2011 Copain "Tous Ensemble" Mendocino Syrah
SKU #1126020
89 points
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Syrah Tous Ensemble is one of the great values in California Syrah. Violets, plums, cloves and savory herbs all jump from the glass. The 2011 is distinguished for its floral, vinous perfume and mid-weight, gracious personality. A dollop of whole clusters adds lift throughout. Quite simply, this is a fabulous wine for the money. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2017. 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.
(4/2013)
Wine Spectator
Firm and tight, with a chewy core of dark berry, crushed rock and dried herbs and flowers. Ends with a rustic mix of earth and berry notes. Drink now through 2020. 2,080 cases made. –JL
(5/2014)
K&L Notes
Vintage notes from Copain: "Despite the challenges that 2011 brought to Mendocino County, our wines from this vintage are some of the most elegant Wells has made, offering great tension and balance. A cool, rainy spring and summer delayed the growing season, while mid-September brought sun and 90 degree heat to the vineyards. We harvested this fruit during a brief window in October as the vineyards were drying out."
