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2016 Coopersmith Pinot Noir

Winemaker's Comments

Coopersmith vineyard surrounds our winery home here on Laguna Ridge, overlooking the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Its famous soils — Gold Ridge loam and the redder Sebastopol series — are sandy and deep, creating great drainage, a necessary condition for growing an exceptional Pinot Noir. Entirely planted to my own UCD37, this clone is distinctive for the tiny berries it produces — deep in color and rich in tannins, which in turn create great mouthfeel.
 
Since its bottling last August, this Pinot has developed an exciting, intense aroma loaded with its signature cocoa butter. It’s syrupy and thick with blueberry jam, black cherry, dark bramble fruit and cassis. It’s a one-cooper wine, preferring to age comfortably each year in only François Frères barrels, which impart notes of exotic spices, thick-cut bacon and prosciutto.
 
The palate shows off a rich, ripe entry and then reveals a long, smooth finish, supported by good acidity. Tannins are firm, yet juicy and generous, providing great structure and ageability.
 
Tasting host Mike Power becomes a three-time magnum contest winner with this locally inspired recipe for Grandma Power’s Pheasant Stew. Mike says, “My mom has been making this for us since I was 12 years old and first started hunting. Around Sonoma County, there is a very large Chinese ring-necked pheasant population and this is what we hunted most growing up here. These birds are pretty lean, so a stew is a great fit for cooking them.” Enjoy this compatible pairing with our Coopersmith Pinot.

Critical Acclaim

98 points
"Coopersmith has long been one of Merry Edwards’ top vineyards and the 2016 embodies everything that makes that so. With impressive complexity of black cherry, blackberry, raspberry and spice, this richly layered Pinot Noir shows a rare combination of power and elegance, with a subtle touch of oak that enhances the package without overwhelming the fruit. This is a cellar-worthy Pinot that should evolve nicely over the next decade, though very drinkable now."
Robert Whitley, Wine Review Online, Aug. 21, 2018
 
95 points
"Velvety smooth in feel and resplendent in a rose petal aroma, this is a lovely, full-bodied wine with depth and concentration. Deftly defined layers of dark cherry and tangerine shine bright, allowing for a refreshing complement to the wine’s overall depth and power."
Virginie Boone, Wine Enthusiast, December 2018
 
91 points / Very highly recommended
"Medium ruby; attractive, deep, ripe, intense, black cherry and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of mocha, damp earth, and baking spices; medium-full body; tight, textured, concentrated, savory, red and black fruit flavors with oaky undertones, and lots of richness in the mouthfeel; medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. A relatively big, strong shouldered Pinot that has the balance and structure to benefit from three to five more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended."
Nicholas Ponomareff, California Grapevine, June 2018

 

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Recipes

Tasting host Mike Power becomes a three-time magnum contest winner with this pheasant recipe, which we think goes great with the 2016 Coopersmith Pinot Noir.
 
Linda Oertel, one of our longtime tasting room hosts, won a signed magnum of Coopersmith Pinot Noir for this original recipe.
 
 

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Label

Release Card

2016 Coopersmith Pinot Noir