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Coho, “Headwaters” Red Blend

California, United States 2013 (750mL)
$39.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Coho, “Headwaters” Red Blend

When you taste lots of wine on a daily basis, making quick assumptions and assessments becomes second nature. My first thought after tasting Coho’s “Headwaters” was that it tasted like a triple-digit Napa red, of which there are many these days. It had great depth, concentrated fruit, and a long and integrated finish.
I exclaimed to my team, “I love it, but we don’t need to sell another expensive Napa Cab right now,” only to learn that it was, in fact, just $39 a bottle. My jaw dropped. This, of course, is our Holy Grail—a wine that tastes expensive but isn’t—and re-visiting the wine periodically over the course of a day only strengthened its case. This is serious, densely structured Cabernet with a kiss of good, spicy oak and a hint of dark, humid earth to balance that. It is lush yet fresh and vigorous, a joy to drink now but also clearly capable of cellaring. Of all the Napa Cabernets I’ve tasted this year, this is without a doubt in the finals for the best value of the year at this price. When you taste it, you will understand.
Coho was founded in 2002 and initially focused on 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa’s sub-AVA of Coombsville—where many shrewd producers are currently flocking. The creation of “Headwaters” red blend, however, did not happen lightly. During the harvest of 2005, a rogue arson attack razed a communal warehouse to the ground. Nearly all of three years of Coho’s production was destroyed (988 out of 1,000 cases of their 2003 vintage). What did remain was the juice at the winemaking facility, but, of course, that wasn’t commercialized until barrel aging and bottling was completed the following year. However, their source for Cabernet from the Michael Black vineyard in Coombsville enjoyed an exceptional Merlot harvest, so the decision was made to blend that into Cabernet Sauvignon that was donated to them by local winemakers. This generosity and ‘coming together’ resulted in the birth of “Headwaters.”

Coho’s owner, Gary Lipp, has a long history in wine, having worked with names like Heitz, Mondavi and Chappellet—where he met his now-lead winemaker, Phillip Corallo-Titus, one of Napa’s more prominent names. You may recognize him from his work at Chappellet, Titus, or Hertelendy (recently featured here). Alongside Phillip is Brittany Richards, who had stretches at Chappellet (which seems to be the starting point for Coho’s team) and Peter Michael Winery. The team may be small, but their combined track record shows that talent and passion is surely present. 

The large majority of grapes in “Headwaters” are sourced from the original location in Coombsville, a sub-appellation that sees extended fog cover—which moderates heat spikes—and can average temperatures ten degrees cooler than its northern counterparts (only Carneros sits closer to the San Pablo Bay). This results in higher levels of acidity in the grapes and generally a more even ripening season. The blend for 2013 “Headwaters” is 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, and while this assemblage may remind you of a classic Left Bank Bordeaux, the elevage will also: the wine aged for 21 months in new (40%) and used (60%) French oak. After bottling in mid-2015 bottling, they rested it for nearly two additional years before its final release in March of 2017. 

In the glass, 2013 “Headwaters” shows a highly concentrated dark garnet with pink and purple reflections on the rim. The nose presents dense and rich dark fruits of black cherry, blackberry, blueberry, black plum, dark chocolate, violets, tobacco, wild flowers and exotic oak spices. There is a luxurious mouthfeel on the palate with rich flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, tobacco, damp earth, and an array of exotic spices. Although full-bodied, the wine has a purity, an overall freshness, that is complemented by soft, rounded tannins. As much fun as this wine will be over the next 3-7 years, it is too enjoyable right now not to crack open a bottle or two. Decanting is not necessary, although I did let it have have a few breaths of air 5-10 minutes before consuming. For pairing, I’m going right back to a slow-cooked lamb shank with a healthy serving of your own roasted veggies recipe. Bon appétit, and enjoy one of the greatest Napa red values of the year! 
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Country
United States
Region
California
Sub-Region
United StatesNapa Valley / Coombsville
Soil
Gravelly Loam w/ Some Volcanic
Blend
87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot
Alcohol
14.0
OAK
40% New French
TEMP.
60
Glassware
Bordeaux Stems
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
Optional
Pairing
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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