2010 Thomas Coyne "Quartz Hill Vineyard" El Dorado Petite Sirah

Back in August of last year I was approached by Anne Marie Coyne-Kashkooli, the daughter of Thomas Coyne, who was curious if we were interested in buying a large lot from the Thomas Coyne Winery. To hear that name was a blast from the past for me. For years before I came to K&L I sold the wines out of a little shop in Berkeley that I helped run, and they were always wildly popular with our customers. They were wines of zero pretense, full of charm and ease--so I was all ears. Turned out Thomas, who had been the moving force of the winery, had passed away, and the family decided not to continue the business. I hadn't had the wines in years. Thomas loved making wine and finding great vineyards in not-so-famous areas, but he wasn't much for pounding the pavement and selling his wines outside of the winery. Tasting the wines again I was reminded of why they were always so successful: they are great table wines with enough fruit and exuberance to drink as cocktail wines; they are spot on for their varietals; and they have so much verve and unassuming beauty. So Anne Marie and I worked through all of the details, and we've selected a handful of wines that we think our customers will love. The kicker is we are bringing all of these wines to you for deeply discounted prices! (Bryan Brick, K&L)