United States · California

Copain

Copain Wines was a small Sonoma producer founded in 1999 by Wells Guthrie, focusing on single-vineyard Syrah and Pinot Noir from cool coastal California sites. Guthrie had worked with Delas Frères in the northern Rhône and brought that experience to California, sourcing from high-elevation, wind-swept sites on the Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley, and Paso Robles. The James Berry Vineyard Syrah from Paso Robles's chalky limestone soils was a cornerstone bottling; Kiser En Haut and other Anderson Valley Pinots represented the cool-climate Burgundian side of the portfolio. Copain produced wines at very low intervention — indigenous yeasts, minimal sulphur, no fining or filtration. Across 474 auction lots, the estate averages $63 per bottle with a ceiling of $627. The estate was acquired by Jackson Family Wines in 2015, and Guthrie departed; the earlier vintages from Guthrie's tenure (2005–2014) represent the auction value, particularly Syrahs from James Berry and Pinots from Kiser. Those bottles regularly earn 93–96 points and trade modestly given the niche collector base.