DuPuis Wines

WINE TALK
21

I’m probably going to buy a few chardonnays (I always thought that was the strongest part of the Copain lineup) and maybe sample a couple of pinots. Wendling was my favorite of the Copain ones (especially the whole cluster bottling he made a couple of times), so I’ll probably try that one.

22

Perhaps a little. I was never on the Copain list, so this is interesting to get a first hand assessment.

23

This!

24

Decided to try one of each bottling, for a nice mixed six pack.

25

Ordered a case. Excited to give it a shot!

26

I won’t be biting right now but will be interested to see what people think of the Baker Ranch Syrah. A 2012 Copain I had last year was outstanding.

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Also excited to see how the Baker Ranch Syrah is. I actually bought half a case sight-unseen because I was so impressed with a 2010 Copain I had recently.

29

Nice. Do report back if you pop one!

30

I’ll own up to opening two already. I’ve never noted bottle shock in young wines but believers should be aware these arrived sometime last week. Syrah was pretty damn good. The Pinot was good but meh. I bought 2 of each as I was a fan of Copain in it’s early phase before the major ramp up in production. I was also looking for more Anderson Valley Pinot outside of Rhys.

  • 2018 DuPuis Pinot Noir Le Benedict - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (11/18/2020)
    Enticing nose of dark cherry notes and a bit of earth. Repeating notes on the palate, refined and silky, on the elegant side but just a hint of heat on the backend that was mildly distracting. Finish has good length but didn’t demand attention. Each sip got a bit better,-- I wasn’t sure about this at first. May add some depth with time, we’ll see. Perfectly fine, but not thrilling. (90 pts.)
  • 2018 DuPuis Syrah Baker Ranch - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (11/15/2020)
    Sunken cork with zero headspace, so figured I would just open for curiosity. Elegant refined Syrah. Lovely floral violet notes with olive and pepper spice. A bit of youthful fatness on the palate with some blood orange and mild bacon notes. Finish is a bit untethered, so to speak, wanting a little acidity, but I suspect this with tighten up with time and be quite fantastic. Impressive debut. Tannins and acidity are rather mild, but everything is nicely woven together and I expect this to improve a bit. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

31

Just tasted the Wendling PN blind. I’ll post a note. It was very nice.

For what it is worth I thought it was a Kutch.

32

I opened the 2018 Baker Ranch Syrah tonight after waiting for what I considered to be a respectful amount of time (about two weeks) since delivery to avoid any concern about travel shock. I had options, but I decided to open the Baker Ranch Syrah because I had a vast mental library of experiences with Baker Ranch Syrah from Wells-era Copain (I probably still have 50-ish Copain bottles in the cellar, and Baker Ranch Syrah was always a must-buy when I was in the wine club).

A few non-wine-related thoughts: The absence of a foil capsule immediately reminded me of pulling a Copain wine out of a shipper, and it put a nostalgic smile on my face. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Dupuis label. It is not ostentatious, but it is not as minimalist the old Copain wines I used to drink. Behind the raised font of the Dupuis logo, there is a faint outline of the Anderson Valley vineyard site from which the wine originated. The back of the label has a different map and some narrative detail about the wine. It is a very classy, still somewhat understated package.

The wine, to me, is classic Wells Guthrie Baker Ranch Syrah. It is meaty and peppery, but light on its feet. While it might have a little more stuffing than the most austere versions the old Copain Bakers, it still has the silky, lithe quality of those wines.The label touts the Northern Rhone character of the wine, but it would not surprised if me if someone in a blind tasting decided it was from Burgundy.

Instead of trying to characterize the sensory or emotional impact of drinking this wine, I would simply say that it might affect people who appreciated Wells-era Baker Ranch Syrah like an encounter with an old friend who has gained a bit of maturity from life experience.

33

I have long been a fan of the Wells era at Copain. I much prefer his chardonnay and syrah to the pinot and like them so much that I want to order cases of each. Given the Covid-caused economic situation I am in at the moment paying up front for large quantities is not feasible. Thankfully, Wells offers a payment plan so that customers can pay monthly. I really like that approach and have taken advantage of it.

34

Does anybody have any updates on how Wells is doing in his recovery? I believe the last email his wife sent to the mailing list they were planning on doing their next release this past April, but no updates since then. It also seems like the Dupuis Wines website is down. Obviously not great signs but I hope that he and his family are doing well.

35

Unfortunately I do not have any updates. I have not received any offerings or emails so hopefully Wells is doing ok…

36

I thought I heard the vineyard is for sale. Seems I remember a GoFundMe for complications after a failed back surgery?

37

I’m going to see Pax tomorrow evening. I’ll ask him how Wells is doing.

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38

Brian, Please let us know what you learn. Wells is a great guy and I hate what he has been through.

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I was at an event tonight where Pax was supposed to be but I couldn’t find him. No news, sorry.

40

Thanks. I was in Booneville about 6 months ago and talked to Wendy the owner of Disco Ranch Wine Bar where Kate Guthrie’s son works from time to time. At that time she said Wells was still struggling and his son had left college to come back to help at the winery. I haven’t heard anything else since then.

Hope he is doing ok.

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