2006 Copain Syrah Thompson Vineyard

2009 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Dead Letter Office

2012 Michel Gassier Syrah Les Piliers

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

2006 Copain Syrah Madder Lake

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard

2010 Ledge Syrah Adams Ranch Vineyard

2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard

 

 

 

2006 Copain Syrah Thompson Vineyard – $40.00

It would be hard for me to pick a favorite vineyard source for Copain Syrahs, but Thompson would be in my top three.

 

The wine is a deep dark purple color.  The very open and giving nose has blackberries, dying wood embers, smoked meat, vanilla, dried herbs, black olives and earthy underbrush.  This has medium to full body, moderate to solid tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the wine is a bit brighter than the nose lead me to expect with cherries and dark chocolate joining the blackberries, meat and vanilla.  The finish has good length with some dried herbs and earthiness coming into the picture.  This is in its prime and will probably start the long downhill journey in the next couple of years.  This has 14.7% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2009 Henry’s Drive Shiraz Dead Letter Office – $16.14

This is another wine I was able to buy as an e-mail offer from the local wine store at a great price.  The suggested retail price for the wine is $27, so I was able to grab my bottles for close to half off.  Like I always say, it pays to support your local wine stores, besides great advice on wines you may not know, they can be the source for great values when an importer or distributor is overstocked and looks to unload some inventory.

 

This wine uses fruit from Padthaway and McLaren Vale.

 

The wine is a deep ruby to maroon color.  The very open and inviting nose has plums, currants, freshly ground espresso beans, vanilla, dark bittersweet chocolate, road tar, dried sage, crushed stones and dried wildflowers.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate, fruit and espresso jump out first with vanilla, sage and minerals coming in later.  The finish has nice length with some dark chocolate adds nice depth.  This seems to be on the young side and would benefit from some time in the cellar.  This wine has an ABV of 14.5% and the bottle is sealed with a twist off cap.  (91 pts)

 

 

2012 Michel Gassier Syrah Les Piliers – $12.74

This wine includes 3% Viognier blended in with the 97% Syrah.  The yields in this vintage was a very low 2 tons per acre.  After fermentation was completed, the wine was aged for 9 months in French oak.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The enticing nose is full of crushed berries, charred wood, black peppercorns, freshly ground espresso beans, cherries, violets and crushed stones.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate a load of crushed berries, black peppercorns and espresso immediately take control, slowly allowing cherries and crushed stones to slip in.  The finish has nice length with charred wood and violets adding depth.  The was an incredible value.  This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a fake spongy foam stopper.  (89 pts)

 

 

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch – $33.00

The winery gets their grapes from a small portion of the vineyard.  In this vintage severe weather would limit the harvest to 19 rows and a little under 1 ton of grapes.  There were only 63 cases of this wine produced.

 

The wine is a deep garnet color.  The sophisticated nose has blackberries, cherries, metal shavings,  green olives, dusty minerals, wood smoke, roasted leafy herbs, freshly ground coffee beans and a touch of dark chocolate.  This has medium body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate berries, cherries and metal shavings quickly jump out with green olives and dusty minerals coming in later.  The finish has nice length with roasted herbs and dark chocolate adding great depth.  This is in a real nice place but should hold for a few more years.  This has 14.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

2006 Copain Syrah Madder Lake – $25.00

This was always a slightly disappointing wine.  I originally bought 6 bottles and this was my last bottle.  The wine always seemed to have “something” buried behind the upfront fruit and spicy oak, but it never seemed to materialize.  It was always tasty but to me, it never reached “the next level”.

 

The wine is a fairly dark ruby red color.  The appealing nose has blackberries, white pepper, baking spices, licorice, peach pit, violets and a hint of road tar.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate blackberries, pepper and baking spices take control early with violets coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with some subtle underbrush entering the picture.  This lacks some complexity but is tasty.  I’d advise consuming this one over the next year or two.  (89 pts)

 

 

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Garys’ Vineyard – $29.99

This wine has always been one of my favorite California Syrahs.

 

The wine is a deep, dark ruby to purple color.  The very enticing nose has blackberries, licorice, smoked meat, pepper, baking spices, blueberry, dried herbs, minerals and dark chocolate.  This has medium to full body with solid tannins and very nice acidity.  Spicy fruit with a nice meaty presence grabs hold of your palate with pepper and some earthiness coming in later.  This has a nice lingering finish which again highlights the meaty elements with chocolate and fruit in the background providing nice sweetness.  This is very nice with impressive balance.  This wine has 14.2% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (93 pts)

 

 

2010 Ledge Syrah Adams Ranch Vineyard – $55.00

Ledge Vineyards is the winery owned by the One Time Spaceman, Mark Adams.  I was lucky enough to secure a sample of the 2009 vintage of this wine from Mark.  After two sips of the wine, I immediately joined the mailing list.  After securing my spot on the list, I started telling everyone who would listen to get on the list.

 

The wine is a deep purple color.  The very inviting nose has blackberries, crushed stone minerals, smoke, raspberries, eucalyptus, black pepper, violets, roasted herbs, cedar and a touch of dark bittersweet chocolate.  This has medium to full body, moderate ripe tannins and good acidity.  On the palate this is rich and plush with nice layers of fruit, spice and minerals.  The finish is very long with rich fruit, spice, minerals and a floral note seeming to hand on forever.  This is on the young side but already a stunning wine.  This will be a nice one to follow over the next decade, maybe even longer.  This wine has 14.5% abv and is sealed with a natural cork and wax coating.  (94 pts)

 

 

2007 Copain Syrah Brosseau Vineyard – $45.00

This wine was one of the more rugged styles produced by Copain.  It had a bit more tannin, acidity and oomph than its’ counterparts.

 

The wine is a dark ruby red color.  The intriguing nose has blackberries, mint, black peppercorns, dusty minerals, dark roast coffee beans, licorice and dried violets.  This has medium to full body with moderate tannins and good acidity.  On the palate the berries, minerals and dark roast coffee immediately take control, slowly allowing black pepper and a minty note to slip through on the back end.  The finish has very nice length with a dried floral note providing depth.  This is drinking very nicely today and should hold for at least another couple of years.  This has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.  (92 pts)

 

 

 

 

I am a big fan of the “Flash Wine Sale” site Last Bottle.  I highly recommend getting on their e-mail list.  Like most of the flash sale sites, they offer one wine per day until it sells out.  They also have a couple two-day marathons during the year.  Last Bottle is a great site to buy special wines at prices low enough to open any day of the week.

 

If you sign up using this link you will get a $10 credit that can be used on your first purchase.  I will also get a credit if you make a purchase.

 

Other than getting a credit as explained above, I have no financial interest in the site.  After you are on the list, you can also get the same credit by introducing friends to Last Bottle.

 

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

I post a lot more pictures and pairing suggestions on my Instagram account, consider joining me at https://www.instagram.com/cbbrown3/

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2016 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

 

 

2010 Carlisle Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Heirloom Wine Dolinsek Ranch

2011 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands

2014 Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel

2009 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch

2009 McPrice Myers Altas Vinas

2008 Treasure Hunter Wines Helen’s Helm

2006 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke

2014 Domaine Loubejac Rosé

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

 

 

 

2010 Carlisle Zinfandel Monte Rosso Vineyard – $38.00

The wine is a deep, dark purple color.  The stunning nose has brambly berries, black peppercorns, baking spices, dark chocolate, dried leafy herbs, crushed stone minerals, dead wood embers and dry earth.  This has a full body with moderate to solid tannins coming in on the back end and nice acidity.  Peppery, mineral laden berries coat the palate on the front end with baking spices and wood embers coming in later.  The finish has great length with dried herbs and dark chocolate adding depth.  This can easily and gracefully age for several years but is already delicious.  (95 pts)

 

 

2009 Bedrock Wine Co. Heirloom Wine Dolinsek Ranch – $35.00

The wine is a deep, dark maroon color.  Blackberries, smoke, baking spices, meat juices, cherries, cracked black peppercorns, slight herbal note, some earthiness and a touch of dark chocolate on the very nice nose.  This is full bodied with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity.  Long, spicy finish with the fruit and pepper lingering and very slowly fading.  This is in a prime drinking window and should hold for a few years.  (93 pts)

 

 

2011 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands – $24.92

The wine is a deep ruby to purple color.  The inviting nose has black cherries, dusty minerals, warm baking spices, white pepper, dry earth, violets, strawberries and underbrush.  This has medium body with soft to moderate ripe tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate cherries, minerals and baking spices quickly take control, slowly allowing white pepper, strawberries and dried earth to slip through.  The finish has nice length with underbrush and a floral note entering the picture providing extra depth.  An outstanding value.  This wine has 14.7% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with the normal Loring twist off closure.  (91 pts)

 

 

2014 Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel

The wine is a light pink salmon color.  The inviting and appealing nose has cherries, orange zest, strawberries, minerals and spring flowers.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity.  On the palate cherries, orange zest and minerals pop out first with strawberries and a nice floral note coming in later.  The finish has good length with nice mouthwatering citrus, cherries and minerals.  This wine has 13.0% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.   (90 pts)

 

 

2009 Bodega Numanthia Toro Termes – $18.99

This is a wine that I generally like in almost all vintages but it’s not a wine I hunt down.  If I can find it at a good price I’ll grab a few bottles.

 

This has 15% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is an inky ruby red.  The sexy nose has black cherries, tobacco, blackberries, white pepper, dried flowers, mocha, vanilla and a touch of earthy underbrush.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to solid tannins and very good acidity.  Intense red and black fruit grabs your palate slowly allowing pepper and mocha to slip in.  On the back end vanilla and some building earthiness enter the picture.  The finish has good length and veers solidly into the earthy spectrum with just a touch of an herbal note coming into play.  (90 pts)

 

 

2008 Stefania Syrah Eaglepoint Ranch – $33.00

I didn’t get a good tasting note on this wine since it disappeared fairly quickly over dinner.  The wine had a nice backbone of blackberries with olive tapenade, smoky wood embers, licorice, eucalyptus, iron shavings, black peppercorns and dried wild flowers.  This had medium to full body with moderate to solid tannins and very nice acidity.  The finish had good length with the fruit turning more towards cherry and outstanding savory elements.  I’ll do a better job at a good tasting note when I open my next bottle.  I should note, a bottle being emptied that quickly over dinner is fairly rare in my house and it’s always a good sign.  (93 pts)

 

 

2009 McPrice Myers Altas Vinas – $30.40

The wine is a dark, inky violet color.  The big and in your face nose is crammed full of blackberries, plums, baking spices, earthy underbrush, licorice, crushed stones, dried herbs, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  This has a full body with solid ripe tannins and decent acidity.  On the palate this massive wine leads off with spicy, peppery berries and crushed stones with dried herbs and earthy underbrush coming in later.  The finish has good length with dark chocolate and licorice entering the picture.  The wine is big and flavorful but gets a bit boring after a while, it could use a bit more acidity and finesse.  This also shows the 15.8% alcohol on the nose and on the finish.  I’d advise to drink up before the alcohol becomes even more prominent.  (88 pts)

 

 

2008 Treasure Hunter Wines Helen’s Helm – $17.52

This negotiant wine is a blend of 59% Syrah, 18% Grenache, 18% Mourvedre and 5% Tempranillo from Paso Robles.

 

This has 14.5% alcohol by volume and the bottle is sealed with a natural cork.

 

My Tasting Note

This is a deep, dark maroon color.  The very nice nose has blackberries, minerals, baking spices, charred meat, vanilla, cherries, dark bittersweet chocolate, and some earthiness.  This has a fairly full body, moderate to solid tannins, and very good acidity.  On the palate a loads of juicy berries, tart cherries, and minerals hit first with nice spice and a meaty element coming in on the back end.  The finish is long and lingering with some dark chocolate joining the spice and berries.  This is a very impressive wine that drinks several notches above its price point.  (93 pts)

 

 

2006 Copain Syrah Harrison Clarke – $40.00

The wine is a dark, inky ruby to purple color.  The very inviting nose has blackberries, white pepper, blueberries, meat juices, charcoal, vanilla, dusty minerals, scorched earth and potpourri.  This has a fairly full body with moderate tannins and nice acidity.  On the palate berries, charcoal, white pepper and dusty minerals immediately jump out with meaty notes, vanilla and dry earth coming in on the back end.  The finish has good length with dark bittersweet chocolate coming into the picture.  This is mighty tasty today and should hold up for another year or two.  (92 pts)

 

 

2014 Domaine Loubejac Rosé – $12.74

The wine is a light salmon pink color.  The fresh and clean nose has cherries, crushed stone minerals, strawberry, orange blossoms and lime zest.  This has light to medium body with crisp acidity and just a hint of sweetness.  On the palate tart cherries, strawberries and minerals quickly take control with orange blossoms coming in on the back end.  The finish has nice length with lime zest leaving your mouth watering for another sip.  This doesn’t offer a lot of complexity but it is quite tasty with a light meal on a warm day.  This wine has 13.5% alcohol and the bottle is sealed with an agglomerated cork.  (89 pts)

 

 

2010 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Russian River Valley – $25.00

I am a big fan of the Loring appellation wines.  These wines are blends of grapes from different vineyards in the region.  These wines may lack some of the uniqueness of the single vineyard wines, but to me they seem to highlight the best features from each vineyard.  The best part is these wines are about half the price of the single vineyard wines so they can be enjoyed without too much guilt any day of the week.

 

My Tasting Note

The wine is a medium to dark ruby red color.  The rich and inviting nose has black raspberries, Asian spices, cola, black cherry, wild flowers, white pepper, and a touch of earthy underbrush.  This has a medium body, moderate, ripe tannins, and good acidity.  On the palate the wine has rich, velvety fruit and spice up front with some subtle earthiness and white pepper coming in late.  The finish is fairly long and full of spicy, earthy fruit.  May not be the most complex Pinot out there, but it is delicious and a steal at the mailing list price of $25.  The bottle is sealed with the usual Loring twist off closure and the wine has 14.8% alcohol.  (91 pts)

 

 

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two.  Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets.  I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

 

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

 

Cheers!

 

 

This is original to CliffsWinePicks.com.  Copyright 2015 Cliff’s Wine Picks.

All rights reserved.

 

 

 

***** Shameless Self Promotion *****

 

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

 

 

 

Breaking news from Klout:

 

 

Cliff’s Wine Picks mentions or other posts

Here are posts, newsletters, blogs or other articles that either mention this site or that I have written:

 

Click here or on the “Cliff’s Wine Picks On Other Sites” link in the top right corner to see links to other sites that either have my reviews, my thoughts or other posts I have written.

 

 

 

Remember to support your local wine store!

 

 

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines.  I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar.  I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com.  Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear.  There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

 

 

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase.  I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but always check out the sale and close out items when in a store.  Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges.  None of the prices include the sales tax.

 

 

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.

 

 

 

Cheers!