Impromptu Copains at Fratello's

Fratello's San Clemente
Tasted Wednesday, December 23, 2009 by WetRock with 686 views

Flight 1 - Starters (2 Notes)

Ridge wines age so well including the Zins which supposedly don't.

  • 1984 Ridge Geyserville

    USA, California, Sonoma County

    Bright brambly nose smelling much of Zinberry. Very bright on the palate, clean and lean with powerful acidity behind cherry fruits. Very good and showing more clearly like a Zin than other aged examples have to me. Not just holding up but doing very well. Very good.

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  • 2005 Copain Roussanne James Berry Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Nose shows pineapple and tropical candies, also a touch of caramel. Richer on the palate and rounder fruited than I remember these wines typically being. Have liked other vintages of this much better.

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Flight 2 - Pinots (2 Notes)

Was hoping to have more Pinots to check out the style shift more but both of these showed good balance and nice fruit without being thick.

  • 2006 Copain Pinot Noir Tous Ensemble

    USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

    Spicy nose. Rich cranberry expression and much bigger than I remember but no fruit bomb. Plenty of tannin here behind generous fruit.

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  • 2006 Copain Pinot Noir Wentzel Vineyard

    USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley

    Rich and dark nose early on that brought out some cherry candy, apples and citrus later on. Bit chunky with rich fruit up front and good acidity behind. Becomes clean and sharp in the glass. Good pieces here that need a couple more years in the bottle.

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Flight 3 - Syrahs (10 Notes)

The 07's showed a lot of balance even though they were babies. Plenty of fruit but good complexity and length.

  • 2000 Copain Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

    USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

    A tale of two wines with the nose holding a lot of promise but the palate coming up short. Complex seamless nose showing peppery rubber and meaty notes. Soft palate that falls off in the middle with heat late. Good to try one from the earlier vintages but looks like it was part of the learning process.

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  • 2007 Copain Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

    USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

    Nose of tar and thick berries. Primary with tons of tannin but shows a nice even line from start to finish. Stoney notes coming out later on. Holds very good potential but a thick rich baby right now. I liked the mineral type of note coming out later.

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  • 2005 Copain Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

    USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

    Nose shows pepper, tar and stems. On the round side showing more stem notes and astringent tannins. I would say leave this be for the time being or give it a long decant. Basically was a pop n pour.

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  • 2005 Copain Syrah Thompson Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    Strong stem notes on the nose showing asparagus aromas. A touch of sweetness but complete, well balanced and complex. A touch of heat and plenty of tannin still. One of my favorite Copains. I believe this was decanted though it seems to want more bottle time to me.

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  • 2006 Copain Syrah Thompson Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    Ripe fat nose with a good bit of rubber. Very short, thick and fat with rubber flavors.

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  • 2007 Copain Syrah Thompson Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Barbara County

    Rich yet tight nose with a coffee note. Wide and juicy, balanced with a big finish. Dark, primary and mouth coating with lots of red berries and late acting tannin. A bit of a clumsy kid with loads of potential. Very promising. I like what Wells does with this vineyard.

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  • 2006 Copain Syrah Madder Lake

    USA, California, North Coast, Lake County

    Ripe baked fruits on the nose. Juicy soft full and even. A nice even wine but not very notable on the night.

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  • 2006 Copain Syrah Spirit Rock Alder Springs Vineyard

    USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County

    Woody nose showing slightly baked fruit and tire rubber. Dark berries with greenish astringent tannin.

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  • 2007 Copain Syrah James Berry Vineyard

    USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles

    Ripe big berry nose with a touch of tar and heat. Great concentration with a saucy quality that lingers on the palate. Late acting tannin. I liked this for a more forward styled Cali Syrah. Yummy, lively and tasty. The concentrated core of fruit tells me it will get better over the next few years.

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  • 2007 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard

    USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands

    Darkly fruited nose with some mineral notes. Clean, even and focused with very good concentration and very tannic. This needs time but should appeal to a wide audience covering those with a more old world palate.

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Flight 4 - Bonus (1 Note)

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