Dec 30, 2022
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Coterie Cellars
| Owner(s) | Kyle Loudon, Shala Loudon |
| Web site | www.coteriecellars.com |
| Link to this site |
An urban winery located in a neighborhood near downtown San Jose, California. Owned by husband-and-wife team of Kyle and Shala Loudon, with Kyle making the wines and Shala handling accounts and marketing.
Kyle holds a BS degree from Purdue University and has studied viticulture and enology at UC Davis. Originally the couple were part of a coterie of winery workers for two highly regarded wineries in the San Francisco Bay Area. They began making wines under the guidance of these and other winemakers and establishing relationships with quality vineyards. Kyle benefited from winemaking seminars and courses at UC Davis and experiences working for other urban wineries.
The first Coetie Cellars wines were released from the 2007 vintage, working with many of the same people and vineyards the Londons had come to know through their urban wine experiences.
The winery is located in Willow Glen just south of downtown San Jose. Grapes are sourced from prestigious vineyards in the Russian River Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Lucia Highlands. Small sites are continually sought after.
The letterpress-evocative labels feature a simple grape cluster and the six grape berries are a nod to the Gang of Six, with whom they made some of their earliest wines before Coterie Cellars.
Open houses and tastings are held frequently (see website). The wines are sold through a mailing list and online through the winery's website store. The winery also offers single-varietal Rhone wines.
Articles About Coterie Cellars
Reviewed Wines
2010 Coterie Cellars Kirk Williams Ranch Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 113 cases, $35.
50% each Pommard and 667. Aged 10 months sur lies in 50% new French oak barrels with minimal racking.
Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark reddish-purple in the glass. Scent of dark berry mash, black cherries
and a whiff of espresso. Crisp, modest core of dark red and black fruits underlain with hints of coffee-scented
oak. Balanced tannins and some length on the finish. Perfectly fine, but too much oak on board. No change
the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Good.
Reviewed February 27, 2013
ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Tondre Grapefield Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., 147 cases, $37. Pommard 4 and 667. Aged 10 months sur lies in
45% new French oak barrels with minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. The nose offers a perfume of dark
berry jam, plum sauce and oak, becoming more expressive over time in the
glass. Dark red berries are the featured theme backed by modest tannins and
lively acidity. Oak is nicely integrated. I like this wine for its acid-driven vibrancy.
Even better the next day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Very
good.
Reviewed February 27, 2013
ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Saralee’s Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 174 cases, $38.
Clones 113 (50%) and 23 (50%). Aged 11 months sur lie in 48% new French oak with minimal racking.
Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Initially the nose is quite appealing
with bright aromas of black cherry and plum, spice and mesquite, revealing some stem and pungency over
time. Medium bodied flavors of darker berries and plum with a thread of green oak, earth and flowers. The
wine was more appealing on the nose and in the mouth the following day from a previously opened and recorked
bottle, yet still had a noticeable presence of smoky oak in the background. It would be interesting to
revisit this wine in a year or two. Good.
Reviewed February 27, 2013
ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Trenton Station Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 46 cases, $38.
Clone 37 (Mt Eden) from the Old Barn Block. Aged 10 months sur lie in 50% new French oak with minimal
racking. Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark reddish-purple hue in the glass. Aromas of ripe black
cherries with oak-driven scents of straw, tobacco and brioche in the background. Intensely fruity on the palate
with a sappy core of black cherry, and red and black berry fruits, caressed by balanced tannins, finishing with a
uplifting riff of cherry tempered by a subtle citrus note. Even better the following day from a previously opened
and re-corked bottle. Best to cellar this wine for at least a year to allow better integration of oak and full
expression. Good (+).
Reviewed February 27, 2013
ARTICLE »
2009 Coterie Cellars Tondre Grapefield Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., $37. Joe Alarid is
the grower. 50% each Pommard 4 and 667. Aged 10 months sur lies in 45% new French oak barrels with
minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered.
·
Moderately dark reddish-purple hue in the glass. This wine veers to
the very ripe-fruited zone featuring black cherry, blackberry, prune and black current flavors with non intrusive
oak in the background, finishing with good acidity and an appealing spiced black cherry riff. Good (+).
Reviewed February 27, 2013
ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Kirk Williams Ranch Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 113 cases, $35. 50% each Pommard and 667. Aged 10 months sur lies in 50% new French oak barrels with minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish-purple in the glass. Scent of dark berry mash, black cherries and a whiff of espresso. Crisp, modest core of dark red and black fruits underlain with hints of coffee-scented oak. Balanced tannins and some length on the finish. Perfectly fine, but too much oak on board. No change the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Good. Reviewed February 27, 2013 ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Tondre Grapefield Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.7% alc., 147 cases, $37. Pommard 4 and 667. Aged 10 months sur lies in 45% new French oak barrels with minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered. · Medium reddish-purple color in the glass. The nose offers a perfume of dark berry jam, plum sauce and oak, becoming more expressive over time in the glass. Dark red berries are the featured theme backed by modest tannins and lively acidity. Oak is nicely integrated. I like this wine for its acid-driven vibrancy. Even better the next day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Very good. Reviewed February 27, 2013 ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Saralee’s Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 174 cases, $38. Clones 113 (50%) and 23 (50%). Aged 11 months sur lie in 48% new French oak with minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish-purple color in the glass. Initially the nose is quite appealing with bright aromas of black cherry and plum, spice and mesquite, revealing some stem and pungency over time. Medium bodied flavors of darker berries and plum with a thread of green oak, earth and flowers. The wine was more appealing on the nose and in the mouth the following day from a previously opened and recorked bottle, yet still had a noticeable presence of smoky oak in the background. It would be interesting to revisit this wine in a year or two. Good. Reviewed February 27, 2013 ARTICLE »
2010 Coterie Cellars Trenton Station Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., 46 cases, $38. Clone 37 (Mt Eden) from the Old Barn Block. Aged 10 months sur lie in 50% new French oak with minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish-purple hue in the glass. Aromas of ripe black cherries with oak-driven scents of straw, tobacco and brioche in the background. Intensely fruity on the palate with a sappy core of black cherry, and red and black berry fruits, caressed by balanced tannins, finishing with a uplifting riff of cherry tempered by a subtle citrus note. Even better the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Best to cellar this wine for at least a year to allow better integration of oak and full expression. Good (+). Reviewed February 27, 2013 ARTICLE »
2009 Coterie Cellars Tondre Grapefield Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir
14.5% alc., $37. Joe Alarid is the grower. 50% each Pommard 4 and 667. Aged 10 months sur lies in 45% new French oak barrels with minimal racking. Unfined and unfiltered. · Moderately dark reddish-purple hue in the glass. This wine veers to the very ripe-fruited zone featuring black cherry, blackberry, prune and black current flavors with non intrusive oak in the background, finishing with good acidity and an appealing spiced black cherry riff. Good (+). Reviewed February 27, 2013 ARTICLE »