Copain Dinner with Wells Guthrie at Farmhouse Inn

This was a very nice opportunity to taste wines from one of my favorite California producers alongside excellent dishes formulated to match them by a fine wine country restaurant. The informative commentary from Copain winemaker/owner Wells Guthrie and Farmhouse Inn's sommelier Geoff Kruth MS was a great added bonus.

Richard and Wells Guthrie

Wells shared with us his current winemaking (and drinking) philosophy that wine should be refreshing and cleansing, not high in alcohol. In 2006 he moved to picking earlier to achieve maximum balance.

• NV Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley 89 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Yeasty, lime cream nose; nice, bright lime, lemon cream palate with good acidity; short finish

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Wells informed us that he started filtering the Roussane with the '05 vintage, inspired by Didier Dagueneau and Burgundian winemakers who do that with their whites, to take away any leesy component and ensure that the bottled wine has brightness and good acidity. (Wells doesn't filter any of his reds.) The impact of this treatment was noticeable in comparing the '04 to the '06, and the '06 went particularly well with our soup. Wells reported that Brosseau Vineyard is now growing both Marsanne and Roussanne for him in Carneros.

lobster minestrone with lima and cannellini beans, and Meyer lemon oil

• 2006 Copain Roussanne James Berry Vineyard 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Bright canary yellow color; light minerally lemon nose; light-medium oily texture, poised tart lemon, mineral and tart apple palate with bright acidity and balance; medium finish

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• 2004 Copain Roussanne James Berry Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

  Light canary yellow color; lemon cream nose with a touch of banana and a sense of pumpkin; richer, fleshier palate than the '06, with light-medium oily texture, tart lemon and citrus palate; medium finish

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Wells told us that he's moving away from stem inclusion in his Pinots (but still finds that he can't make the kind of Syrah he likes without stem inclusion). He's a fan of the '06 Cali Pinot vintage for its transparency. I thought the '06 Monument Tree showed better in this flight, even though it needs another year or two in bottle before it hits its ideal drinking window. I love that spicy Anderson Valley fruit, and Wells gives it the delicate handling that brings out its best qualities.

squab breast & wild mushroom terrine, with truffled Madeira vinaigrette, mache

• 2007 Copain Pinot Noir Monument Tree 91 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; big, earthy, green, almost minty, nose; tight, tart cherry and red fruit palate, with tart horehound and green notes, great velvety mouth feel; medium finish (50% whole cluster)

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• 2006 Copain Pinot Noir Monument Tree 92 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium cherry red color with pale meniscus; lovely spicy cherry, Anderson Valley Pinot nose; tasty, delicious tart red fruit, spicy cherry, with structure, sweet tannins and silky mouth feel; medium finish (needs another year or so; no whole cluster)

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Wells told us that Kiser is the last vineyard in Anderson Valley, and the coldest. The "En Haut" part of the vineyard sits on schiste and sandstone, whereas there's more clay in the "En Bas" portion. I typically prefer the "En Haut," but I thought the "En Bas" was drinking better on this particular occasion. Wells uses 30% new French oak.

braised Berkshire pork cheeks, with crispy herb-parmesan polenta, lacinato kale and balsamic glazed cipollini

• 2006 Copain Pinot Noir "En Bas" Kiser 93 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Dark cherry red color; sous bois, tart cherry and mineral nose; great, tart red fruit, tart strawberry palate with juice, minerality and structure; medium finish

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• 2006 Copain Pinot Noir "En Haut" Kiser 93 Points

  USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

  Medium dark cherry red color; lovely spicy cherry and mineral nose with a caramel note and sense of smoke; tight, tart red fruit, cherry and mineral palate with good structure and balance; medium-plus finish

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roasted rack of lamb with Israeli cous cous & medjool date salad with parsley nage

The rack of lamb was a particularly great, flavorful dish.

• 2006 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard 92 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Chalone

  Dark red violet color; reticent tart black fruit nose with a sense of stems; tart plum black fruit, tart berry and mineral palate; medium finish (50% whole cluster)

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• 2006 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke 93 Points

  USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley

  Dark red violet color; roasted plum, black fruit, minerals and charcoal nose; tasty, not overbearing, focused, minerals, roasted meat and olive palate; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (50% whole cluster)

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