This week we’ve tried a couple of different 2010 Copain Syrahs:
2010 Copain Syrah, Brosseau Vineyard, Chalone - Clear dark purple in the glass. Intense, somewhat brambly blackberry and boysenberry nose, a bit of smoke and spice, but mostly it’s about the jammy fruit, and a light whiff of alcohol (listed at 12.9%). On the palate, the juicy, boysenberry and blackberry fruit dominate, with a bit of spice, and a little dried jamminess along with a tinge of alcohol. The texture on this wine is nicely rounded now, and while there isn’t a lot of complexity, there also doesn’t seem to be much acid or tannin remaining to carry it through. A tasty enough wine, but nothing really inspiring. Approx…85-86.
2010 Copain, Syrah, Halcon Vineyard, Yorkville Highlands - More of a dark, blood red, as opposed to the purple of the Brosseau. The aromas sort of follow suit, a bit brighter and more raspberry here, a light touch of smoke and spice. This wine is a bit more Rhonish on the nose. The raspberry fruit carries through in the mouth, a bit more jammy than the nose suggests, and a bit less interesting. You get some light spice, clove, and smoke accents, but again this one is mostly about the fruit. There’s more acid and structure here, but still not much complexity, and the wine tastes more like a solid Zin blend. Approx…86-87.
I liked both of these on release and thought they would benefit with some cellar time, but they really haven’t done much. I cut my wine teeth on the CA wines of the late '80s and early '90s, and loved the old Ridge and Ravenswood wines, for example, before they got too oaky and boozy, but drifted to other areas after moving to Portland in 1995. While I’ve had some CA producers that have still impressed me over the years (Swan, ESJ, Laurel Glen, etc.), many of my forays there just don’t live up to the price, the hype, or the chase. I’m very intrigued by some of the new CA producers I’ve read about on the board here, including Dirty & Rowdy, Desire Lines, Cabot, Jolie-Laide, and a few more. But my question is if any of these producers are going to make wines that develop any complexity and depth beyond simple fruit? I can’t see paying $35-40 for a CA Rhone that doesn’t do anything but stay fruity and simple its whole life. I can find things for half the price from France or Italy that offer more enjoyment and complexity (even when young) but I also want to be open-minded and try new things that might be of interest and that I might like. Any contenders, or should I just stick to my old, tired ways?