WTN: 2007 Copain Garys' Syrah

[Jenise]

Dense purple-black. Nose of dried black fruit, spice and smoke. Concentrated black fruit, olives, smoke and earth on the palate. Finish is sweet and just a tiny bit hot due to the 14%+ alc with good acidity. Would never be mistaken for the Northern Rhones it tries to emulate. though it's excellent for its style. Drinks well now for a young, intense, serious Cali syrah, but at present (and for me) the intensity and sweetness make it a better cocktail wine than food wine for anything other than BBQ. I'll schedule my next bottle for 2016.

And btw, I have read that the Copain guy (with the unusual name, which I can't think of at present) has evolved into more of a Rhone style in his winemaking. Can't prove it from this bottle.

Wells Guthrie. And the 'transition" has taken place after 2007, if I'm remembering correctly.

Have to admit my quick impressions from a tasting last summer was of quite light and elegant wines for California. Definitely on the leaner side. I brought home a bottle that was a 50-50 blend of the two Pinots, Gris and Noir, and it was quite refreshing.

One other comment would be that from your tasting notes, even the 2007 shows some attempt at a "different" style, as many California Syrahs, to my limited experience, are about gobs of hedonistic fruit.

[Jenise]

Have to admit my quick impressions from a tasting last summer was of quite light and elegant wines for California. Definitely on the leaner side. I brought home a bottle that was a 50-50 blend of the two Pinots, Gris and Noir, and it was quite refreshing.

One other comment would be that from your tasting notes, even the 2007 shows some attempt at a "different" style, as many California Syrahs, to my limited experience, are about gobs of hedonistic fruit.

This wasn't gobby, but the smoke note I mentioned was more charcoal than bacon or tar, and that's where the us vs. them divide comes in to my mind where the Arcadians, to name another Cali syrah producer, actually get it right.

I will look for the Arcadian!

[Jenise]

Brian, Arcadian is the #1 American producer in my cellar, all pinots and syrahs. Love their wines; if you've not had any to date, you're missing something!