| So I've been saving a specific bottle of wine to | | | | they leave some money on the table on a number of |
| enjoy with my wife since my first trip to Napa and | | | | their wines which are sold in the $40-$50 range-which |
| Sonoma after starting Uncorked Ventures, a Copain | | | | are consistently great values many scoring 90+ |
| 2007 Monument Tree Pinot Noir. | | | | ratings from Parker and the Wine Entusiast. |
| I believe I've talked a little about Copain before in this | | | | Ok so about that Pinot.....as good as I remember it. In |
| space, but I am a fan of much of the wine they | | | | fact maybe a bit better given the 6 months or so of |
| make and their winemaker Wells Guthrie. He has a | | | | rest as well as the thirty minutes of decanting (yeah, |
| rather unique style for the area and has really been | | | | yeah I know not ideal). On the nose it's hard to pick |
| at the forefront of pushing other winemakers to | | | | up individual flavors, but it definitely is a dark berry |
| attempt to control the alcohol levels in their wine. | | | | type of smell. On the palate it is noticeably brighter |
| Much of the wine that Copain makes ends up with | | | | then you'd imagine with cherry being the predominant |
| alcohol content 1-2% lower then the competition. | | | | flavor-the structure of the wine is quite good and |
| They're able to do this by being very careful about | | | | really shows Wells ability as most Pinot's don't hold up |
| where they source their grapes (usually colder | | | | this well. |
| climates) as well as how/when the fruit is harvested | | | | Overall at around $50, to me it is a clear buy. I am an |
| (middle of the night when possible to control heat | | | | unapologetic Pinot Noir fan (both because of the |
| transfer during fermentation). | | | | flavor profiles and the story of the grape itself) |
| From a business to business perspective I appreciate | | | | which comes sometimes much to my business |
| the way that they've treated us as a start up and as | | | | partner and father in laws dismay, but I will be |
| a consumer I greatly appreciate the fact that their | | | | interested in comparing this Pinot to some of the |
| wines occupy a range of prices starting at around | | | | more highly hyped Oregon versions. |
| $20 for their Tous Ensambles series. I do believe | | | | |