touch of vanilla. Has a gentle, forward quality and I would say this will peak in the next year or so, too.
Had the 2012 last night and it was absolutely singing. Actually popped it two nights ago, poured off a glass, then waited to last night to finish it with Kathy. Don’t want to hijack the 2010, but we were smitten with the 2012.
Clayton, another producer got it. I can’t recall the name of who but as I wrote in my other thread, the end of Copain bottling the fruit is 2016’s vintage.
Keep an eye on Maggie’s which is across 128 from Kiser and Bear. Wells is getting that JF fruit now and he will be able to influence the farming and approach of that site. Might take a few years for him to dial it in but I am confident he will figure it out, much like all the other JF fruit plots along AV and the true SC.
A few weeks ago, I posted about a 2009 Copain Brosseau Syrah that I stashed a long time ago with some other bottles with the intention of of letting them age a while. This is another one of those bottles.
The wine is still holding up quite well. It is aromatically expressive, with floral and blueberry notes. The wine now displays a soft and round impression on the palate, lacking the electricity it had many years ago but still packing great flavor. I used to think the “en Haut” had a red-fruit driven flavor profile that had a mineral component that reminded me of wet sandstone. That is still present. Everything about the wine is familiar and comfortable, and it is a pleasure to drink in its present state.
If you have a bottle left, I think you should get it in the rotation somewhat soon. I wouldn’t say the wine is declining, but I do think it is beyond its peak. That said, I am impressed with the wine’s performance at this ripe, old age.
Checking in on this wine again tonight (my official reward for completing Dry January, deferred to Friday night). On this night, the wine is showing better than the one I had last May. It is bright, energetic and full of red-fruited flavor, but with no hard edges. This bottle is fantastic, and on the strength of only this sample I would say that the wine is in no danger of losing it any time soon.
I have one bottle of the 2010 “en Haut” left. I don’t know when I’ll open it, but I hope it shows like this one.
I opened this tonight while preparing to leave for a ski vacation and was surprised to find that I posted the last note on WB for this wine just over a year ago. Even more surprising (to me, anyway), was reading my note from a year ago and learning that I had only one bottle left. I guess that means that this is it.
What a wine. I remember always associating the Copain Kiser PNs with a sandstone note. This wine brings that back to me and reminds me of the days when a Copain crowd, led by FMIII, were trading notes on these exciting wines. Those were fun times. I can’t say this is better than the bottle I opened a year ago, but it is at least as good – full of life, energy, red raspberries and, yes, that wet sandstone thing that maybe I alone associate with the Kisers. Had I thought about the prospect that this was my last bottle, I might have waited a few more years on this one. It is great now, and I envy anyone who has a bottle or two left.
Interesting thought. I have no way of knowing how this wine would have turned out had it been made differently. On the other hand, I do know that I wish I had more of it based on the way it is showing tonight. It seemed quite young, as a matter of fact. Maybe I should have been more patient.
Ah, the days of the Copain Pep Squad. Good times. You had the 10 Haut…I still have a 10 Bas. Hell I even still have a 07 Haut. Plus a few mixed cases of Pinot and Syrah from 07 - 12. Wells made wines that endured. He understood how to do it.
Tonight we had a rare bottle of 2009 Copain High Rock Ranch Syrah. Fresh, bright and red fruited, to me not showing any signs of fade at 15 years old. Wells at his best.
Oh Brad…an old photo for you. Taken I think in 2010 or 2011? That is up on Halcon. Wells is in the center. You have @Alan_Rath, @M_Dildine and @Brian_Tuite in the photo, too. I am in there as is @Larry_P . Great times.
This hangs on my wall in my wine room, as do a # of other Copain photos.
I had a 2012 En Haut this week, and agree with @Chris_Seiber that it was a fine drink, but really hadn’t developed any secondary/tertiary flavors. It really hadn’t softened either.
Of my Copain stash, I have another 12 En Haut, a 12 Baker Ranch syrah and a 13 Dupratt Chardonnay left.
I think I’ll give the En Haut another 5 years and see what happens.
