Black fruit up front, moves fairly quickly into a dense, mid-to-high noted core with cocoa, earth, licorice. Finishes fairly long on decent acidity. Interesting... drinks more like a Bordeaux blend than a Syrah, good just not quite what I expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Last bottle from a batch purchased direct. PnP. Cork broke, and crumbled, wine did not seem effected
Medium purple color, opaque and slightly cloudy. Nose showing dark fruits and balsamic. Palate was faded plum, blackberry, olives, minerals. Some bacon fat through mid palate. Medium weight and finish.
Wine still drinks OK, but I found the fruit to be faded and less expressive than what I recall from its earlier days. Should drink at this level for a bit, this bottle likely peaked a few years ago. Guessing this moves to a tertiary phase in a few years. Would drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is my 3rd of 4 bottles. Last tasted in 2013. No formal TN, enjoyed over 2-3 nights. A more refreshing and red-fruited and plum version of Syrah, with chewy tannins and beautifully integrated acidity. Notes of olive and wet rocks. Drink now through 2022 or so, really tasty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and day 2 -opaque dark purple -a little smoky bacon and violet -med acidity, med/med+ weight faded dark berry earthy on the simple side, med+ tannins; a bit more open with plummy fruit and softer tannins on day 2 -decent if a bit rustic, would say it needs more time to tame the tannins but not sure if it has enough fruit to last that long - though its evolution on day 2 is positive
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Smooth wine, medium tannins that were soft. Medium acid too, lower than expected for a Syrah. Great depth of flavor, Black Olive, Black pepper and beef jerky, with some black and red fruits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened yesterday, had a few glasses, put bottle back in cellar. TN is from today. Last tasted this bottle at the winery, almost 5 yrs ago. Fermented with stems, and aged in neutral oak. Today, the wine is showing dust and black cherry on the nose, along with plum skin and a hint of olive pit. On the palate, full in body, well structured, with the firm tannins just starting to loosen their grip, after 8 years of age. The wine is beautifully balanced, with perfect acidity, giving energy and lift to this deftly styled Syrah...a throwback to the northern Rhone, I'd say. Dark fruits, like black cherry and plum, but with a sense of brightness, showing minerality and savory olive paste. Just gorgeous, drink now through 2022+.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Purple; juicy but not jammy; nose opens after 1-2 hour decant to typical syrah blackberry and iron ore; weighty but not heavy; good acidity and tannins faded with time; good choice to satisfy a weeknight syrah craving
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Inky dark colour. Smoked meat nose with a bit of sage/thyme/olive. Cool, tart blue/cherry fruit on the palate with more herbal notes, some tobacco and charcoal. Tannins still prevalent on finish. Good+ balance, nice examole of cool.climate syrah while maintaining a distinct cali profile. Probably open my next in 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice elegant Syrah, not overly extracted. I had two bottles on adjacent days. The first one I had in a dark setting and the second on the patio during dusk. What astonished me is that the wine looks much darker than it tastes. Out of the bottle this is nearly the color of petite Syrah, and the only give away that it's not PS is the lack of violet at the edges of the glass. In the tongue however this wine stands up with more berry bramble and some soft garrique just underneath. I also get some pencil shavings and very light graphite but that must be imagined. This is a FOOD wine, please treat it as such. Enjoy!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely wine. Ripe but not overripe fruit with a balanced acidity that keeps one engaged. This is probably best now but might stay interesting for another 5 years since it is so balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really good on night 1 and continued to improve thru 3 nights. Fully balanced on night 1 and by third night had become voluptuous to say the least. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, even ruby. Violet aroma. Full but not heavy attack. Quite elegant with a savory mix of black fruit and thyme. This has a really nice cooler climate style. Almost completely resolved and fine for current drinking.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1.5 years since my last visit. I'll stand by that 9/13 note. I usually don't repost, but this merits a mention. At six hours in the glass, this is terrific. This has jumped up. Full, broad, velvety. This is luxurious. This had my wife staring into the glass, walking in circles, talking excitedly with her hands and repeating: "wow!" I can assure you she's not easily impressed. 93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was a dynamite bottle of wine. Had that voluptuous character at first, then came the tannins to give it some structure. Still has a lot of life left and glad I have one more bottle and give it five more years. Dark bing cherry, charcoal, great mouthfeel.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Huge magenta color. Tons of tart, rich black and red currant fruit on the nose, blackberries, some loam and graphite. Dusty tannins, the red and black currants and cherries taste tart and crunchy, but some nice freshness from the acid. Lots of deep rocky, granite, loam and mineral elements. Some lovely mushroom and nutshell elements on the long finish. Showing a lot of flavor but some class as well. With time some cola and root beer elements come out with some sage and sweet basil. I managed to cellar my only bottle for 2.5 years, but I’d love to try it again in three or four. 13.9% alcohol.
Very average. Palate with low tannins, low acidity, felt very thin. Very short finish. Feels disjointed. Became even less interesting on the second day. Not worth it at $30.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very good, well balanced Syrah. Deep red color, slight fruit aroma, with tastes of a little berry and some forest. Nice finish with a hint of baking spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Violet black color, just slightly lightening at the edges. Aromas bursting on the palate- smoked meats, violets, blackcurrant, tomato skin, black olive and black tea. Juicy, forward, and primary on the palate, showing a nice range of vivid flavors consistent with the bouquet. Good depth and balance. Nice acid with fat polished tannins, and good finishing length. This is showing very well right now- quite good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Young wine that should age nicely. Raspberry and cherry up front and a nice balance starting to develop in the mid-palate. Needs time to integrate better, but a classic wine that has a lot of life left in it. Great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnV & also let breathe intervally between 30 minutes and 4.5+ hours. Opaque hue. Cool climate Syrah traits with slight restraint. Bouquet of blue fruits, black pepper, blood iron & mineral. Likewise flavors with notes of red cherry & herbs. Palate showed fine tannins, good amount of acidity, light:medium body, and a dry/moderate finish. (90+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of sweet spices, blueberries, plums, and a hint of sweet smokey meats. Palate leans more heavily on the red fruits: tart raspberries, cherries, red plums. Prominent acidity almost lends a slight tomato-y quality to the back end, but not in an overwhelming or unpleasant way. Tannins are prominent but nicely integrated. All in all, great for the $25 I paid. May go pick up another.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark, purple, and thick. Syrupy black fruits on the nose, with a nice hint of syrah-specific pepper. Dark fruits on the palate, with pepper, too. Huge tannins, perhaps from youth. Good, dusty texture on finish. Nice acidity throughout. Spice remains in the mouth after the finish. Nice creamy, chocolate characteristics through mid-palate. Fruit-heavy at this stage. Will be interesting to see if and how secondary characteristics come out in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted four hours. Deep, primal color. Nice aromas of earth, smoke and alcohol mulled blackberries and cassis. This has a glorious, concentrated mouth feel - it just caresses the mouth and expands to fill the mouth. Black fruit, some sootiness and a little astringency on a medium finish. Slightly tannic. The nose is a little ahead of the palate, which suggests to me me that this has a point or two of upside when it unfurls. My first Copain. I'm impressed. 91
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Copain (SF Wine Trading Company): Saturated, purple center. Redolent of violets. Full but excellent spice, blackberry, graphite and flowers in the mouth with great lift and perfume. Elegant, long and much greater depth than the Tous Ensemble. Exciting quality.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is excellent for $35. Smoke, tar, super dark fruits, excellent balance, and kept getting better with air. This has a long life ahead, and is insanely good with food. This was a huge hit @ the dinner table. "Buy by the 6 pack" type of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark plums, tobacco and tar. Loved this. With an hour of air, this really opened up. Meduim bodied, velvety and delicious. Not too complex but an nice QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind tasting group reunion (Dario and Ross): Tasted Blind. Interesting as I first went to an old world wine based on the nose and thought this was a kind of ripe St Joseph. Looking back at it, the sweetness of the wine should have taken me to a new world wine. I guess I learn something every day! A hint of violet and some ripe/sweet dark/blue fruits. I'm not crazy about the texture of the wine which is slightly creamy. Overall an ok syrah but lacking excitement and a little heavy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Restrained nose with tasty black fruit, mineral, and floral notes on the palate with moderate length on the finish. Still young but approachable. Good QPR!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Started off with a yeasty element that I don't like. Mild though. Being open a while rounded that off with and this was a solid, surprisingly full-bodied wine. Fruit-driven. Enjoyable, but fairly simple (ie not seeing the critical love.)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Violets, black fruit, and iron flavors with high acidity. Just a hint of Brett (enough for my wife to enjoy without turning me off) adds complexity. A well-made wine with some mid-term aging potential.
Not quite as good as the last time. Some dustiness that needed a bit of time in the glass to clear. Should have served with food instead of before. 5+12+16+7+50=90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opaque black-red color with aromatic mixed berry, and floral aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and black cherry, raspberry, and mineral flavors. Medium-long finish!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
It really doesn't get much better than this for $30. Tons of fresh berry fruit along with mild oak toast and graphite like earthy characters. Tannins start to poke through after a little bit air, wine is still decently balanced. I think this wine could benefit from some more cellar time but it is extremely delicious right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Napa & Sonoma favorites in 3 short days...; 9/21/2012-9/24/2012 (Napa & Sonoma Valley wineries): Tasting room pour. This wine was made using stems in the fermentation (giving it structure), and was aged in neutral oak. Dark purple in color, with notes of blackberry and currant on the nose, mild anise, and tar. On the palate, blackberry and plums, with tobacco and chalk. The tannins are med(+), firm and persistent, great med(+) acidity, with a nice fruit and spice finish that lasts 30-45 seconds. Delicious, should drink well 2015-2022, awesome food wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really fleshy and fruity right after the cork was pulled. After some time in the decanter it seemed to tighten up a bit showing more graphite, espresso, gritty tannins and oak toast. Enjoyable but could use some more sideways time. Lots of stuffing and promise here, fun to watch it evolve over the course of a few hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
great black fruit with pepper and gorgeous floral aromatics (especially violets and white flowers). the palate still shows prominent tannin, but this is a young bottle. great flavors with freshness and elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Too soon. My wife wanted a syrah tonight and pulled this out of the cellar because she knows how much I like Copain wines. Great color a very dark purplish red with long legs and notes of plum, raspberries, and soil. The initial impression on the palate is heat, followed by dark fruit and tannin. The wine still needs several years to completely integrate but the potential is there for a superior wine. I still have some left and will be interested to see how it is in 3 years. Good but not yet great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A very ripe wine with lovely flavors of black rasberries, black pepper and minerals. Being a lover of Cote Rotie, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Plenty of fresh acidity and Syrah spice, it matched beautifully with the farm-raised loin of lamb at Craft, NYC. This is a realy nice, mineral-driven and complex wine with cool fruit that makes me want to visit the Anderson Valley. Impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at the winery. Plump aromas of black pepper, black olive, marinating beef, violet and plum. Pure fruit and savory depth on the palate- seamlessly woven with fleshy feel and fine firm tannins and full finish. Deft balance. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Finally a Syrah I can get behind. Kept getting better, so I think still too early to fully appreciate where this might go. Dark fruits, well balanced, doesn't have nearly the pepper/spice that turns me away from so many Syrah's
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
w sausage from grill in r-beck. i ddnot look at my previous note, so we tried. nice dark color and decent nose, not powerful but quite restraint. good fruit on palate and good finish. very drinkable now. finish was bit dry on the teeth, that wont go away so this good to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sonoma Wine Tasting & San Francisco - March 2012; 3/22/2012-3/27/2012: Gorgeous dark purple in the glass. Dark and rich aromas of plums, cocoa powder and a bit of crushed rock. The palate shows restraint, with plush tannins and flavors of black cherry, currant and just a hint of vanilla and white pepper. The best way to describe this wine is purity. Creamy finish with a hint of subtle oak. I'd love to revisit this in three or five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour. Right off the bat, distinctive violet, blackberry, and crushed rock on the nose. On the palate, great concentration and purity of fruit - currant, more blackberry, sour plum - but without any sort of heaviness. With air, mineral, spice, and a hint of pepper come through. The finish is med-plus length with juicy tannins and acid and an iron/metallic note. Quality blend of 3 Yorkville Highland vineyards that is definitely open for business.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over two nights. Really like the style here - great restraint for a new world Syrah. That said, this was just a bit simple, keeping the score from going higher. A nice wine and a good value nonetheless.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Syrupy smell, very dark red fruit, almost too short of a finish. Bit surprised at the high scores for this wine. Maybe tasting again in a couple of years will improve the score but 87 for me now given the lack of complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Fantastic smokey floral nose after a 1 hour decant. Palate is very open with mainly juicy blue fruits with more of the Copain florals and a hint of smoked meats. Outstanding QPR at $28. Like I noted last year after my 1st bottle, this is clearly a step above the Tous Ensemble line and should be a continuous purchase while waiting on the SVD's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Inky purple, opaque. Nose of sweet black raspberries, smoke, peppercorn, grilled steak, vanilla, mocha. Medium + tannins, Medium + acidity, stem-y mouthfeel. Great depth of fruit, incredible concentration. Smoke and Oak tannin round out the chewy palate with a slight alcoholic and bitter finish. Overall, a solid, and very well made wine. Improves greatly with 30-45 minutes of airtime. Cellar 3-5 years and this wine should sing with the angels. Great job by Wells Guthrie and the crew at Copain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Beautiful nose of blueberry, lavender, cassis, hint of incense/smoke, and a wet stone-like note. Smells great. Beautiful dark fruit with great concentration, but it's so light on the palate. Wonderful floral qualities, palate-cleansing acid and pleasant ripe tannin. This is really great stuff and belies its price point on the mailing list.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very aromatic, full of Lilies and dark fruit. On the palate the acidity fruit and tannin all balance out well in a light to medium body palate that asks for food. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Inky purple violet colour. Concentrated and jammy fruit, and a little forward and simple for me. It is smooth and well made but I didn't sense much complexity by the way of smoke/leather/spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep ruby color. Black fruit nose. with some earthiness. Good balance. Subdued mid palate. Nice depth and finish. Needs time. Has much potential. 13.9% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
beautiful black/blue fruit & white flowers on the nose. crunchy black fruit wth juicy acidty on the palate. finish is laden with rocks & minerals. another outstanding showing for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
chunky beef broth and modestly rustic. composed of enough stuffing to probably benefit from air/time in bottle, but it's still just a mid weight sipper that finishes without pizazz
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
No formal notes. Juicy, pepper, spice, I like this. Don't see any reason not to drink up, but on the other hand could be interesting to see what bottle age does for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, rich color. Nose of herbs, meat and black tea; complex. Juicy, balanced palate, ripe berries but still has a lean quality; fairly tannic, and could use some time to come together. Very nice, and terrific for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted at winery. On the nose, cool climate syrah all the way with ripe blackberries, mineral, and earth. Soft fruit that strikes a chord all across the palate leading into a balanced finish. Another restrained, but refined wine from Copain. Right up my alley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour and shared with friends. Only checked in on this at opening and then again about one hour later. Good dark color; shows a bit of smoke on the nose. Good solid core of tar and clay; vanilla and licorice combined with dark fruits. Rich tannins; mouth puckers. There is a hint of green which I suspect to be the results of some whole clusters.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow! Deep dark purple, awesome nose of black fruit, blueberry, smoke and charred meat. Chalky mouth but the fruit and acid almost balance it out. Real young but a stellar effort. Glad it was someone elses as I really want to hold my remining bottles a while. Wells rocks.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Copain Visit To Taste The 2009s and 2010s (Copain Winery In RRV): Spicy with good size acid, along with charcoal, blue fruit and some chalk. Juicy and lighter bodied than the single vineyard syrahs and also more will need more time to settle down as opposed to the 2009 Voisins pinot.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
(3/5) Dusty, earthy on the nose. Initially some vanilla on the palate for which I didn't care but after about an hour in the glass that disappeared and left rich, dark fruits with a nice touch of acidity. Still quite tannic and will improve of course with age, but this is very enjoyable now with some air. I'm not a big domestic syrah fan but this is a winner.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Been open just over 2 days, cork simply closing the bottle off, no decant. Aromatics show a mixture of stems, lightly expressed, along with olive, pepper and iron. The palate is fresh but still youuthfully rough, with a creamy black cherry, raspberry, iron and smoke. The olive and iron help support the wine, along with the zingy red fruited acidity. Granted, this is a 2009 and is still a young bottle but it shows the nice, zesty red and black fruit from the AVA.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
13.9% alcohol. Opened six hours before serving but not decanted. Dark red-purple color. Lovely nose that has a slight floral edge to the spicy black fruit, leather, and mineral notes. In the mouth, elegant and refined, allowing the precise flavors and texture to shine forth as the attractive fruit, earth, and spice notes unfold. A good acidic back bone leads to a long finish that retains the elegant, lovely feel of this wine. Drinking surprisingly well now, but the tannins on the back end, while very fine-grained, underscore the need for more bottle age. A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I started drinking it a little cool and was underwhelmed. Nose was pure syrah. Very primary on the palate - blackberry and iron with a not-so-great herbal character. Disjointed acid, chalky tannis and a flat mouthfeel.
After warming and airing a bit, the nose came alive - black cherry, sandalwood and a roasted element. The mouth improved as well, although not as much as the nose. Iron, cherry, and blackberry. The softened tannins and popping acidity combined to form a well-balanced wine that went well with food. A little lean and light bodied for my taste - needs another year in the cellar I think. This is the first 2009 Copain syrah I have tried. I did prefer the 2007 Tous syrah to this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice floral nose with violets, lavender and currants. Quite nice darker fruit profile in the palate, with a little cassis and raspberry. Acidic and with coarse tannins, slightly angular at this stage. Medium finish with a little toast and mocha. Really nice everyday syrah, pairs well with food, and should settle down over the next few years and improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted a few hours before dinner and returned to the cellar to breathe. No detailed notes taken, but overall impression is a good balance of blackberry, floral components, iron, and smoky but tannic finish. Surprisingly approachable young but my guess is best in 3-5 years. This bottling is considerably more tannic than the Tous Ensemble line.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Violets, orange blossum, dark iron rich crushed rock, pastille (slightly sour) red fruits with an undernote of blackberry, bacon wrapped fig and white pepper. Tighter and brighter on the medium-light bodied palate. Nothing lean or harsh but wonderful earthy notes and iron shavings complexities. The finish has a sour tang, red fruits and iron rich mineral. The acids really grab your tonsils. Blind I would have guessed N.Rhone. There is a endearing, wild, savage edge. More open than the SVDs of the same vintage but will improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
3hr decant. the nose is all white flowers & lavender up front followed by fresh blackberries & blueberries. just the smallest hint of meat. blue & black fruit again on the palate with a ton of crushed rocks on the finish. wonderful acidity/balance. outstanding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had to try one out after picking it up last week. I am amazed at how well this drinks being so young. I'll simply echo the notes of FMIII and glaze3. Really enjoyable from nose to finish. Fruit, red meat, smoke, acidity, tannins all in perfect balance. Well done.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pre-release bottle to be released 10-12-10. Poured into decanter for 1 hour and the nose just jumps right out showing loads of purple flowers with a hint of smoked meat. Wow! how is this drinking so well right now, great balance of blue and black fruits that are really compact and juicy. Plenty of structure with some chalky tannins and nice acidity all on a medium frame. This is clearly a step above the Tous Ensemble series and should compete nicely with the SVD wines. Yorkville Highlands all the way and a successful experiment of blending neighboring vineyards to create one harmonious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Listed alcohol of 13.9%. Initial impression, this wine shows sexy right up front. Lots of white flower, bacon fat but I can't nail the oak piece down. Knowing Wells, I can't think he dressed much wood around this but the aromatic is like an adult film, with lots of flamboyance, richness and look at me traits. The palate is gentle and hits all the palate sides, with some black cherry, plush blackberry and some trace of mineral. I've had this wine open 15 mins so I'll offer a fuller perspective tomorrow.....so after overnight, the aromatics now seem much more integrated, with smoke, some crushed rocks and hint of whole cluster. The palate is medium in weight with juicy bluberry, dark black cherry, mineral and after a full day of aeration, the polish of the texture yesterday evolves into more structure, some chalk and grip. Certainly has the Yorkville fruit and palate profile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Copain open house, Sept. 2010 (Copain winery): Nice medium blackberry fruit, very nice balance, great acidity, a slightly leaner but very flavorful style. This is a blend from several neighboring Yorkville Highlands vineyards.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/9/2022 - drrobvino wrote: 91 Points
Final of 4 bottles.
Delicious, no formal TN.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2022 - oropeza wrote:
Black fruit up front, moves fairly quickly into a dense, mid-to-high noted core with cocoa, earth, licorice. Finishes fairly long on decent acidity. Interesting... drinks more like a Bordeaux blend than a Syrah, good just not quite what I expected.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/5/2021 - Praj wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful depth but likely peaked a couple years ago
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2020 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Wine in the time of Corona Virus - Quarantining in NYC & NH; 3/7/2020-9/1/2020 (NYC/NH): Popped and poured this for our weekly Family Zoom Happy Hour. Pleasantly surprised - this was quite tasty - really crunchy, juicy red fruit (cranberry notes), tannins resolved, acidity bright and an enjoyable savory finish.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2019 - walkerjfw wrote:
Last bottle from a batch purchased direct. PnP. Cork broke, and crumbled, wine did not seem effected
Medium purple color, opaque and slightly cloudy. Nose showing dark fruits and balsamic. Palate was faded plum, blackberry, olives, minerals. Some bacon fat through mid palate. Medium weight and finish.
Wine still drinks OK, but I found the fruit to be faded and less expressive than what I recall from its earlier days. Should drink at this level for a bit, this bottle likely peaked a few years ago. Guessing this moves to a tertiary phase in a few years. Would drink up
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2019 - drrobvino wrote: 92 Points
This is my 3rd of 4 bottles. Last tasted in 2013.
No formal TN, enjoyed over 2-3 nights.
A more refreshing and red-fruited and plum version of Syrah, with chewy tannins and beautifully integrated acidity.
Notes of olive and wet rocks.
Drink now through 2022 or so, really tasty.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2019 - Cote d'Or wrote:
PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs and day 2
-opaque dark purple
-a little smoky bacon and violet
-med acidity, med/med+ weight faded dark berry earthy on the simple side, med+ tannins; a bit more open with plummy fruit and softer tannins on day 2
-decent if a bit rustic, would say it needs more time to tame the tannins but not sure if it has enough fruit to last that long - though its evolution on day 2 is positive
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/9/2019 - cutzcam Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich and heavy - nice color, dark ruby red.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2019 - kdubler wrote:
Smooth wine, medium tannins that were soft. Medium acid too, lower than expected for a Syrah. Great depth of flavor, Black Olive, Black pepper and beef jerky, with some black and red fruits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
Opened yesterday, had a few glasses, put bottle back in cellar. TN is from today.
Last tasted this bottle at the winery, almost 5 yrs ago. Fermented with stems, and aged in neutral oak.
Today, the wine is showing dust and black cherry on the nose, along with plum skin and a hint of olive pit.
On the palate, full in body, well structured, with the firm tannins just starting to loosen their grip, after 8 years of age. The wine is beautifully balanced, with perfect acidity, giving energy and lift to this deftly styled Syrah...a throwback to the northern Rhone, I'd say.
Dark fruits, like black cherry and plum, but with a sense of brightness, showing minerality and savory olive paste.
Just gorgeous, drink now through 2022+.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2016 - loantaka wrote: 93 Points
So good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/25/2016 - bklynwine wrote:
Purple; juicy but not jammy; nose opens after 1-2 hour decant to typical syrah blackberry and iron ore; weighty but not heavy; good acidity and tannins faded with time; good choice to satisfy a weeknight syrah craving
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2016 - Vinoevelo wrote:
Inky dark colour. Smoked meat nose with a bit of sage/thyme/olive. Cool, tart blue/cherry fruit on the palate with more herbal notes, some tobacco and charcoal. Tannins still prevalent on finish. Good+ balance, nice examole of cool.climate syrah while maintaining a distinct cali profile. Probably open my next in 3-4 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/27/2015 - Rick 4 Wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice elegant Syrah, not overly extracted. I had two bottles on adjacent days. The first one I had in a dark setting and the second on the patio during dusk. What astonished me is that the wine looks much darker than it tastes. Out of the bottle this is nearly the color of petite Syrah, and the only give away that it's not PS is the lack of violet at the edges of the glass. In the tongue however this wine stands up with more berry bramble and some soft garrique just underneath. I also get some pencil shavings and very light graphite but that must be imagined. This is a FOOD wine, please treat it as such. Enjoy!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/8/2015 - VoteferPedro Likes this wine:
Pop'npour and consumed over 5 days
Lovely wine. Ripe but not overripe fruit with a balanced acidity that keeps one engaged. This is probably best now but might stay interesting for another 5 years since it is so balanced.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2015 - Rick 4 Wine wrote: 91 Points
Wow! Drinking beautifully here!!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2015 - tbone wrote:
Really good on night 1 and continued to improve thru 3 nights. Fully balanced on night 1 and by third night had become voluptuous to say the least. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep, even ruby. Violet aroma. Full but not heavy attack. Quite elegant with a savory mix of black fruit and thyme. This has a really nice cooler climate style. Almost completely resolved and fine for current drinking.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2015 - swade wrote: 93 Points
1.5 years since my last visit. I'll stand by that 9/13 note. I usually don't repost, but this merits a mention. At six hours in the glass, this is terrific. This has jumped up. Full, broad, velvety. This is luxurious. This had my wife staring into the glass, walking in circles, talking excitedly with her hands and repeating: "wow!" I can assure you she's not easily impressed. 93
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2014 - t-squared wrote:
Very nice wine. Had it before and after a 98 rated 82 Bordeaux. Held its own. Very easily a 90-91.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2014 - sirwine wrote: 93 Points
This was a dynamite bottle of wine. Had that voluptuous character at first, then came the tannins to give it some structure. Still has a lot of life left and glad I have one more bottle and give it five more years. Dark bing cherry, charcoal, great mouthfeel.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 91 Points
Huge magenta color. Tons of tart, rich black and red currant fruit on the nose, blackberries, some loam and graphite. Dusty tannins, the red and black currants and cherries taste tart and crunchy, but some nice freshness from the acid. Lots of deep rocky, granite, loam and mineral elements. Some lovely mushroom and nutshell elements on the long finish. Showing a lot of flavor but some class as well. With time some cola and root beer elements come out with some sage and sweet basil. I managed to cellar my only bottle for 2.5 years, but I’d love to try it again in three or four. 13.9% alcohol.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
9/10/2014 - missionpk Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark nose, but the taste is surprisingly interesting and bright. Good acidity and strong tannins. Very happy with this.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2014 - rougeamore wrote: 89 Points
Cassis and black raspberry on the nose. Fruit forward. Medium finish. Nice wine but nothing special.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/10/2014 - alex4wine wrote: 88 Points
Very average. Palate with low tannins, low acidity, felt very thin. Very short finish. Feels disjointed. Became even less interesting on the second day. Not worth it at $30.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2014 - Bottledrainer Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very good, well balanced Syrah. Deep red color, slight fruit aroma, with tastes of a little berry and some forest. Nice finish with a hint of baking spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/8/2014 - Bellissimo wrote:
Much more savory than fruit driven. Black olives, roasted tomatoes, cured meat. Unique and pretty darn spectacular.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/6/2014 - MattMauldin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Violet black color, just slightly lightening at the edges. Aromas bursting on the palate- smoked meats, violets, blackcurrant, tomato skin, black olive and black tea. Juicy, forward, and primary on the palate, showing a nice range of vivid flavors consistent with the bouquet. Good depth and balance. Nice acid with fat polished tannins, and good finishing length. This is showing very well right now- quite good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2014 - DaddyNeedsPow Does not like this wine:
Pretty much all grit, tannins, and earth with nary a fruit component to be found.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2014 - EvanJB wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing!! Thought was tight when opened, but never really came around after 2 hrs, and little better on day 2 and 3
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2014 - wiscgrad wrote: 90 Points
lots of red fruit and very fruit forward. good QPR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - pjhr wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was a bit closed with firm tannins on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2014 - jnewman77 wrote:
Similar to prior notes. Good syrah, excellent for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2014 - joekroe wrote:
Reasonabe Syrah. Decent fruit, fairly well balanced. Just missing something.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2013 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Young wine that should age nicely. Raspberry and cherry up front and a nice balance starting to develop in the mid-palate. Needs time to integrate better, but a classic wine that has a lot of life left in it. Great QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/17/2013 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
Drank without food. Last notes stand up. Nice wine with great fruit and other interesting flavors.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/9/2013 - DRS-Inc wrote: 90 Points
PnV & also let breathe intervally between 30 minutes and 4.5+ hours. Opaque hue. Cool climate Syrah traits with slight restraint. Bouquet of blue fruits, black pepper, blood iron & mineral. Likewise flavors with notes of red cherry & herbs. Palate showed fine tannins, good amount of acidity, light:medium body, and a dry/moderate finish. (90+)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2013 - jviz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Subtle notes of cherry, stone, and a little game. Less fruit blast than I expected. Very food adaptive. Enjoyed with sous vide filet
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/23/2013 - Gordonium Likes this wine:
Nose of sweet spices, blueberries, plums, and a hint of sweet smokey meats. Palate leans more heavily on the red fruits: tart raspberries, cherries, red plums. Prominent acidity almost lends a slight tomato-y quality to the back end, but not in an overwhelming or unpleasant way. Tannins are prominent but nicely integrated. All in all, great for the $25 I paid. May go pick up another.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2013 - rrschrumjr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark, purple, and thick. Syrupy black fruits on the nose, with a nice hint of syrah-specific pepper. Dark fruits on the palate, with pepper, too. Huge tannins, perhaps from youth. Good, dusty texture on finish. Nice acidity throughout. Spice remains in the mouth after the finish. Nice creamy, chocolate characteristics through mid-palate. Fruit-heavy at this stage. Will be interesting to see if and how secondary characteristics come out in the future.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2013 - swade wrote: 91 Points
Decanted four hours. Deep, primal color. Nice aromas of earth, smoke and alcohol mulled blackberries and cassis. This has a glorious, concentrated mouth feel - it just caresses the mouth and expands to fill the mouth. Black fruit, some sootiness and a little astringency on a medium finish. Slightly tannic. The nose is a little ahead of the palate, which suggests to me me that this has a point or two of upside when it unfurls. My first Copain. I'm impressed. 91
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/15/2013 - dougie wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour. Not nearly as good as Melville's 08 Donna's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Lovely candy and generous fruit; full bodied, actually, but without overt structure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/6/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Copain (SF Wine Trading Company): Saturated, purple center. Redolent of violets. Full but excellent spice, blackberry, graphite and flowers in the mouth with great lift and perfume. Elegant, long and much greater depth than the Tous Ensemble. Exciting quality.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2013 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is excellent for $35. Smoke, tar, super dark fruits, excellent balance, and kept getting better with air. This has a long life ahead, and is insanely good with food. This was a huge hit @ the dinner table. "Buy by the 6 pack" type of wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2013 - pedwards wrote: 91 Points
Dark plums, tobacco and tar. Loved this. With an hour of air, this really opened up. Meduim bodied, velvety and delicious. Not too complex but an nice QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/26/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Dark and smokey, tight acidity, tight period, needing time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2013 - french16 wrote:
Blind tasting group reunion (Dario and Ross): Tasted Blind. Interesting as I first went to an old world wine based on the nose and thought this was a kind of ripe St Joseph. Looking back at it, the sweetness of the wine should have taken me to a new world wine. I guess I learn something every day! A hint of violet and some ripe/sweet dark/blue fruits. I'm not crazy about the texture of the wine which is slightly creamy. Overall an ok syrah but lacking excitement and a little heavy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2013 - pjhr wrote: 90 Points
Restrained nose with tasty black fruit, mineral, and floral notes on the palate with moderate length on the finish. Still young but approachable. Good QPR!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2012 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Started off with a yeasty element that I don't like. Mild though. Being open a while rounded that off with and this was a solid, surprisingly full-bodied wine. Fruit-driven. Enjoyable, but fairly simple (ie not seeing the critical love.)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2012 - pjhr wrote: 90 Points
Restrained nose with tasty black fruit, mineral, and floral notes on the palate with nice tannins and acidity on the finish. Good QPR!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2012 - Itriolo Likes this wine:
Violets, black fruit, and iron flavors with high acidity. Just a hint of Brett (enough for my wife to enjoy without turning me off) adds complexity. A well-made wine with some mid-term aging potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/19/2012 - Bottledrainer wrote: 90 Points
Not quite as good as the last time. Some dustiness that needed a bit of time in the glass to clear. Should have served with food instead of before.
5+12+16+7+50=90
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2012 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opaque black-red color with aromatic mixed berry, and floral aromas. On the palate, it's medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and black cherry, raspberry, and mineral flavors. Medium-long finish!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/3/2012 - keelegl wrote: 90 Points
Solid CA Syrah with sweet fruit, spice and nice tart finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/30/2012 - tyvoodoo wrote:
It really doesn't get much better than this for $30. Tons of fresh berry fruit along with mild oak toast and graphite like earthy characters. Tannins start to poke through after a little bit air, wine is still decently balanced. I think this wine could benefit from some more cellar time but it is extremely delicious right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2012 - drrobvino wrote: 93 Points
Napa & Sonoma favorites in 3 short days...; 9/21/2012-9/24/2012 (Napa & Sonoma Valley wineries): Tasting room pour. This wine was made using stems in the fermentation (giving it structure), and was aged in neutral oak. Dark purple in color, with notes of blackberry and currant on the nose, mild anise, and tar. On the palate, blackberry and plums, with tobacco and chalk. The tannins are med(+), firm and persistent, great med(+) acidity, with a nice fruit and spice finish that lasts 30-45 seconds. Delicious, should drink well 2015-2022, awesome food wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2012 - tyvoodoo wrote:
Really fleshy and fruity right after the cork was pulled. After some time in the decanter it seemed to tighten up a bit showing more graphite, espresso, gritty tannins and oak toast. Enjoyable but could use some more sideways time. Lots of stuffing and promise here, fun to watch it evolve over the course of a few hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2012 - kthornton78 wrote: 92 Points
great black fruit with pepper and gorgeous floral aromatics (especially violets and white flowers). the palate still shows prominent tannin, but this is a young bottle. great flavors with freshness and elegance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2012 - bzell wrote: 89 Points
Too soon. My wife wanted a syrah tonight and pulled this out of the cellar because she knows how much I like Copain wines. Great color a very dark purplish red with long legs and notes of plum, raspberries, and soil. The initial impression on the palate is heat, followed by dark fruit and tannin. The wine still needs several years to completely integrate but the potential is there for a superior wine. I still have some left and will be interested to see how it is in 3 years. Good but not yet great.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2012 - dream wrote: 92 Points
A very ripe wine with lovely flavors of black rasberries, black pepper and minerals. Being a lover of Cote Rotie, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Plenty of fresh acidity and Syrah spice, it matched beautifully with the farm-raised loin of lamb at Craft, NYC. This is a realy nice, mineral-driven and complex wine with cool fruit that makes me want to visit the Anderson Valley. Impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2012 - MattMauldin wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at the winery. Plump aromas of black pepper, black olive, marinating beef, violet and plum. Pure fruit and savory depth on the palate- seamlessly woven with fleshy feel and fine firm tannins and full finish. Deft balance. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/1/2012 - starrynight wrote: 91 Points
Not your typical CA shiraz. The best word I can use to describe it is "clean" - simple, but not heavy, not over-extracted. I really liked it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2012 - domco wrote: 90 Points
Finally a Syrah I can get behind. Kept getting better, so I think still too early to fully appreciate where this might go. Dark fruits, well balanced, doesn't have nearly the pepper/spice that turns me away from so many Syrah's
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2012 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
w sausage from grill in r-beck. i ddnot look at my previous note, so we tried. nice dark color and decent nose, not powerful but quite restraint. good fruit on palate and good finish. very drinkable now. finish was bit dry on the teeth, that wont go away so this good to drink.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/25/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 91 Points
Sonoma Wine Tasting & San Francisco - March 2012; 3/22/2012-3/27/2012: Gorgeous dark purple in the glass. Dark and rich aromas of plums, cocoa powder and a bit of crushed rock. The palate shows restraint, with plush tannins and flavors of black cherry, currant and just a hint of vanilla and white pepper. The best way to describe this wine is purity. Creamy finish with a hint of subtle oak. I'd love to revisit this in three or five years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2012 - MichielV wrote: 89 Points
too young was the verdict. served at Helen's 50Th
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2012 - Bottledrainer wrote: 91 Points
Clear blood-red color. Lots of berries with a little bit of earthiness on the finish.
5+12+17+7+50=91
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/29/2012 - pete s. wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Right off the bat, distinctive violet, blackberry, and crushed rock on the nose. On the palate, great concentration and purity of fruit - currant, more blackberry, sour plum - but without any sort of heaviness. With air, mineral, spice, and a hint of pepper come through. The finish is med-plus length with juicy tannins and acid and an iron/metallic note. Quality blend of 3 Yorkville Highland vineyards that is definitely open for business.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/8/2012 - B Paul wrote: 89 Points
Consumed over two nights. Really like the style here - great restraint for a new world Syrah. That said, this was just a bit simple, keeping the score from going higher. A nice wine and a good value nonetheless.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2012 - oeno1820 wrote: 89 Points
Aggressive fruit and tannins that one would presume would soften and mature over time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2012 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 87 Points
Syrupy smell, very dark red fruit, almost too short of a finish. Bit surprised at the high scores for this wine. Maybe tasting again in a couple of years will improve the score but 87 for me now given the lack of complexity.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
Needs time. See prior note for details.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2011 - glaze3 wrote:
Fantastic smokey floral nose after a 1 hour decant. Palate is very open with mainly juicy blue fruits with more of the Copain florals and a hint of smoked meats. Outstanding QPR at $28. Like I noted last year after my 1st bottle, this is clearly a step above the Tous Ensemble line and should be a continuous purchase while waiting on the SVD's.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2011 - celtic67 wrote:
consistent with prior bottles, outstanding. an excellent value in northern CA syrah.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2011 - Chateau Cabron Likes this wine: 91 Points
Inky purple, opaque.
Nose of sweet black raspberries, smoke, peppercorn, grilled steak, vanilla, mocha.
Medium + tannins, Medium + acidity, stem-y mouthfeel. Great depth of fruit, incredible concentration. Smoke and Oak tannin round out the chewy palate with a slight alcoholic and bitter finish.
Overall, a solid, and very well made wine. Improves greatly with 30-45 minutes of airtime. Cellar 3-5 years and this wine should sing with the angels. Great job by Wells Guthrie and the crew at Copain.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/31/2011 - DRod wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful nose of blueberry, lavender, cassis, hint of incense/smoke, and a wet stone-like note. Smells great. Beautiful dark fruit with great concentration, but it's so light on the palate. Wonderful floral qualities, palate-cleansing acid and pleasant ripe tannin. This is really great stuff and belies its price point on the mailing list.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2011 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 91 Points
Easy 91 pts here - delicious!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2011 - wineguy58 wrote: 90 Points
Very aromatic, full of Lilies and dark fruit. On the palate the acidity fruit and tannin all balance out well in a light to medium body palate that asks for food. Great wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/12/2011 - celtic67 wrote:
opulent black fruit, easter lilly & game aromas on nose. fresh ripe blackberry fruit with a firm mineral streak. rich but balanced. outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/19/2011 - Hazeo wrote: 87 Points
Inky purple violet colour. Concentrated and jammy fruit, and a little forward and simple for me. It is smooth and well made but I didn't sense much complexity by the way of smoke/leather/spice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2011 - alanr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice, dark, brooding fruit, with plenty of intensity, flavor, and complexity. A very nice wine, disappeared quickly at a larger family dinner.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2011 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 91 Points
Another delicious bottle of this. The fruit is pure and scrumptious. Exceptional QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep ruby color. Black fruit nose. with some earthiness. Good balance. Subdued mid palate. Nice depth and finish. Needs time. Has much potential. 13.9% alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2011 - celtic67 wrote:
beautiful black/blue fruit & white flowers on the nose. crunchy black fruit wth juicy acidty on the palate. finish is laden with rocks & minerals. another outstanding showing for this wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/21/2011 - jeff nowak wrote: 88 Points
chunky beef broth and modestly rustic. composed of enough stuffing to probably benefit from air/time in bottle, but it's still just a mid weight sipper that finishes without pizazz
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/13/2011 - alr6767 wrote:
No formal notes. Juicy, pepper, spice, I like this. Don't see any reason not to drink up, but on the other hand could be interesting to see what bottle age does for it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/7/2011 - xwine wrote:
Deep, rich color. Nose of herbs, meat and black tea; complex. Juicy, balanced palate, ripe berries but still has a lean quality; fairly tannic, and could use some time to come together. Very nice, and terrific for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2011 - pete s. wrote:
Tasted at winery. On the nose, cool climate syrah all the way with ripe blackberries, mineral, and earth. Soft fruit that strikes a chord all across the palate leading into a balanced finish. Another restrained, but refined wine from Copain. Right up my alley.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/10/2011 - t_moderne wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour and shared with friends. Only checked in on this at opening and then again about one hour later. Good dark color; shows a bit of smoke on the nose. Good solid core of tar and clay; vanilla and licorice combined with dark fruits. Rich tannins; mouth puckers. There is a hint of green which I suspect to be the results of some whole clusters.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/3/2011 - River Rat wrote:
Wow! Deep dark purple, awesome nose of black fruit, blueberry, smoke and charred meat. Chalky mouth but the fruit and acid almost balance it out. Real young but a stellar effort.
Glad it was someone elses as I really want to hold my remining bottles a while. Wells rocks.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/22/2011 - alanr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Copain tasting at the winery with Wells and Jennifer: Deep, intense violet/boysenberry fruit, great balance of tannins and acidity. Excellent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Copain Visit To Taste The 2009s and 2010s (Copain Winery In RRV): Spicy with good size acid, along with charcoal, blue fruit and some chalk. Juicy and lighter bodied than the single vineyard syrahs and also more will need more time to settle down as opposed to the 2009 Voisins pinot.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/13/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Cochon 555 DC.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2011 - AZ Cat wrote:
(3/5) Dusty, earthy on the nose. Initially some vanilla on the palate for which I didn't care but after about an hour in the glass that disappeared and left rich, dark fruits with a nice touch of acidity. Still quite tannic and will improve of course with age, but this is very enjoyable now with some air. I'm not a big domestic syrah fan but this is a winner.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/20/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Been open just over 2 days, cork simply closing the bottle off, no decant. Aromatics show a mixture of stems, lightly expressed, along with olive, pepper and iron. The palate is fresh but still youuthfully rough, with a creamy black cherry, raspberry, iron and smoke. The olive and iron help support the wine, along with the zingy red fruited acidity. Granted, this is a 2009 and is still a young bottle but it shows the nice, zesty red and black fruit from the AVA.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
13.9% alcohol. Opened six hours before serving but not decanted. Dark red-purple color. Lovely nose that has a slight floral edge to the spicy black fruit, leather, and mineral notes. In the mouth, elegant and refined, allowing the precise flavors and texture to shine forth as the attractive fruit, earth, and spice notes unfold. A good acidic back bone leads to a long finish that retains the elegant, lovely feel of this wine. Drinking surprisingly well now, but the tannins on the back end, while very fine-grained, underscore the need for more bottle age. A-
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2011 - waragi wrote:
I started drinking it a little cool and was underwhelmed. Nose was pure syrah. Very primary on the palate - blackberry and iron with a not-so-great herbal character. Disjointed acid, chalky tannis and a flat mouthfeel.
After warming and airing a bit, the nose came alive - black cherry, sandalwood and a roasted element. The mouth improved as well, although not as much as the nose. Iron, cherry, and blackberry. The softened tannins and popping acidity combined to form a well-balanced wine that went well with food. A little lean and light bodied for my taste - needs another year in the cellar I think. This is the first 2009 Copain syrah I have tried. I did prefer the 2007 Tous syrah to this one.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Nice floral nose with violets, lavender and currants. Quite nice darker fruit profile in the palate, with a little cassis and raspberry. Acidic and with coarse tannins, slightly angular at this stage. Medium finish with a little toast and mocha. Really nice everyday syrah, pairs well with food, and should settle down over the next few years and improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/17/2011 - MotoMannequin wrote: 91 Points
Decanted a few hours before dinner and returned to the cellar to breathe. No detailed notes taken, but overall impression is a good balance of blackberry, floral components, iron, and smoky but tannic finish. Surprisingly approachable young but my guess is best in 3-5 years. This bottling is considerably more tannic than the Tous Ensemble line.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Violets, orange blossum, dark iron rich crushed rock, pastille (slightly sour) red fruits with an undernote of blackberry, bacon wrapped fig and white pepper. Tighter and brighter on the medium-light bodied palate. Nothing lean or harsh but wonderful earthy notes and iron shavings complexities. The finish has a sour tang, red fruits and iron rich mineral. The acids really grab your tonsils. Blind I would have guessed N.Rhone. There is a endearing, wild, savage edge. More open than the SVDs of the same vintage but will improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2010 - celtic67 wrote:
3hr decant. the nose is all white flowers & lavender up front followed by fresh blackberries & blueberries. just the smallest hint of meat. blue & black fruit again on the palate with a ton of crushed rocks on the finish. wonderful acidity/balance. outstanding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/7/2010 - B Paul Likes this wine:
Dark fruit, with pepper and meat on the nose. Well made. Pleasant and light (for a CA Syrah) - a food wine. Drink or hold for a few years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2010 - River Rat wrote:
Had to try one out after picking it up last week. I am amazed at how well this drinks being so young. I'll simply echo the notes of FMIII and glaze3. Really enjoyable from nose to finish. Fruit, red meat, smoke, acidity, tannins all in perfect balance. Well done.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2010 - glaze3 wrote:
Pre-release bottle to be released 10-12-10. Poured into decanter for 1 hour and the nose just jumps right out showing loads of purple flowers with a hint of smoked meat. Wow! how is this drinking so well right now, great balance of blue and black fruits that are really compact and juicy. Plenty of structure with some chalky tannins and nice acidity all on a medium frame. This is clearly a step above the Tous Ensemble series and should compete nicely with the SVD wines. Yorkville Highlands all the way and a successful experiment of blending neighboring vineyards to create one harmonious wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Listed alcohol of 13.9%. Initial impression, this wine shows sexy right up front. Lots of white flower, bacon fat but I can't nail the oak piece down. Knowing Wells, I can't think he dressed much wood around this but the aromatic is like an adult film, with lots of flamboyance, richness and look at me traits. The palate is gentle and hits all the palate sides, with some black cherry, plush blackberry and some trace of mineral. I've had this wine open 15 mins so I'll offer a fuller perspective tomorrow.....so after overnight, the aromatics now seem much more integrated, with smoke, some crushed rocks and hint of whole cluster. The palate is medium in weight with juicy bluberry, dark black cherry, mineral and after a full day of aeration, the polish of the texture yesterday evolves into more structure, some chalk and grip. Certainly has the Yorkville fruit and palate profile.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/14/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Copain open house, Sept. 2010 (Copain winery): Nice medium blackberry fruit, very nice balance, great acidity, a slightly leaner but very flavorful style. This is a blend from several neighboring Yorkville Highlands vineyards.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment