TN: Coturri Wine Dinner (aka Wine Torture, or Natural Wine Hell)

WINE TALK
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COTURRI WINE DINNER (AKA WINE TORTURE, OR NATURAL WINE HELL) - Cyprus Bistro, Campbell, California (12/5/2009)

The happy 10, before drinking any Coturri

Our dear friends J.R. and Renee were impressed by the food on their first visit to Cyprus, a new restaurant in Campell, and noticed they were doing a 7-course wine dinner there the following week, for only $49. Figuring that, even if the wines were mediocre, $49 is a pretty darn good deal for a seven course wine dinner at a good Mediterranean themed restaurant, they invited several of us and, on the same theory, ten of us attended. What we weren’t figuring on was really wretched wine, beyond mediocre, most of which was essentially undrinkable. On top of that, the winery representative, Jimmy, didn’t really seem to know what he was talking about, and kept comparing (at the beginning of each course) Coturri’s pristinely natural winemaking philosophy and practice (grapes from organic vineyards; only indigenous yeasts; nothing added, including no sulfites; and no new oak or filtering) to some industrial swill winemaking strawman, eroding his credibility more with virtually every sentence he spoke. At least the food was quite good, and the company excellent.

None of the ten of us would buy these wines (although Jay had his price–he figured he would take a bottle if they paid him $10 to do so). The clueless representative seemed to think that all other wineries besides Coturri allow all kinds of things to get into their fermentation tanks (including small rodents), and talked about Coturri producing only 5,000 cases a year, versus “20,000 cases a week” or so at other wineries (where except maybe Gallo?). After we asked to try another bottle, when the ethyl acetate level was particularly pronounced in the Sangiovese at our table, and they poured us another glass that wasn’t quite as bad, Jimmy explained that Coturri bottles by barrel, leading to barrel variation. His killer comment at the end, though, in telling us about the final Coturri wine, a Primitivo, was that the varietal was “Italian Zinfandel, not like those Zinfandels from France.” OMFG.

Jimmy, making it up as he went along:

Coturri Wines


If ever there was an argument for sulfites in winemaking, it was this lineup of “natural” wines. If one drank ideas alone, like the idea of complete non-intervention, these might be fine. Unfortunately, without sulfites, these wines are at high risk for oxidation, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, and other bacteria. Fortunately, virtually all other wineries use sulfites. Half of the sulfite-free wines at this dinner were so bad they were undrinkable.

  • 2006 H. Coturri & Sons Pinot Noir Jewell - USA, California, Sonoma County
    Dark cherry red color; big cherry, berry, herbal, acetaldehyde nose; tight, very tart red fruit, tart berry, cranberry palate with acetaldehyde and/or oxidation; short-medium finish (79 pts.)
  • 2002 H. Coturri & Sons Pinot Noir Lost Creek - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands
    Bright medium cherry red color; ethyl acetate, cherry nose; acetone, tart cherry, cranberry, cinnamon palate, but basically undrinkable unless you’re into drinking cherry flavored nail polish remover; short-medium finish (57 pts.)
  • 2007 Coturri and Sons ltd. Carignane Testa Vineyards - USA, California, Sonoma County
    Nearly opaque very dark red violet color; tart berry, slightly oxidized nose; tart berry, tart plum palate with some oxidation; short-medium finish (80 pts.)
  • 2006 H. Coturri & Sons Sangiovese Freiberg - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
    Opaque very dark red violet color; heavy ethyl acetate nose; acetone and raspberry palate; short finish (we complained that this bottle might have been flawed, so were poured out of another, with much the same result, maybe a touch less ethyl acetate, but still not something one would want to drink) (54 pts.)
  • 2005 H. Coturri & Sons Cabernet Sauvignon Testa Vineyards - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
    Black red violet color; black fruit, berry, herbaceous nose; tart berry, tart plum palate with medium acidity; short finish (I thought this was the least dreadful of the Coturris we tasted at this Coturri dinner, at least it was the most like a real wine, if not particularly good) (81 pts.)
  • 2007 H. Coturri & Sons Charbono Testa Vineyards - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
    Very dark red violet color; ethyl acetate, baked plum nose, that eventually changes with air to more of a soiled diaper nose; acetone, acetaldehyde, tart red currant palate with medium acidity; short-medium finish (50 pts.)
  • 2007 H. Coturri & Sons Primitivo Testa Vineyards - USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
    Dark garnet red color; tart berry, plum, acetaldehyde nose; murky, acetaldehyde, tart plum, currant, dried currant and disconnected residual sugar palate; medium finish (the Coturri representative explained to us at the tasting that Primitivo was “Italian Zinfandel,” and “not like those Zinfandels from France.” No, indeed.) (77 pts.)

comparison naturally made wine
Toward the end of the meal, one of the servers took pity on those of us he saw regularly dumping out our wines and poured another one of the organic wines the restaurant has on its list. I didn’t particularly like this wine, but at least it was drinkable. As a result, it was WOTN.

  • 2003 Vin de Manies Zinfandel Old Vine - USA, California, Napa Valley, Howell Mountain
    Dark red violet color; dried black fruit, charcoal, herbal nose; tart black fruit, smoke, charcoal palate, with no discernable Zin character; medium finish (84 pts.)







    Posted from CellarTracker
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I had the “privilege” of tasting several Coturri wines at an event held - if memory serves - at Rosenblum in Alameda about 10 years ago. My experience, save for Jimmy, mirrors yours, Richard. Very, very strange wines.

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Great write up. That brings back memories. I have spilled out so much Coturri but it has been a long time. The thing is, the wine can be lovely, but you hve to drink it immediately. If it has sat anywhere, even in a frigid cellar, it is an active science experiment.

4

True, but at least their Zins aren’t like those French Zins.

5

How would you know? The last time you drank French wine, Truman was in the Oval Office.

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On occasion I’ll furtively consume a bit of French wine. I put my foot down, however, when it comes to French Zinfandel!!! [soap.gif]

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Ouch!

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I feel for you, Richard. I’ve never liked his wines. Science experiments run afoul, imho. There is just so much better natural wine in the world to waste time and money on this stuff. Having a winery rep that clearly has no clue as to what he’s talking about to promote the wine is inexcusable, but perhaps par for the course?

Brad

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Exactly. I love lots of natural wines, but I want to love it as wine, period.

I told someone last night that my definition of success with Coturri is if no one loses an eye or their lunch (I once opened one that literally bubbled out when cork popped out)

My only recent experience was a 2005 Coturri Chauvet Zinfandel about 2 weeks ago:
Well, at least it wasn’t a bacterial minefield! Very ripe approaching pruney,
some residual sweetness apparent, just a hint of funk. I think others
liked this more than I did. C+

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How do they stay in business?

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It’s possible the wines taste good upon release. So if you visit the winery, taste and buy maybe. Their are some that love the wine b/c of it’s uniqueness…I am not one.

My one and only experience was either earlier this year or early last year with a 99 Coturri Zin. Never have i experienced a wine that was: overripe/raisined, green and underripe, oxidized, with some residual sugar and heat. Disgusting wine.

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Well, judging by the notes on the 2007 and 2006 wines above, “upon release” must mean putting your mouth under the spigot that’s filling the bottles on the bottling line… [dontknow.gif]

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Well if you are tasting at the winery, perhaps you are tasting right from the barrel. Or maybe they can open bottles until they get good ones…or perhaps they just like making strange wines. Who knows, as I said, I don’t care for the wine based upon my one experience and the experience of a couple friends who did buy the wines. They liked them when they tasted them at the winery, bought some, drank and poured most out and kept a couple for an aging experiment…IMO, aging didn’t helP!

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They have quite a rabid (small, but rabid) fan club. I have had people from out of state buy CASES of older Zins and especially the Albarello…

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I didn’t particularly like this wine, but at least it was drinkable. As a result, it was WOTN.

Classic! [welldone.gif]

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This was a trainwreck to say the least, but probably one of my most memorable dinners, we’ll be laughing about it for some time. The comment about mechanical harvest machine drivers being bitten by rattlesnakes was a personal favorite.

When I was in the restaurant last week one of the servers noted that they were one of only a couple restaurants to carry Coturri wines, after this event I’m suprised there are even that many.

The food is good though, I’d definitely like to do a BYOB offline there sometime, their prices are reasonable and having a wine to showcase the food would be fun.

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stopped selling it years ago after too many negative customer, and first hand experiences…

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'tis a shame what they do w/ perfectly good grapes from some very good sources. Some of the Coturri’s can be
rather good upon release. But they go to btl w/ such a witch’s brew of bacteria in them that you never know
what you’ll get with age. Usually…it’s not something good.
Thanks for the notes, Richard…waaaaay above & beyond the call of duty.
Tom

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At my age, I should love everything organic. But the Coturri is really a no-no for me. neener

ITB too.
http://www.homemadewinesecrets.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Miracle of miracles!
Richard met a wine he didn’t like! neener [dance-clap.gif] [rofl.gif] [cheers.gif]