TN: 2007 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard

• 2007 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (8/27/2015)
  Of the three 07 Copain Syrah’s I have been cellaring (also JB and Thompson#, this was by far the best showing of all of them. P&P and starts out on the nose as a very classic CA Syrah that comes from a cooler site vs. the much warmer JB and Thompson vineyards, dark fruits for sure, but the trademark roasted veggies and a nice flowery aroma to boot. I just loved the palate feel on this wine. It had the warm 07 vintage tint, savory blackberry and what not, but just a pure sense of freshness and grip that made it so darn easy to tilt the glass upwards. Definitely California density and weight, but Eurocentric in it’s over all feel and taste. Little of the black olive or blue fruits that I do often enjoy, but more mineral driven and slightly saline. Very clean and persistent finish. I’m going to guess this has many good years of drinking ahead, so if you have a small stash no hurry, a large stash, better get that cork screw out. #94 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Dale,

I am jealous. You feed me the Gary’s, Thompson, and James Berry but you keep this beauty for yourself?

Shame on you!

Dale, love the TN. I have said a # of times over the years that the 2007 vintage for Copain was epic, both for syrah and pinot. Some of the best wines I have ever drank from CA and they continue to both age beautifully. So, I enjoyed seeing your note and feelings about the wine, too. FWIW, I have written over a dozen TNs on just the 07 HB so you can figure how much I dig the wine, like you. Here is my last TN, to go with your thread, man.

Jared, you live too far away. I’d share one with you if you lived closer.

• 2007 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (1/5/2015)
  Opened this last night and sampled off a small glass to start. Seemed a bit dilute and weak at that point put the cork back in, went to dinner and then got the wine into a real stem–what a difference that it showed from the crummy stem it started in earlier. Poured fairly dark, exhibiting the signature of whole cluster, with purple flower, potpourri and black olive flavors and aromas. The fruit showed a roasted, ember-like quality of red and black tones, and then a rock dust/crushed rocks in the finish. Saved one glass for today, will retry later…so about a day of the bottle open, the last glass, showing quite a bit of dusty tannin. Would also say that this is more savory than past bottles, where the fruit and savory notes are about equal in tone. I’ll open my next bottle in 2016.

Posted from CellarTracker

Embarrassed to say that I just opened a '12. I noted that this would “age gracefully” (although it is great now).

Wells does beautiful work with this vineyard and I need to be more patient.

Sheesh, Mike. If you could only hear all the crap I take with the group here for drinking MY wines too soon. I got razzed about it again last night.

Calling Nordhoff and Seiber…look, look at what Mike is doing.

Looks my beer drinking career has paid off in more ways than one. I have a slew of these and many more '07’s to look forward to now.

Joe! Joe! Good to see you posting. If you have the 2007s man, you’re in good shape. The wines are beautiful and aging gracefully, both PN and Syrah.

Thanks for the fine words Frank. You convinced me some time ago to hold off on my 07 En Haut Pinots (but when I do, have Bill Evans cued up) but I honestly thought I should drink up these 07 Syrahs no later than their 10th birthday. ld Now, I think I would add another 5 years to that, at least for this Hawks Butte. I suspect Thompson and JB will age gracefully as well.

You have to admit that was pretty funny slam. Seiber asked whats the oldest bottle in your cellar.

“FMIII is already working on the 2015’s”.

Dale, I finished off my last 07 Thompson in December 2012. In looking at my TN, I remember we had that bottle at our company XMAS party and it was crushed in like 30 mins. I see there are a handful of them on Winebid for $20 each this week. I may grab one for the helluva it to see what is there. I’m not sure this will age as well as the James Berry, as the Thompson is bigger, more fruit laden and I would wonder if it has the staying power.

The 07 James Berry is aging really well. Although it has been since last summer when I drank one, the recent TNs in CT continue to suggest this has a good road ahead of it. I need to open another and get a new TN posted to help with the hard work being done by many to track the wine.

Hey Brigger, whatever.

Copain SLAYED it in 2007. The syrahs are outstanding.

I thought we had killed the last of these a year ago but rummaging around yesterday I found one more. Certainly the last of a 6-pack this bottle showed well, but perhaps the tannin will outlive the fruit here. Dark color and glorious nose that was a melange of ink, brett, cigar, and leather. Mouthfeel first rate and some fruit still there though dusty & grippy tannin is wine’s dominant feature, at least in this bottle. Not at all sure if enjoyed blind I would say this was domestic wine.

An update to Doc’s note from this past Spring above. I’ve had 4 glasses of this over the past 24 hours and here is where I landed with my TN. Gotta say, this wine really evolved and took a twisting journey, finally landing where tonight, settling down. Very gpod, but I’d say this is peaking. Thanks for reading.

• 2007 Copain Syrah Hawks Butte Vineyard - USA, California, North Coast, Yorkville Highlands (12/5/2016)
  Bottle 14. I didn’t think I could count that high! Been almost 2 years since my last bottle, and gotta say, this is softening nicely. Been open 60 mins and it’s fleshing out and showing quite suave and smooth to me. Lovely dark color, showing the perfectly ripe flavors for what IMO was a bigger year for Copain in terms of ripe flavors–many of the 2007 Copains reflect a more forward, fuller expression but the balance on the wines has always been spot on for this vintage. Initially, white flower and light pepper in the aromatic, which then turns to a more bloody note as the wine gets the air into it. The palate? Sexy blue and black fruit, black olive and a residual hint of chalk in the finish. At 2 hours of air, this evolves further, with some red components coming into the wine, along with some game and additional grip, plus some light chocolate. With more air and my final glass for Day 1, this wine really changed. It shed the plumper, darker notes and became more red fruited and, leaner, the acidity came through…finally on Day 2, at room temp of 66f, pretty well fleshed out. Black cherry, light tar, olive, light chalk and the acidity seems to be moderate, at best. This to me seems to be in an ideal spot given the fleshiness and lower acidity, settling down into what it is. PS–my palate often interprets structure of wines much differently than others, so take my note as you wish. I do though still believe this wine is peaking and ready to go, drinking best (for me) on the first day.

Posted from CellarTracker

I’ve got two left, sounds like time to try one, maybe with a long decant?

BTW, stopped in to Copain on Saturday, tasted a couple of wines. The 2014 DuPratt Chard is fabulous, and they’re selling a 6-pack of halves for a pretty good price. Highly recommended!

Alan, don’t decant it. If the wines shows as mine did, then you want to enjoy the slalom of the ride. Open one, as you can’t enjoy it when the cork is in the bottle.

I need to try the 14 Dupratt. I gotta couple dinner coming up, I’ll give one a go. Thanks for the return advice.

Oops, it was the 13 Dupratt. 14 probably great also, but the 13 is singing.

I saw your note on CT Frank, thanks again for a useful data point. I have one left and thought I would let it sit a few more years to see what happens. I plan on finishing up my last 07 Thompson soon, but will take my time on the HB and my last two JB’s.

Nice. I love that wine.

Jason

OK, on Frank’s advice I broke out one of my remaining two bottles. Early on very meaty, chewy, interesting stem spice on the nose and palate, dark red/purple fruit, some moderately chewy tannins still but is showing much better than my last bottle of a few years ago.

With a couple hours of air, more mouthwatering acidity comes out, fruit turns more deep red, with beautiful intensity, nice savory character. Really delicious, bulls eye for what California Syrah should be. This is still very young, nowhere near its peak, wish I had more to age for another decade.

Thanks for reporting in Alan, glad we are of like mindset on this one. Of my last Copain 07 Syrahs left - HB, JB, and Thompson, I intend to drink the James Berry and Thompson over the next 2 years while I want to see where the Hawks Butte goes for 5 to 10 of additional age. I think its made of the right stuff.