9/13/2016 - swp3 wrote:

Still tightly wound, but showing promise. Too much back end grip with tannins bitter and rough. Needs more integration, but if it comes together it will be special. Enjoyable and classy now and way better than I'm accustomed to drinking. 5 years may do the trick. Check in again in 2021...

8/22/2016 - swp3 wrote:

Our experience of this was a complete surprise tonight. Was braced for a high alcohol, stewy mess given the vintage and too much time past?, but this was a wonderful surprise. Yes, it's a little hot, but there's good acid back bone, some interesting, black cherry/dried cherry flavors with a lift of red cherry and even bitter citrus notes. All that with pretty Asian spice and cola and long, silky finish. I haven't written a wine note in probably 6 months, but this deserved one. Best BC experience in a long time.

12/6/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Past it's prime... muddled, stewed and hot. Maybe a bad bottle and will try the remaining one tonight. Perfectly stored since release, but not drinking well. We dumped it down the sink after a couple of hours of hoping something would changed.

7/30/2015 - swp3 wrote:

See prior note. Barely drinkable. Too bad.

5/15/2015 - swp3 wrote:

first bottle corked. second bottle perfect drinking really well, and no rush here.

5/13/2015 - swp3 Does not like this wine:

Weeknight with LP. Oxidized. Not as extreme as the 2000 Dauvissats, but undrinkable.

5/13/2015 - swp3 wrote:

weeknight with LP. Integrated but bright. Drinking perfectly.

5/11/2015 - swp3 wrote:

At the very outer edge of advanced. Moderate to heavy oxidation. Too bad because there's still a ton of depth and length and minerality and good secondary flavors.

5/11/2015 - swp3 wrote:

completely gone. brown-tinged and completely oxidized

5/6/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Second try last night with L and similar to prior experience: overripe and oxidized with some funky, meaty flavors lurking beneath. Didn't finish the glass. Swing and a miss.

4/19/2015 - swp3 wrote:

quality issues with these BPW '07 CDPs continue. is this heat damage? i'd venture that the vintage was just impossibly ripe and the wines have turned into oxidized mess, but that's not evident from the notes of others. this was pretty much undrinkable.

4/19/2015 - swp3 wrote:

First of these 2007 CDPs from BPW that doesn't smell of oxidized, stewed fruits. Nose leads with earth, smoke and herbs followed by ripe red and dark fruit. Concentrated and long, but with structure. Runs a little hot, but really enjoyable overall.

4/17/2015 - swp3 wrote:

horrendously ripe and pruney. maybe a flawed bottle, but no the first time I've run into this with '07 CDP. wondering if these were heat damaged in transit somehow.

4/11/2015 - swp3 wrote:

fantastic, sweet, floral aromatics anchored by lavender and earth. sweet flavors of red fruits and lush texture up front that give way to a dark core, and a raw, tannic roughness. there's a fun paradox here of obviousness, pureness and transparency set alongside something unyielding, hidden and unresolved. hints of profound balance and tension, but it will take time.

4/11/2015 - swp3 wrote:

This really, really needed air to show itself, and it is fantastic. Fruit-forward with appealing lushness, but there's so much balance and counterweight too. Rises into smokey, flinty notes with bright acidity and chewy soft tannins. It doesn't dazzle with mulifaceted depth, but there's plenty to contemplate and enjoy. Can't emphasize enough what a few hours of air did for this. In a great spot now, but no rush to drink.

4/10/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Flawed. Ethyl Acetate / nail polish. Undrinkable.

4/5/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Clean, balanced and restrained but not especially interesting. Not a great value at $50 or $60.

4/4/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Thought this was great. Surprisingly forward vs what I expected from the notes. Deep dark fruit, but bright aromatics and overall well integrated. Big tannic presence on the back end. Delicious now, but hold?

3/31/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Bright, fresh and well delineated flavors, in spite of the ridiculous concentration and ripeness. Finishes hot and chewy with lingering wood notes. Not my favorite, but maybe it integrates better and settles down with time. LP enjoyed more than me. Try again in 2020?

2/21/2015 - swp3 wrote:

Impressive that this is 10 years old and drinking so well. Just a hint of oxidative flavors but not the least bit flabby and the core of red and dark fruits suprisingly integrated and delicious. These Carlisle zins definitely improve with age and are a breed apart--and this an entry level bottle at $23.

1/25/2015 - swp3 wrote:

light yeasty nose and lemon dominate. one dimensional and lean, but clean flavors and a fine bead. turns a little green and puckery on the finish. Disgorged July 2014. At $30 this would be pretty appealing as a light aperitif, but it was probably more than that.

1/24/2015 - swp3 wrote:

absolutely singing. no rush, but this is in a great place and fresh and bright and just a little chewy. structure, fruit, penetration, complexity and nuance. whole package.

1/24/2015 - swp3 wrote:

like a glass of porcini broth. funky mature flavors ending on a metallic note. med fine tannins and some acid give strucutre, but it's not exactly integrated.
interesting and enjoyable and good fruit coming through after an our or so, but mostly unremarkable and too funky to crave.

11/30/2014 - swp3 Likes this wine:

Dark fruit, smoke, black pepper. A little too much green-olive, vegetal tinge around the edges, but that integrates with a little time? Satisfying combo of linear, precise flavors, ripeness and grip.

11/16/2014 - swp3 Does not like this wine:

Virtually indistinguishable from generic vintage port. Another reviewer wrote something akin to that and it's dead-on. Or cheap Amarone. Opened a bottle last night and didn't finish bc it tasted so overripe and oxidized and hot. Alongside a Saxum Broken Bones, which seemed restrained by comparison. Leftovers were even worse today, so opened a second bottle straight from the cellar, assuming a flaw in #1. Same experience. No bueno.

10/19/2014 - swp3 wrote:

Drank alongside a 07 Domaine de la Janasse Cuvée Chaupin. The styles were surprisingly incongruous, and the Alban suffered from it. Alban came off as fruit candy, green wood and alcohol. Even though the Janasse was in modern style, it was a clash that left me wanting a dimmer switch for the Alban, plus something earthy or herbaceous to anchor the the whole thing. Weird, surprising experience, bc the Alban's been such a treat in the past-packed with flavor, but never so woody and out of balance.

4/7/2013 - swp3 wrote:

Notes below are spot-on. Great complexity and weight, but never cloying. Impressive and totally enjoyable.

4/7/2013 - swp3 wrote:

Big, ripe and generously oaked. It's also beautifully complicated if you keep an open mind. The cough-syrup criticism has merit, but it's also an easy, clichéd criticism of this style. Delicious beverage and a great rendition of this style.

8/13/2012 - swp3 wrote:

Will benefit from at least 2-3 years bottle age, probably more. Or vigorously decant. Great aromatics, depth and structure, but it's astringent and has some hard edges right now. Still, this has big potential, which you can tell will be realized. The 91-point scores aren't getting it. It's actually an unusually good bottle of Pinot and a great value.

2/15/2012 - swp3 wrote:

Decanted and drank over 4-hour period. Pruny, tired and muddled. Got worse with air. Hard to imagine this getting better with more time.

1/14/2012 - swp3 wrote:

Definitley a new world beverage, and easy to overlook how harmonious this has become and to just casually gulp it down. The texture is just super velvity and there's not an edge anywhere (ok, maybe a little heat now that it's warmed up). On the depth and complexity scale, it's not setting any records, but there are lots of cherry and herbal aromas that flow through to the palate where they meet a core of sweetness and acidity and just a touch of tannin. Just the bit of pruniness starting to show and I think this is probably drinking close to its peak.

4/25/2011 - swp3 wrote:

Hot, oxidized prune juice. Flaw.

9/6/2010 - swp3 wrote:

Boy has this come around. I'm lazy about notes these days, but this demanded to be acknowleged. Note by Merzbow below captures the gist of it. This is drinking fantastic right now, and way beyond my expectation based on previous tasting. Best Hansel Pinot I can remember?

4/1/2010 - swp3 wrote:

Not so pleasing combination of earthy aromas and stewed dark fruits. I doubt this improves with time and suspect that the stewed/pruney notes will grow more dominant.

1/14/2010 - swp3 wrote:

opened this at random with no expectation following an 05 KB Amber Ridge Syrah, which was tasty, but the Carlisle was stunningly better. Great combo of old world/new world--ripe, structured, stinky, smokey, earthy. If tasted blind this would be northern Rhone for me, and that's a shocker. First time I've experience this old world nuance from Carlisle.

12/21/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Undrinkable. No clues in its appearance but the nose of prune, latex paint and burnt rubber leaves little doubt. Hopefully not a widespread problem. Will try another one in a few weeks.

5/26/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Outrageous surprise. Just finished a bottle of '07 BC Zotovich and carelessly proclaimed it exceptionally open-knit for a BC wine. This bottle is equally (more?) forward, with even more pronounced floral and spice aromatics, minus the prune hints of Zotovich.

Plush mouth feel, dominated by black fruit that melts into a a firm, tannic backbone. Flavors are just a tad disjointed with oak and fruit both needing to sit down, but overall there's a suggestion of monstrous pleasure just around the corner. Great intersection of easy-access hedonism and complexity. Tannins a little bitter on the finish, but overall I'm guessing these '07 BCs will peak early vs '06 and '05, by which I mean this one should be singing in 18 months. I was starting to give up on these guys, but now I'm back bc while these Pinots aren't orthodox, they are thoughtful and challenging if you go at them with an open mind. This has familiar BC aromatics (tea, citrus, stems, and flowers) plus that Syrah quality that seems so prominent in ripe years of Santa Rita Pinot. Pinot Fundies, steer clear.

5/26/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Based on last year's experience tasting all the BC Pinot's, and this year's tasting only this one (maybe one other?) I'm going to venture a careless prcolamation that Zotovich drinks well earlier than all the rest. It lacks the astringent, briary grip of the other vineyards in the lineup. It's fleshier and more open. This '07 has raisiny hints, which might really detract in a year or two, but right now these hints are in check and there's lots of orange, apricot, tea, anise and clove flavors working in tandem with this ripeness. Unconventional Pinot for sure, but full of interesting aromatics and harmonious. Super enjoyable right now with a short decant.

4/26/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Smokey, brown sugar extravaganza. It's a tasty, interesting beverage with layers of depth and ripeness. Few would identify this as Pinot in a blind tasting. I don't love the style. Still, there's something unique and enjoyable going on here. And not superficial. Age-wise this seems to be in an good window--I wouldn't push it much further.

4/23/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Singular, a little thin and sharp edged. Better in a year or two, but not a great vintage for this wine.

4/12/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Drank with Triggs and Dini at pizza party. 4th Pinot we tasted and for me the star of the night. Previous notes still apply and this is drinking perfectly right now.

4/6/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Big black cherry and earth, plus firm tannins. Like a lot of '04 California Pinot, it gets a little oxidized and sloppy with a few hours air, which makes me think in terms of cellaring, probably down hill from here. Missing finesse but there's a saturated plushness that works. Rounds out with a little heat and a big dose of new oak.

4/5/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Another year gone by, and not much has changed here. Dark fruit, earth and leather with firm acidity and a chewey close. New world oak notes on the finish, but overall this pinot is pretty restrained in a mostly masculine way. My last bottle, but I think interesting to try in two years to see if the tannin and acidity integrate better. So far it hasn't evolved much; although the tannins are surprsingly more pronounced than a few years ago.

4/1/2009 - swp3 wrote:

This was impressive tonight. I think showing better than the Graham (which I found grapey and primary with a too sharp mid-palate). Rosella's is full of vanilla, citrus, cherry/berry and floral flavors, plus just a touch of skunk/earth to give it some aromatic tension. Super soft, creamy mouth-feel. Fruit-first, low acidity, but with some tannic structure around which it will develop for a year or two. Prudish, austerity-lover steer clear! This one's pretty, curvy and articulate, which means it'll only anger and intimidate you...

3/28/2009 - swp3 wrote:

This was tight right out of the bottle but with six hours of air the flavors have finally broadened a little and it's much riper. That said, it's still a disappointment. Lots of stem and orangey aromas in the nose followed by a narrow-spectrum of dark berry flavors, black tea and a slightly metallic, bitter finish.

3/24/2009 - swp3 wrote:

This was charmless, even after two hours in the decanter. Dull, dark flavors and aromas with no lift and a muddy, bitter finish. There's a core of ripe, blackberry fruit, but that's it. Uninspiring, so I opened something else. But wait... Two more hours in the decanter and the Foley has opened up! It's still clunky and chewey, but now there are spice and mocha aromatics, plus an herbal dimension. It's not bad. It's not great. But now it's interesting. I'll bet much more enjoyable with another two years bottle time. Try again in 2011. There is significant, potential upside surpise here.

3/21/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Triggs over for dinner. Opened 4 X 2007 Pinots: August West Graham, Sojourn Gap's Crown, Breggo Savoy, Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast. All decanted and breathed for a few hours.

A close second-place finish behind the Breggo Savoy and within a group that was excellent overall. Lots of sweet spice aromatics, and in the mouth it has that tell-tale KB creaminess and mouth coating quality. Nice combo of red and blue fruit along with lots of cola and sassafras flavors.

3/21/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Triggs over for dinner. Opened 4 X 2007 Pinots: August West Graham, Sojourn Gap's Crown, Breggo Savoy, Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast. All decanted and breathed for a few hours.

For me, this edged out the Kosta Browne as WOTN. Chewy blackberry and blueberry. Big and ripe with 5-spice aromatics. Almost over the top, but I'm a fan. Long finish.

3/21/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Triggs over for dinner. Opened 4 X 2007 Pinots: August West Graham, Sojourn Gap's Crown, Breggo Savoy, Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast. All decanted and breathed for a few hours.

Weighty, even meaty, with dark fruit flavors and low acidity. It's a big ripe style, but nicely done. Heavy oak on the big, tannic finish. Real nice in a couple of years.

3/21/2009 - swp3 wrote:

Triggs over for dinner. Opened 4 X 2007 Pinots: August West Graham, Sojourn Gap's Crown, Breggo Savoy, Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast. All decanted and breathed for a few hours.

Graham Family the least interesting in the group. Presents sweet, grapey flavors and a sharp mid-palate followed by a lot of new oak on the finish. Maybe we got an off bottle? Overall light-bodied, primary and disappointing with very little of others' multi-layer experience. Try again in fall of 2009.