WTN: Two Reds This Weekend....(short/boring)

Susan & I tried these two reds over the weekend:
1. Copain Syrah HawksButte YorkvilleHighlands (www.CopainWines.com; 14.1%) SantaRosa 2003: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; rather Rhonish/espresso/roasted meats/smokey strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah light smokey/oak bit peppery/cracked black pepper complex beautiful nose; fairly tart very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy some black pepper very Rhonish/espresso/black olive/roasted meats very savory quite complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long smokey/roasted/Rhonish strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/spicy/black olive some c-c/black pepper finish w/ light smooth tannins; a beautiful very Rhonish Syrah at its prime.
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2. Carlisle Zin CarlisleVnyd/RRV (15.9%; Plntd by AlcidePelletti in 1927; + PetiteSirah/AlicanteBouschet/GrandNoir; 400 cs) SantaRosa 2004: Very dark/near black color w/ little apparent bricking; intense blackberry/boysenberry/RRV Zin light toasty/oak/smokey quite peppery/spicy complex dusty/OV beautiful intense nose; lightly tart very strong blackberry/boysenberry/RRV Zin/very spicy/peppery quite dusty/OV light toasty/smokey/oak complex flavor w/ light smooth/ripe tannins; very long/lingering lightly tart intense blackberry/boysenberry/RRV Zin/very spicy/peppery quite dusty/OV some toasty/oak complex beautiful finish w/ light ripe tannins; a beautiful classic RRV Zin in a perfect place; no heat or fuminess from the 15.9% alcohol nor overripe/pruney character.
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. I was not expecting much from the Pax and was mightly impressed as to how well it had evolved. I suspect it was mostly/all whole-cluster ferment.
Tom

Tom; perhaps you weren't expecting much from the Pax because you had the Copain instead?

Tom; perhaps you weren't expecting much from the Pax because you had the Copain instead?

Awwwright...brain fart there.
Tom

... no heat or fuminess from the 15.9% alcohol nor overripe/pruney character.

At what point does one notice alcohol in wine? 17% 18% 19% 20% 25? Even if you personally do not detect any alcohol, your body will, and try telling this to a cop: "But sir, I only had 2 glasses of wine at the restaurant!" Octane fuel is octane fuel.

... no heat or fuminess from the 15.9% alcohol nor overripe/pruney character.

At what point does one notice alcohol in wine? 17% 18% 19% 20% 25? Even if you personally do not detect any alcohol, your body will, and try telling this to a cop: "But sir, I only had 2 glasses of wine at the restaurant!" Octane fuel is octane fuel.

Well, Mark...it really depends a lot upon the wine. I get a lot of alcoholic/fumey/hot character in some wines down
at 14% alcohol. And some, particularly the Carlisles, don't show any of that alcoholic character when they're
over 15%. I did not notice the 15.9% alcohol on the nose in this wine at all.
Of course, drink enough of it and you will notice the alcohol. But not much sooner than a 14% wine.
Tom