April 30, 2022 - I love well aged Syrah !! This Syrah is delicious and at peak!!
The cork was perfect after almost a decade and a half in the bottle, easily removed. Consumed over two days. This wine started a little closed, but opened up and showed more fresh fruit after an hour on the first day. On day two the wine had softened with an increased depth and integrated complexity. Dark red color with a slight oxidation, clarity medium. Aromas of cherry vanilla, pomegranate, and menthol. Flavors of raspberry framboise, leather, and glycerin. This Syrah has a medium to long finish. The is a balanced Syrah. I still have one bottle of this vintage remaining, may consume soon to verify this tasting note. May be near the end of life, better drink up. Good fruit from Alder Springs Vineyard in warm part of northern Mendocino County. A good, less is more, in pursuit of balance, winemaking effort by Wells Guthrie.
April 2, 2022 - Retail $45. Under cork (no foil). I purchased two of these way back in 2011 when my blog was not even an idea yet and this is the first bottle we have popped. Sure, some of the fruit has passed on, but this wine is still pretty close to gangbusters. Dark in the glass with a captivating nose of blackberry coulis and spice, this is also quite harmonious on the palate. Like I said, some of the fruit has jumped ship, but I would still hold this up to many a Syrah to show them how they *should* have been made.
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January 4, 2022 - This Syrah is delicious but tight. The cork was saturated one third up after over a decade in the bottle, but came out clean. Consumed over two days. This wine started a little closed, but opened up and showed more fresh fruit after two hours on the first day. On day two the fruit had diminished and had softened just a little with increased depth and integrated complexity. Dark red color with a little oxidation, clarity medium. Aromas of cherry vanilla, pomegranate, and menthol. Flavors of raspberry framboise, leather, and glycerin. This Syrah has a medium finish. The balanced is to the acid side typical of a warm weather Syrah. I still have one bottle of this vintage remaining, may consume soon to verify this tasting note. May be near the end of life, better drink up. Good fruit from Alder Springs Vineyard in warm part of northern Mendocino County. A good, less is more, in pursuit of balance, winemaking effort by Wells Guthrie.
June 24, 2019 - Feels like this is drinking at or near peak. Lovely blackberry notes, with some tar, some cedar; flowers on the nose. Very, very smooth - not a hard edge to be found. I left a little for the second night, but it went down hill. But on first night this was fabulous.
December 8, 2017 - Out of 3.0L. Good richness and concentration of savory black fruit. Dense but balanced with lightly fresh acidity. Lots of violets and white pepper notes throughout.
December 29, 2015 - This wine had the nose of a 2005-07 Copain Syrah opened young, wafting creamy blackberry and reduced bullion, combined with a well balanced savory/earthy red berry palate showing all the benefits of maturity. A fabulous food wine with duck cassoulet (and probably anything), as well as the sort of bottle that validates the expense of long term storage.
November 16, 2015 - eye ruby purple
nose intensely floral
palate savory almost saltinesss just nudges out the fruit.
over all very good
if you need points 88-89
January 12, 2015 - Have to agree with RussW. This smells and tastes like a syrah with spicy elements and dark and blue fruits but just very good and not outstanding
Enjoy now.
smoke and tar added complexity on day 2, but wine is essentially same. to me that means it is at a mature plateau. Very worth an evening or two
February 26, 2014 - My last bottle and definitely the easiest to enjoy of my '07 Copain syrahs. Violets, olives, savory red fruit and white pepper on the nose. The wine presents itself with a creamy roundness on the palate with a nice spicy blackberry, raspberry, cherry profile. The intensity of the mid-palate slowly fades into a sneaky long pepper laced blackberry/raspberry finish. Saved half the bottle for day 2 and although still drinking nicely the wine had faded a notch. I would drink these over the next year or so.
February 19, 2014 - Nice savory nose, then medium intense dark red fruits, deep plum, with a streak of olive. On the somewhat riper side for a Copain syrah, but well contained and very enjoyable. Drinks well now, should develop for a few years, though I don't think I'd hang onto it for too long.