Two Guys with an Appetite

A few weeks ago, The Two Guys sat down to dinner and uncorked two bottles of recently purchased wine: The 2006 Copain Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah (Mendocino Valley) and the 2007 Foxen Williamson-Dore Vineyard Grenache (Santa Ynez Valley).

2006 Copain Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah (Mendocino Valley)

2007 Foxen Williamson-Dore Vineyard Grenache (Santa Ynez Valley)

Even in this nasty recession (which has compelled us to curtail and sometimes – gads – cancel regular shipments from our favorite wineries), there are some wineries whose regular releases we insist on purchasing.  Copain and Foxen are two of them.

Copain is nestled in the Sonoma Valley, and though it produces a variety of wines, it is best known for world-class Syrah from several vineyards in California and Washington. Copain’s stated mission is to choose unique vineyards and purchase small lots (one or two acres) from each, so that each site can express its unique qualities with a minimum of intervention.  Still, though Copain strives to avoid “overripe” fruit, the wine itself tends to be highly extracted, fooling the consumer into believing that the wine is the produce of very ripe (even “overripe”) fruit.  You won’t find much oak in Copain’s Syrahs, but you will find highly extracted, in-your-face Syrahs with vibrant acidity, fruity noses, and gobs of earth, making all of its various Syrahs a nice match to most meat dishes.

Foxen is truly off the beaten path (yes, literally, a path, by the time one gets to the winery) in northern Santa Barbara County.  It sources its wines from at least six vineyards in the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys, and since it was discovered a few years ago by Robert Parker (The Wine Advocate), it has been a must have on The Two Guys’ list of annual purchases.  Foxen produces stellar Pinot Noirs and some of the best Syrahs in this country.  The wines are not nearly as extracted as Copain’s style, but they are just as deep and haunting.  As giddy as John gets when a box of Copain arrives at the office, he nearly faints when the UPS man shows up with a box of Foxen.  Yes, the stuff is that good.

So back to dinner.  It was Thursday night, which is our regular “date night” when we typically go out to a movie or dinner.  But on this particular night, neither one of us was up to going out, so Nick stopped off at Gelson’s and got two filets (12 ounces each – they were monsters).  What better reason to try two different bottles, yes?

Monster Filets Rubbed with Oil, Crushed Black Pepper, and Crushed Sea Salt

The Two Guys have been big fans of Grenache for quite some time now.  We think that Grenache is truly one of the most underappreciated grapes.  For ages, it has been grown to be blended with its more well-known brother Cabernet.  But in the last decade, many California wineries have undertaken to producing 100% Grenache wines.  On its own, Grenache is very fruity, full bodied, almost sweet, a bit dusty and definitely oaky.  It’s not really made to age, as Grenache is not known to age well, and in fact, most Grenache is ready to drink upon release.

The Foxen Grenache did not disappoint.  We did not decant it, as it was quite young and had no need for decanting.  Drinking it straight from the bottle, we were immediately struck with the nose of tar, wood shavings and vanilla.  While we readied the steak for grilling and cooked the asparagus and onions, we managed to polish off nearly the entire bottle.  It was that good. The palate was full bodied, lush with gobs of fruit and lots of pepper.  It didn’t argue at all.  It beckoned to be drunk over and over.  And drink it we did.

We whipped up some asparagus and onions while the steak was finishing:

Quick Stir Fry of Asparagus & Onions

Sadly, by the time dinner was ready, we hadn’t even touched the Copain.  So we poured some to go along for the ride:

Grilled Steak (with a Dusting of Mediterranean Sea Salt) and Asparagus & Onions

Plums and currants filled the nose, a bit too much for peppered steak.  On its own, it would have been perfect.  As we predicted, the palate was fruity, but this particular wine was very heavy on the jam, lots of plums, and oodles of boysenberry syrup.  A bit too much syrup, in fact.  We both agreed that if we were sitting on the porch, people-watching, this wine would be great on its own, the star of its own show.  But side by side the steak, it was a sad supporting actor.

So the winner is . . . the Foxen Grenache. Sadly, the quarterly shipment allocated only one bottle.  So this is the first . . . and last time that I get to taste this wonderful wine.

On the Two Guys Scale, the Foxen scores a 97 and the Copain a 95.

Until next time . . .