Masterful Pinot Noir Value
2007 Copain Pinot Noir "Tous Ensemble"
Our First Ever "California does Burgundy"
BACK UP THE TRUCK!
"It's clear from the superb quality of several of these wines that Guthrie is a first-rate talent and will be heard from in the future." Allen Meadows, Burghound
First of all, let's correct the Burghound's words: Wells Guthrie is already being heard from!
Wells has certainly established a cult-ish reputation for his authentic, old-school Syrahs and Pinot Noirs. Yet the Burghound's comments are noteworthy as they come from a man who has spent his life completely immersed in Burgundy... yet he has to give Wells serious praise forthe Pinots he produces in California.
Today we proudly present a vivid and delicious reminder of the elegance and VALUE that New World Pinots can achieve.
While affordable, honest and delicious Pinot Noir is the holy grail everyone is looking for, we approach this category with considerable hesitation. Note that we haven't presented a New World Pinot Noir "Back Up the Truck" in over 8 months!
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The 2007 Copain "Tous Ensemble" is complex and lively - this is Pinot Noir with clarity and energy, with great mid-palate weight and beautiful aromatics. It is poised, balanced and precise without any of the gloppy oak or biting alcohol that can weigh down some New World Pinots.
These days everyone says this about everything, but the Copain "Tous Ensemble" really is downright Burgundian. Josh Raynold's of Stephen Tanzer's IWC agrees stating the wine "tastes like a wine from Savigny-les-Beaune" though there are for sure elements of Chambolle (texture, weight) as well as Volnay (linearity, delineation).
It does not surprise us that Wells has cracked the Pinot Noir code in California.Rather than playing games and making a "Frankenstein Pinot" through manipulation and lots of makeup (which is more common than you want to know with Pinot at this price), Wells takes advantage of three excellent vineyards in the Anderson Valley, blending them together to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts. The "Tous Ensemble" showcases fruit from the Cerise, Monument Tree and Wentzel vineyards - each site is farmed organically and as with all wines of real quality, the wellspring is the vineyard itself, the fruit itself.
This bottling represents rigorous vineyard work, honesty in the cellar, it's as simple as that.
We have followed our own advice and "gone long" on this bottle - it's a wine we'd love to still have on the shelves as the days grow longer and the first timid, summer greens begin to show themselves at the farmer's markets. But three things plot against us: The fact that this is 1) Pinot Noir, 2) under $25 and 3) great.
We have secured great pricing on the 2007 Copain and can honor today's price as long as our stock lasts. We're not even going to try and predict how long that will last - we'd simply offer one simple piece of advice: Buy now!
Email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463 to order.
Chris Cottrell
Specialist, Fine & Rare Wine Dept.
Crush Wine & Spirits
Anderson Valley
Josh Raynolds of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: "Medium red. Spicy, sharply focused aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry and dried rose. Clean and pure, offering vibrant red berry and cherry flavors, no obvious tannins and refreshing back-end cut. Becomes chewier on the finish, which strongly repeats the tangy red berry notes. Tastes like a wine from Savigny-les-Beaune."
Allen Meadows of Burghound: "Ripe, elegant and pure red and blue pinot fruit trimmed in a discreet touch of earth merges into rich, round, naturally sweet and solidly well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess good mid-palate concentration and fine length on the moderately complex and persistent finish. This is very well balanced and fashioned in a generous yet understated style. This could be cellared or easily enjoyed now."
Copain Pinot Noir "Tous Ensemble" is in stock!
Net / No further Discount