"It’s hard not to enjoy a visit with Wells Guthrie given his enthusiasm and passion for accessing top-notch vineyards and producing high quality wines. His impressive resume includes positions with Michel Chapoutier and Gerard Chave as well as a short stint as a journalist for The Wine Spectator. Guthrie is one of the Rhone Ranger mavericks who utilizes considerable stems in his winemaking as well as a variety of barrels, ranging from small casks to the large, 600-liter demi-muids. Such Old World winemaking techniques as minimal intervention, natural yeast fermentations, and no fining or filtration has resulted in thrilling wines of undeniable character and personality."
-Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate #162 (Décembre 2005)
"While many of California's top winemakers struggled to make wines with alcohol levels below 15% in 2004, Wells Guthrie has turned out a range of fresh, balanced pinots and syrahs between 13. 5% and 14. 5%. These wines not only are not underripe, but they also boast more aromatic precision and verve than most of their peers. Guthrie works with mostly cooler vineyards and the site character of his wines is rarely blocked by new oak; the inclusion of sizable percentages of stems gives a number of his wines a pungent complexity."
-Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, June 2006
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90 ! "One of Copain’s best values every year is the Saisons des Vins Syrah l’Hiver, Guthrie’s interpretation of a St.-Joseph or Crozes-Hermitage. The 2005 reveals hints of tapenade, pepper, red cherries, and cassis along with zesty acidity and a fruit-driven style"The Wine Advocate (Parker), #168
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93 ! "Once again, the 2006 Syrah Thompson Vineyard exhibits blackberry, creme de cassis, charcoal, creosote, and incense. Seventy-five percent whole clusters were used in the making of this wine, which is full-bodied, dense, rich, and promising. It’s more forward than the 2005, but in many ways, the character is similar. "The Wine Advocate (Parker), #174
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93 ! "His 2005s are all stunning wines... this sexy wine boasts terrific blue and black fruits intermixed with some crushed rock and floral notes. This is a beauty and a great bistro selection."The Wine Advocate (Parker), #174
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