We tried Coopers Hawk last night. Got there about an hour before our reservation so I could do a tasting. We were presented with 3 tasting menus: 'Standard', 'Lux', and 'Sweet Red'. I liked that they had a separate tasting for the sweeter stuff. Ours started with Pinot Gris and off the bat, I was pleasantly surprised. Really nice and crisp, with wonderful citrus on the nose. Then onto Chardonnay. This was a really good all around Chard - a good balance of the buttery, fat, oaky style with a stainless steel aged, crisp style. And I really enjoyed that - a good all around white. Third was a Viognier. It was good, but frankly, the one about to be bottled in my basement is better. I'm used to Viognier smacking you in the face with floral and tropical notes on the nose. This one was more subdued - probably the most subdued of the three white wines I tasted. Then onto the Coopers Hawk Red. This is a blend of Cab, Syrah and Merlot. Overall decent, but very forgettable. After that, it was a Sangiovese/Merlot. I liked this - a good everyday red that I'd enjoy with or without food. Finally, it was the "Lux Meritage". I immediately looked at Jennifer and said "This is my kind of red.". Big fruit and tannins with a gripping acidity that just makes your mouth water. A little tight, but I think laying it down of a while or decanting prior to drinking would make this really nice. Then it was onto a sparkling raspberry. Wow! Put that glass anywhere near your face and the berry aroma just engulfs you. Not too sweet, but very bubbly - a little more than I prefer. Finally, 'Nightjar', which is their port-style wine: rich, with lots of fruit and cocoa. After that was all done, I noticed they have a Riesling and I asked to try a taste of that: another enjoyable, but forgettable wine. I asked about the source and was told its mostly CA with some OR and WA grapes as well. Then I noticed they have a Passion Fruit wine. With a Guava wine fermenting in the basement as we speak, I was really curious to try this one. It didn't disappoint. Just enough sweetness to bring the fruit out, but very well balanced.
Overall, I enjoyed the wines and for 'restaurant prices', they are very reasonable. The Pinot Gris, for example, is $17.99. Even their "Lux" reds are only $35-$40/bottle. They have a wine club, of course, and they promote it without shoving it down your throat. For $35/month you get two bottles and two free tastings, as well as discounts, etc. I wouldn't go out of my way for it. But I told Jen if we had a Coopers Hawk close by, I'd probably join.
When we got to our table, I had a glass of the Cabernet/Zinfandel. This was really jammy and pretty enjoyable - nice tannins and acid rounded it out. With the short ribs, I had a Petit Sirah - good, but pretty tame for what I've come to expect as a big, tannic beast. I have to admit though - at $8.75 for the cab/Zin and $7.75 for the PS I have absolutely zero complaints. Worth every penny. And like any good restaurant, they are more than happy to bring you a tasting sized pour of anything you want to try.
I liked this place. One complaint though is that they have no Rose - White Zin is as close as you can get. Otherwise, they have a good variety of wines, including several fruit wines: rhubarb, blueberry, passion fruit, raspberry and cranberry, and several sparkling wines.
