White Rose Estate Pinot Noir Cooperage Series French Oak Durant Vineyard

This wine is just sublime. It’s drinking beautifully now. Enjoy.

2015 is cooperage time: this bottle using an interesting barrel crafted from a Cognac-based cooper. Clear ruby, the wine has a perfumed, earthy aroma; on the palate is earthy combination of dark and red fruit, moderate acidity, balanced and integrated. Probably no more improvement at this point.

White Rose made consistently great wine between 2008 - 2018. This from the Cooperage Series of 2015 is no exception. Clear ruby red, no indication of color deterioration, sumptuous on the palate with sweet dark cherry notes, some spice, good length. Probably at optimum right now but can stand a few more years.

Well, this is pretty gorge as they say in the modern vernacular. It restores my faith in White Rose somewhat, given some dodgy experiences with recent vintages and unconventional offerings. This is from the heart of the Jesus era. Deep ruby, a very fragrant, perfumed aroma. On the palate bursting with ripe fruit, with some interesting spicy notes like maybe nutmeg, just a little grip and medium acidity. Very much a warm weather vintage I think.

These Explorer Series ideas are great in theory, but I am very unlikely to open two, let alone four, bottles simultaneously to make a comparison of whatever variable is being sampled - in this case the identity of the cooper. I can say that the wine is very good at this point: clear garnet, somewhat muted on the nose (was this a warm vintage? Was at least warm and early harvest); spicy and slightly resinous on the palate, combination of …

Tasting Blind A: Pale ruby N: Medium (+) nose of candied cherry, prune, cooked plum, black pepper, violet, VA, black tea, clove, liquorice, cedar P: Dry, medium (+) acid, medium (+) tannin, high alcohol, medium (+) intensity, full body and long finish C: Balanced fruit ripeness and acid. I thought the fruit candied and overripe but the acid made this tolerable and not flabby. The lack of balance came from the high alcohol which felt poorly integrated. The intensity and …

Elegant, gentle plum, light translucency, the oak is notable on the nose, delicate velvety tanins. Not for heavy foods. Like an orchid of a wine.

Nose is fresh picked strawberry....some earthiness... Flavor is same..great clean precise strawberry and nice earth Balanced with great acidity.... nice long persistent finish... So tasty.....very nice Pinot...

Part of the WR Explorer's Club. This was showing the same wine made in barrels with wood from different countries. The French was by far my favorite of the group. It comes across as a lot cleaner than the other ones. The fruit feels fresher. With some more time there's a bit of vanilla flavor to it. Overall a bit more elegant and tasty.