Straightforward
& Unconventional
In
the world
of wine, it's fashionable to say you're unique. Many wineries
will promote a story about what sets them apart from all the
rest. In other words, it seems like they are trying to be different.
David Coffaro, owner and winemaker at the David
Coffaro Winery, doesn't have to try. He simply has
his own way, and it means he's not afraid to jump into things
head first.
Vineyards at David Coffaro Winery
In
the late 70_s, he was an investor in the stock market but couldn't
see doing it long term, so David found himself looking for something
new in his life. While David loved wine and his father-in-law
was a grape grower in Modesto, he didn't know too much about
it himself. That didn't deter him. His thought was, "If
I've been willing to take chances in the stock market, I may
as well take chances here."
Thus,
after looking at land in November of 1978, David purchased about
twenty acres in Sonoma County's Dry Creek Valley just a few
months later. When David first took over the vineyards, he had
some hick-ups. "I had one of the first wines I made tested
at a local lab, and they came back telling me it had the highest
alcohol they'd ever seen," David laughs.
Despite
his initial struggles David stuck with it, and after a few more
vintages, he was making drinkable wine. For a longtime, that
was enough. He sold most of his fruit to Gallo, and they were
quite happy with it. David made amateur wine for himself, friends
and family with the fruit which was left over. Then in 1994,
something changed in him. David began to wonder just how good
his fruit was and just how good a wine he could make if he had
all the grapes to himself. Rather than focus on single varietals
like so many winemakers, David wanted to make a blend of the
varietals that grew best in the Dry Creek Valley. It meant grapes
like Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Cabernet, and Carignan would all
be main components of his wines. He had a feeling his vineyards
were of top quality and could produce a fine "Dry Creek
blend," so he took the plunge and started up a commercial
winery.
David Coffaro
SiDavid
follows some fairly simple philosophies that have served him
quite well over the years. First, he goes by the adage that
blending makes everything better. He's planted 22 different
varietals in his vineyards and that allows him to play around
with the blends he puts together every year until he's happy
with them. Second, he believes in being straight forward about
what's in the bottle. It means David won't dress his wines up
to be fancier than they are. "I won't call a wine 'reserve'
or 'old vines'," he explains. Plus, so people know exactly
what they're drinking, he always puts the percentages of each
grape right on the label. David's also not afraid of being a
little radical. His newest venture is a wine called RaiZin.
It's made from berries that were left on the vine for too long
and have started to shrivel in the sun. It's certainly far from
orthodox, but it's very unique and people have responded well
to it.
David
knows he's not going to be recognized for making truly great
wines. "I don't charge enough and I use screw-caps,"
he jokes. But he does make some very good wine, and you certainly
won't over pay for them, especially if you take advantage of
his futures
program. A lot of people have, and David hasn't disappointed.
He puts a lot of care into making his wines, and if his gut
tells him something will work, he'll pursue it, even if convention
would say otherwise. Of course, for a former stock-trader who
jumped into making wine without any real training beforehand,
maybe unconventional is exactly what we should expect. After
all, it's work well for David so far.
Check
out our tasting panel's reviews of some of David's wines:
David
Coffaro Label Reviews
 |
David
Coffaro 2007 Ultimate Cuvee
Grape(s):
Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan,
Syrah, Pelousin, Cabernet, Mourvedre
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2007
Special Designation: Ultimate Cuvee
Review:
A complex nose offers aromas of blackberries, black cherries,
and currants rounded out by notes of oak, cocoa, earth,
and a hint of pepper. A sip reveals rich flavors of blackberry,
currants, and blueberry with nice accents of spice and
oak. A rich, supple wine for fans of somewhat robust reds.
Rating: 90
Character: dark fruit,
rich mouthfeel, solid tannins
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2007 Terre Melange
Grape(s):
Peloursin, Mourvedre, Syrah, Grenache
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2007
Special Designation: Terre Melange
Review:
A bouquet of blueberries, cherries, and strawberries with
a hint of anise greets you. A sip reveals flavors of cherry,
strawberry, and blueberry accented by a bit of oak and
black licorice. For people that like more fruit-driven
reds with a nice bit of acidity, this is a bottle to try.
Rating: 87
Character: dark fruit,
supple mouthfeel, balanced acidity
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2007 Block 4 Blend
Grape(s):
Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignan,
Syrah, Pelousin
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2007
Special Designation: Block 4
Review:
Rich dark fruit aromas meld nicely with suggestions of
pepper and dark chocolate on the nose. Flavors of blackberries,
cherry, and blueberries unfold into notes of pepper and
spice after a sip. The lively spice of this wine is well-integrated,
so the mouthfeel is still smooth and lighter. Try a bottle
if you enjoy that style.
Rating: 88
Character: dark fruit,
smooth mouthfeel, light tannins
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2008 Terre Melange
Grape(s):
Mourvedre, Peloursin, Grenache
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2008
Special Designation: Terre Melange
Review:
On the nose, a bouquet of bing cherry, plum, blackberry,
fresh cracked pepper, and a hint of smoke awaits. On the
palate, flavors of cherry, blackberry, and plum emerge
along with bright notes of pepper and a hint of earth.
A more robust wine with a nice dose of pepper, it's lighter
but still has plenty of flavor. Great for BBQ chicken.
Rating: 90
Character: dark fruit,
lighter mouthfeel, solid tannins
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2008 Cabernet Sauvgnon
Grape(s):
Cabernet Sauvgnon
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2008
Special Designation:
(none)
Price:
25-20
Review:
A bouquet of black cherries, cassis, and blackberries
meld with notes of coffee, dark-chocolate, and oak on
the nose. With a sip, blackberry and current flavors round
out into suggestions of coffee, oak, along with a touch
of chocolate and caramel. A Cabernet with nice acid, rich
fruit, a few slightly sweet under tones and solid tannins,
it's a great choice if you want to enjoy a bottle with
dinner.
Rating: 88
Character: dark-fruit,
slightly sweet, solid tannins, supple mouthfeel
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2008 Escuro
Grape(s):
Tannat, Aglianico, Touriga, Souzao,
Lagrein, Alvarelhao
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2008
Special Designation: Escuro
Price:
25-20
Review:
Notes of blackberries, blueberries, currants, and cherries
meld with nuances of sweet spices, oak, earth, and pepper
on the nose. The palate offers flavors of currants, bramble
fruit, and sour cherry along with a bit of earth and spice.
A full-bodied wine with solid tannins, it's concentrated,
dark, and robust. For fans of big bold wines, this is
an excellent choice.
Rating: 88
Character: solid tannins,
dark fruit, robust mouthfeel
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2009 Estate Cuvee
Grape(s):
Zinfandel, Carignan, Cabernet, Petite
Sirah
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2009
Special Designation: Estate Cuvee
Review:
On the nose, aromas of blackberries, black cherries, red
currants, a bit of pepper and some oak can be discovered.
The palate opens up with flavors of blackberry, red currants,
and cherry with a few notes of spice and oak. A wine lush
with fruit, but still fairly dry with a little punch from
a nice acidity and some tannins.
Rating: 89
Character: dark fruit,
supple mouthfeel, solid tannins
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2009 Block 6 Zinfandel
Grape(s):
Zinfandel
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2009
Special Designation: Block 6
Review:
Aromas of blackberries, boysenberries, and plum are accented
by notes of dark-chocolate and oak. A sip reveals flavors
of blackberries, plum, and currants rounded out by nuances
of oak, sweet spice, and a hint of pepper. A rich, wine
with concentrated dark fruit that has more barrel influence
than many reds, so it has a slight hint of sweetness.
It that's what you like, try a bottle.
Rating: 88
Character: dark fruit,
supple mouthfeel, supple tannins
Farming Certification: (none) |
|
David
Coffaro 2009 Carignan
Grape(s):
Zinfandel, Carignan, Cabernet, Petite
Sirah
Winery: David Coffaro
Region: Dry Creek Valley - Sonoma County
Year: 2009
Special Designation:
(none)
Review:
Aromas of blackberries, plum, and cassis unfold into nuances
of cedar, sweet spices, and pepper. On the palate, flavors
of blackberry and cassis are accented by notes of toasty
oak, clove, and spice. A rich, dark, supple wine with
nice fruit, it's great for people who like like a bit
of oak on their red wines.
Rating: 89
Character: dark fruit,
supple mouthfeel, balanced tannins
Farming Certification: (none) |
By
Jason Barlow
| 96
— 100 |
Spectacular |
| 92
— 95 |
Outstanding |
89
— 91 |
Great |
| 85
— 88 |
Good |
81
— 84 |
Solid |
|
www.coffaro.com/
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