12/18/2018 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Strange blend, to me at least, since this has 30% Pinot Blanc to complement a base of 70% Chardonnay. I found this to be the most stereotypical no-dose version, in a good way, of Courtin's "_nces," primarily due to the notably tart, green apple and light/subtle fruit core. However, there was something unique about the texture, and I remember wondering if the Pinot Blanc offset the shrillness of the Chardonnay (this sounds like a good thing to say in a tasting note, so bear with me), but what do I know? Either way, I liked it, maybe more than I remember, although others in the group seemed to dig it more.

12/15/2018 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Like with Courtin's other 100% pinot-based wines, I sensed a notable change after opening...for the better. It's not obvious this is a no-dose at first taste, but after and hour of air, it gets it's act together. Floral and raspberry with a racey and bracing structure. Let's say it's my favorite of all five of Courtin's "__nces." Tasty. Enjoy with/without dinner.

12/15/2018 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

My first Courtin with 100% Chardonnay clearly shows its zero-dose pedigree, and although not quite as severe as other examples, it was a notable contrast to Courtin's pinot-dominant versions, which have atypical structure and depth. Bright and subtle with tart, apple and a lime finish with plenty of acidity to maintain balance. A solid wine that doesn't push the boundaries yet allows for simple fun.

12/15/2018 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Creamy, toasty bead with a nutty and sour/baked apple core that finishes tart and limey. Noticeably more subtle and linear than expected for a 100% pinot wine. Walks the thin line between intellectual and sensual pleasure. Might want to drink this one with food, but I think I kinda liked it.

12/18/2018 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Third go with this wine over the past three months, and each time it starts out blocky and awkward, but with about 45-minutes to an hour of air, it calms and settles. The first impression is a bit counter-intuitive for a no-dose wine, but I attest it's due to the pinot, which provides and exuberant raspberry texture with depth and structure. Regardless of the does, this wine has depth with enough structure to push it another several years. This one can be enjoyed sans food.

12/7/2017 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Although a quintessential Gran Cru Chablis, this poor fellow was somewhat bullied by a 2006 Tattinger Comte that I kept sipping in a neighboring glass. So, I dug deep to focus and channel the multi-tasking skills that seem to come so naturally to my millennial coworkers (but which do not come so easy for us GenXers) and appreciate this wonderful example of Chablis. Pungent, flinty, rocky aromas that stole the show from a delicate and savory palate. Thanks, Jill! This is why we drink it.

12/7/2017 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Second shot at this wine this year, and although not as gripping as the first, it was interesting nonetheless. The common thread between the two was a fluid evolution throughout the night. It seemed no sips were the same, and I grabbed a few extra small pours to see what was going on, and stalled the progress of the next flight, but it was worth falling behind. Not a small wine, and the oak is present, but that's part of it's charm. This wine probably gets more attention than it deserves, but than again I kept going back for more and simply enjoyed seeing what was around the corner. Fun stuff.

12/4/2017 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Tart and ripe apple that leads with a honeyed nose. Surprising acidity for a relatively ripe vintage, and the fruit almost, but not quite keeps pace. Last had this just after release, and this bottle after about 6 years seemed the same as the last. Softened after a night in the kitchen fridge. Wife loved it. Paired especially well with spicy Vietnamese tofu, which was admittedly accidental, but serendipitous nonetheless.

12/4/2017 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Bright and acidic with tart, pucker-inducing lemon. Do not drink without food, perhaps something spicy or rich....you've been warned. Recommended for those with low-deductible, PPO dental plans.

12/4/2017 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Corked

2/5/2016 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Wife thought it was corked, but fortunately it was just a dose of chemical that disappeared quickly and was forgotten. Nervy red/strawberry with a bit of rhubard that added a bit of savoriness, which for me is typical of the SCM near Corralitos. Standard 2011 acidity = a fun and plucky wine. Good stuff. No clue about the window, but as with most 2011's, it might be best to cut bait and enjoy them now.

1/22/2016 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

This was my only bottle since, and I wanted to give it a try. Wife and I were excited to have 45 minutes sans child to hit the new Vietnamese restaurant in otherwise culinary-challenged Ladera Ranch. For me, red wine and spicyi asian food = no bueno, so I typically turn to acidic or slightly sweet Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay or Riesling. The restaurant was decent, but the DuPratt killed. Spine-tingling acidity balanced with a dense core of tangy lime/lemon fruit provided a striking level of tension. Provides a different but similarly transparent experience compared to Copain's other Chardonnays from Chalone and Monterey. Less savory and saline, more wild and sexy. Good for my palate, bad for my budget, since I have no choice but to make room for this bottle in my regular purchase, just when I had planned to try to squeeze in some syrah after an involuntary hiatus. I'm so glad Wells decided to make Chardonnay!

1/20/2016 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Lean and bright yet with depth and structure. Wife asked for more after we had downed the bottle, which is a strong endorsement and a suggestion that purchases of additional bottles may not be heavily scrutinized.

10/17/2015 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

After tasting a bottle a few weeks earlier that seemed more advanced than would be anticipated, I quickly pulled a bottle from my own three-bottle stash to check for myself. At pop/pour it was ready, and it was a wonderful complement to the eclectic South American tapas menu at Pueblo in Costa Mesa. No hint of accelerated advancement on this one. Racy and zesty dark cherry/raspberry fruit, albeit more subdued and less dense/blue-fruited than my last taste in 2010. The wildness of the young version has been replaced with a balanced and cerebral structure, and a hint of chalk, rocks and earth. Although on high alert, I detect none of the markers from the bottle a few weeks back that showed an alarming hint of advancement. Seems to be ready to drink and enjoy now or over the next few years. I'll likely keep a bottle around to see what happens, since the 2007 vintage, and to some degree the en Haut, may have the density and structure that could facilitate improvement. I'll only gamble with one bottle, since it drank so well now.

9/19/2015 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

I'll get straight to the point: one of the best CA pinots I've ever had. For me this bottle, as with the 2006 and 2007 Rhys Swan Terrace, is the epitome elegant and terror-driven CA pinot. Balanced and subtle but with that evasive structural complexity often missing from CA pinot. For those of you who are new here, those are code words for Burgundy, and I hate the term "Burgundian." It seems that about every CA pinot producer claims their wines are made in a "Burgundian" style, and many of their customers claim likewise in tasting notes. I'm neither an expert or authority on Burgundy, but I can state with confidence that this bottle is about as "Burgundian" as it gets. It's got several year ahead of it, but it was damn good now.

9/19/2015 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Opened early afternoon, tasted and recorked for an early evening event. Slow-oxed and uncorked the last couple hours. When first tasted, I tought, OK, let's call this WOTN now. Vibrant and smooth with a rocky palate wrapped in a velvet coat, balanced but on the lighter side of medium. At the event, and after several hours to air, there was a notable shift as the velvet palate seemed just a bit more worn than on opening, but yet the sharper edges had softened and the palate had broadened. Still WOTN material, but unfortunately it's younger brother, the exciting 2010 Kiser en Bas, showed up for dinner and was the consensus WOTN. Certainly not sloppy seconds on this one, since the bar was set so high by the 2010. Based on the evolution over the day and on FMIII's positive review the next day, this bottle may be a year or two short of it's apex, which might last a few years. Pop/pour for a more youthful and energetic experience, or air for several hours to get a broader and softer version.

9/19/2015 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Context is everything. If opened on it's own at a restaurant with my wife on a rare night out alone, we would certainly enjoy it for what it brings: round but pure fruit with a typical velvet en Bas palate. Unfortunately, it sat next to both the 2007 and 2010 en Bas, which just isn't fair. It's not that the 2009 isn't enjoyable or a quality bottle, it's just not up to the high standards set in those vintages. In this context, the 2009 seemed relatively sluggish, simple and a touch hot, more typical of many 2009 pinots from CA. On it's own, this would be an enjoyable bottle that would enhance any meal. Again, this bottle only pales in comparison to other incredible vintages from the same vineyard. My advice, just don't drink it in a flight with either a 2007 or 2010 en Bas! My guess would be this wine will be one of those bottles that ages but doesn't necessarily improve, since it lacks the structure to support the round fruit long term.

9/19/2015 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Last tasted this in 2010 when it was purple, wild and unruly, with a chalky spine that was deserving of it's namesake. It was tough to mentally and sensually connect the two as the same wine. This later version was a dark crimson red with a slight hint of advancement in both color and palate. It hadn't aged nearly as much as a 2006 en Haut sitting next to it, but more than I would have anticipated. Think 2000 Kobe Bryant versus 2010 Kobe Bryant--both great players, the former due to energetic athleticism and the latter due to wisdom and experience (Spurs fans can sub Tim Duncan, except Tim has always been much wiser, even in his youth). I digress, but a second 2007 en Haut drank a few weeks later was more age appropriate and superior. I would recommend to check on your bottles now, but to leave one/some for the future.

9/19/2015 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

I'm not usually a fan of roussanne, and I usually only have it in tasting events, but I enjoyed this bottle. I recall having this same Copain version on a couple of occasions a few years ago, and didn't, really think much of it. Tonight I really enjoyed it, and the viscous, citrus-y tanginess with was perfect on a hot Southern CA night. There was enough complexity to differentiate it from forgettable summer sippers. Maybe I should be more open to roussanne, although it won't be from James Berry since that acreage was likely long ago replanted to some Rhone varietal.

9/19/2015 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Somewhat advanced with a slight Crimson hue at the edges of the rim and some earth and plumb alongside a weary and somewhat hot, dark red-fruited palate. These secondary favors might be enjoyable and welcome on a pinot several years older, but the fact idea that this wine should not be this advanced at age 9 (even a California Pinot) distracts me. The 2007 en Haut next to it seemed to be on a similar trajectory, but not nearly as advanced. A second 2007 en Haut drank a few weeks later was amazing and showed slower development. My advice would be to sample a bottle of multiple bottle stashes of both the 2007 sooner rather than later, but to drink the 2006 now.

1/17/2015 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Corked! At Rhys Tasting with the Gang - Part 2 - Frank Murray III's place.

9/26/2013 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Corked. ARRRRGH!

7/12/2013 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

Brett, brett, and more brett.

7/12/2013 - Andrew Christiansen Likes this wine:

Excellent balance between crisp, citrus themed fruit and tangy acidity. Perfect summer Chardonnay and a nice meal complement. A non-traditional, new-wave CA Chardonnay without the enamel-striping acidity and under-ripe fruit of many IPOB efforts, at least to my palate. As a chablis lover I expect CA Chardonnay to exhibit similar qualities or I won't bother, which is likely unfair, but it's my preference. The AR Santa Cruz was not a Chablis ringer, at least until day two when a subtle saline note emerged, but it was similar in cut and weight, which is all I ask. If wineries like AR, Copain, Rhys et al keep releasing Chardonnays made in this style (crisp, bright, sans butter and wood), I might finally grow to love CA Chardonnay, or at least a small, emerging subset of it. Rombauer lovers should look elsewhere-you've been warned.

9/3/2011 - Andrew Christiansen wrote:

A sneak preview of the upcoming inaugural release from Halcon Vineyards, a new winery from Paul Gordon, the owner/caretaker of the Halcon Vineyard (which is up the hill from Hawk's Butte, of Copain fame). This syrah has it all...fruit, acidity, structure, purity, energy, and a striking sense of place. You get the sense this wine came from somewhere, not someone. The pure blue/black fruit is complemented by a subtle stony/earthy element and juicy acidity that won't require dental work, and the tannins are fine and crisp. Held together nicely on Day 2, and a bonus savory/smokey element developed. An exciting wine to drink, and lovers of CA should check this winery out.