2011 Copain Syrah Baker Ranch

Dried flowers, cloves, savory herbs are some of the many nuances that emerge from the 2011 Syrah Baker. There is a lot to like in this mid-weight, gracious Syrah, but I am not sure there is enough fruit to balance out all of the other elements. I very much like the sense of tension and energy here, whether or not the 10% whole clusters mesh into the wine remains a bit of an open question at this point.

Dried flowers, cloves, savory herbs are some of the many nuances that emerge from the 2011 Syrah Baker. There is a lot to like in this mid-weight, gracious Syrah, but I am not sure there is enough fruit to balance out all of the other elements. I very much like the sense of tension and energy here, but whether or not the 10% whole clusters mesh into the wine remains a bit of an open question at this point. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2021. I have to say, it is a bit strange to visit Wells Guthrie’s beautiful Copain winery in Healdsburg, as none of the wines are made from fruit grown on the estate! Guthrie prefers to source fruit from cooler parts of Sonoma, most notably Anderson Valley and Yorkville Highlands. Today the Copain wines are mid-weight, gracious and delicate in style, a far cry from a few years back, when they were much more overt. In cold years like 2010 and 2011, some of the wines are a touch on the fragile side. Readers on a budget should be sure to check out the Tous Ensemble range, as those wines deliver tremendous quality for the money. All of 2011s I tasted from tank were scheduled to be bottled a few days after my visit. Tel. (707) 541-7474