November 28, 2017 - I get blueberries on the nose and finish more than the blackberries that others have mentioned, but otherwise recent notes by Chadrich and J@y H@ck are close to spot on. This wine scores higher for sybaritic pleasure than for complexity, yet it is certainly not confected or blowsy at all. Goes down easily as an aperiftif, but has enough acidity and structure for food, especially duck.
[My bottle was recently acquired as part of the large Winebid sale of Copain wines, many of them benefitting fire relief efforts in Napa/Sonoma, and seems to have been in perfect condition, tasting relatively young with 5+ years on its current plateau.]
July 2, 2017 - Nice. Still drinking good, but starting to fade. Some mice fruit. Tannins and alcohol are mellowed and well integrated.
June 30, 2017 - Bacon fat, rosemary and sweet-tarts on the nose. Blackberry and root beer notes on the palate.
Silky mouthfeel. Finish is bold and long showing just a bit of residual alcohol. Showing much younger than its age. Likely has another 3 to 5 years, probably best in 2 to 3.
May 27, 2017 - Smooth, developing but still not fully taking on the extra complexity of age. Somewhat subtle. Fruit but not jammy and no sharp edges.
August 13, 2016 - My suspicion is that this is a few years shy of peak, but very drinkable right now nonetheless. Secondary/tertiary flavors are coming on strong, but there is still a clear streak of primary blackberry coming through. Little to no heat. Fantastic stuff.
June 29, 2016 - Early 2016. Note not contemporaneous but I remember thinking that Wells Guthrie should not have changed his style.
February 23, 2014 - Nice consistency with tasting a year ago. Well done.
October 23, 2013 - Bought from the winery on the original offer. Decanted and then followed for two hours in a Zalto glass. Color was dark red with just a tiny hint of bricking in the color generally. Very very smooth. Better after two hours. could probably use even more air. Red fruit, spice. great balance. no sweetness. Just beginning to develop tertiary flavors but not yet at its peak. Glad to have more.
July 28, 2013 - The wine is a deep, dark purple color. The stunning nose is full of blackberries, minerals, roasted herbs, white pepper, warm baking spices, smoked meat, violets, blueberries, and a healthy dose of earthiness. This has fairly full body, moderate tannins, and good acidity. On the palate the fruit and spice jump out first, quickly followed by roasted herbs, pepper, and meaty elements. On the back end some nice earthiness comes into the picture. The finish has very good length and showcases the minerality. This is a big and rich wine showing a lot of ripeness but it also has nice tannins and acidity to give it good balance. Not a lot of subtlety but a very tasty glass of wine.
June 7, 2013 - very nice needed some air. one of the better wines from Copain. My last one.