This is the Teldeschi Ranch bottling. Very dark purple. Big cassis and earth aromas with some black pepper and cedar. On the palate, a bit monolithic with blackberry and savory meaty earthy flavors that linger. Silky tannins with a spicy finish. Recommend drinking within the year
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The '05 Dry Creek is hauntingly dark, earthy and beautiful tonight. My initial impression is of the Northern Rhone before California. Black fruit, rich savory spice, rosemary, charred meat and dark soil tones define the bouquet. On the palate silky textures delivered notes of molten blackberry, plum, exotic spice, black pepper, savory herbs, and blueberry skins, all enlivened by zesty acidity. The finish was long and spicy with lingering dried berries and savory minerality. What a fantastic display.
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Beautiful Syrah that continues to improve. My last bottle a probably the best one. Beautiful balance and integration of the flavors. Moderately complex. If I had more it would not scare me to hold on a bit longer but IMHO the wine is at peak now.
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Christmas Eve at Eric and Deb's: sweet plums, violets, ripe black berries, funky (northern rhone) nose, herbs, pepper, a touch of menthol, sweet spices (cinnamon?) BIG middle, ripe and rich with plums and berries, very fresh with excellent acidity. touch of heat on the finish (but at 15.99% this is amazingly balanced)
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A Christmas Eve to Remember: 2014: Intense yet finessed on the nose, showing mushroom, undergrowth and musk up front, yet with time its fruit began to emerge, revealing dark wild berry, savory herbs, pepper and spice. On the palate, it was velvety smooth with pleasing textures as ripe blackberry, plum and exotic spice seemed to saturate the senses. It was intense with a hint of heat, yet never tiring with notes of dark chocolate and menthol lasting throughout the finish. This was a perfect synergy of Rhone meets and Cali, and a wine I will look for again.
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The wine is a deep, dark purple color. The deep and dark nose is full of smoldering charcoal, blackberries, roasted herbs, black pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate, well worn leather, charred meat, violets, blueberries, and some earthiness. This has a full body, moderate tannins, and good acidity. On the palate a load of peppery, smoky berries jump out first with roasted herbs and some building earthiness coming in on the backend. The finish is fairly long and leans more on the savory elements with the fruit coming in late adding nice sweetness. I think this is as good as it gets for this wine, I'd advise consuming over the next couple of years.
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Aromas of black olive, maple?, tar and dark fruits. The tannis are soft but the wine is big with bacon fat, smoked meats, blue and black fruits. The 15.9% alc was hidden pretty well I thought but a couple people said the wine showed a little heat. We enjoyed it.
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15.9% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet red and black fruit nose shared with an equal measure of a leather and roasting coffee beans. Full bodied with ripe black fruit. A somewhat creamy texture midpalate with a touch of heat in the finish. Good.
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PnP. Aromas and flavors of dark fruits, smoked meats, cocoa, and tobacco, with a medium+ finish. There was an underling bitterness, especially on the finish, that faded over the course of the three hours it took to drink the bottle, but never completely disappeared.
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Lucious. Can still go a few years. Gobs and gobs of fruit. Needs to decant. Bold but enjoyable. Not sure can be paired well with fruit, but very good juice.
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My 7th bottle of this wine and I've loved every one of them. The bottle blew away the '07 Faillia Phoenix syrah that we consumed just before this bottle. There's something I love about what Mike does with this Dry Creek fruit. A screaming buy at $30.50 a bottle that's for sure.
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A nice garnet color. Smoked meat, crushed blackberries, espresso, leather, a bit of violet and just a bit of stems on the nose. Full body with chewy, ripe tannins and good acidity. Massive on the palate, with a lot of pepper coming on in the finish. Long, spicy finish. Outstanding bottle of wine.
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Chablis, Melville Clonal Blending and The Round 3 Let 'Er Rip (My House In The South OC): Opens with a smoky, leather nose. One of the comments was reduction. Not sure, but I liked the aromatic it added. So, to the rest of the note. Well, a poor note on my part here but I never got back to this wine, as this was the last Round 3 bottle we yanked from the cellar. The wine seemed to be in good shape and several comments were positive but I can't nothing more to add, other than the bouquet comment!
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Very nice with explosive Carlisle fruit. I did get more Alcohol tonight than in other bottles. Im not horribly sensitive but for those that are its going to be too much. Seems to have lost some brightness and mellowed out...very smooth if you can get past the alc. Just good tonight.
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15 months from the last bottle I drank, this wine continues to evolve, which I think means in this case, to soften. Much of what I wrote about in 2009 is still here, mainly in the aromatics, which are indeed SLH-like: smoke, light pepper, hint of stems and good dose of bacon fat (that seemed to emerge with about 90 mins of air time). The palate shows some saddle/funk, tar, an inky feel and lots of red and black fruit with ripe edges. My comment about the wine softening is indeed true, although there is enough of these complex notes to give it range and these notes intensify with air so I would say peak by end of 2011, with a drink by 2013.
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Upon opening, this had a funky Rhonish nose, but it eventually blew off after 30 minutes and started to soar. Kept getting more balanced and exhibiting great depth by the the final glass one hour in. Recommend a 60-minute decant minimum if opening right now. Plush and lush, with lots of layers of dark-fruited flavors. Some interesting pickling spice notes occasionally flashing through.
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Some type of VAo r brett issue that wouldn't go away. Even pumped the bottle and it was the same/worse on day two. There was fruit underneath but just couldnt get to it. I have two more left. Will try again.
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Popped, left uncorked for several hours, then enjoyed during the Yankees game and a dinner of baked ziti. Very fragrant nose of fruit, smoke & charred meat. Blue fruits dominate the palate. Smooth and supple in the front of the mouth, long, peppery finish. Saving 1/2 the bottle for tomorrow's game.
Day 2: More brooding, darker fruits, pepper has vanished into a long, smooth finish.
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I really thought this wine was in a nice spot tonight. Smoky on the nose and all thr fruit you'd expect, but this seems to have developed a quite a bit of complexity. Deep and brambly with dark fruit galore. Not at all jammy, but leans away from the bright fruit I usually think of with many Carlisles. This one will to well mid term but I dont get alot of tannic structure, so for me its close to ready. Throwing alot of sediment so be sure to stand up.
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OK, maybe not the best bottle of this wine I've consumed but very tasty none the less. Looking forward to seeing how this wine evolves over the years ahead.
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Popped & poured. Seemed disjointed on day 1, would have rated around 87 points. Saved half of bottle in fridge overnight. Much much improved on day 2, would have rated around 93 points. Hold!
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Each time I have this wine, this being the 3rd bottle, I find resemblance to the SLH terroir, like a Garys', specifically. Tonight, I had the same impression. The aromatics show creosote, soy/teriyaki, some pepper, hint of ore and some alcohol (but it fits in with the other components). Aside from the ore/graphite note, the nose says Garys'. On the palate. medium weight with espresso, dark fruit, some licorice and still a tight edge to the wine. Under that edge is some really nice fruit so as much as I would like to think this wine has moved and evolved since my last bottle a year ago, it's still pretty youthful and has a long life ahead. If I can manage to save some for tomorrow, I will and then add a final impression..........so as we finish the last 2 glasses (SIL and I), and I coud swear there is some stem component in the nose (which I did not experience last night). And, this wine tonight shows as much red fruit as it does blue/black, and the complexity of this wine with the layers and flavors is more prominent than it was a year ago. I would offer this wine has 2 years of sleep ahead of it before it enters the drink window but the range and complexity of this wine has really emerged.
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Ink colored, even the bubbles were black! A penetrating nose of iodine, lavender, red currant, hardwood and damp concrete. Precise caramel, black berry and white pepper on the medium-bodied palate. The spicy, peppery finish has good length and adds an interesting note of Xmas pudding. A lifted, spicy, almost elegant wine that is not as fat as the usual Carlisle Syrah.
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Inviting with an interesting and complex nose and weighty mouthfeel. Hides its high alcohol. Dark fruits and pepper and spice are in harmony. Probably needs more time, but still excellent now.
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Dark in color, still showing an assertive nose of leather, hot rocks, blackberry, and a hint of barnyard. Full body in the mouth with fairly intense fruit. Very slightly hot on the finish, but overall this has good balance and persistence. Yummy.
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Decided to revisit following my unbridled enthusiasm for the 2005 Carlisle RRV. Wanting to see if the DC would beat the RRV, I have to say 'no'. Don't mistake, this is a tremendous wine and while I felt that the DC would beat the RRV, after tasting them both again, my nod goes to the RRV. So what about the DC? Pepper on the nose and a bit of fruit bowl. The palate is nice mix of blue, red and black fruit, concentrated and delicious. Game and pepper reinforce the palate, and as I remarked last time, same with this experience......the wine would be a ringer for me of a Garys' bottling. Spicy finish and meaty....I'd not think warm climate (DC) fruit. Some of the density and depth I remarked on before I woulld edit down some. The structure and acidity of the finish suggests further aging. A close chase but still my wine of 2005 for Carlisle is the RRV. P.S. Leslie Fisher liked it, too.
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Shows meaty and decidedly not fruit-driven in its expression on the first day, although some definable fruit component does eventually take shape on the fifth and sixth days after opening. Also some chili con carne and black olive-heavy tapenade nicely sweetened by oak is present. The ripeness really is apparent in the mouth, however, with serious New World weight showing, although this never even approaches the line separating impressive from over-the-top (and there's no hint of the 15.9% ABV either). Great length caps off a much-too-young Syrah that's simultaneously distinctive and classy.
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This is some great juice. Further, the style of this syrah is the very reason I drink CA syrah and find it to be the #1 varietal of choice for my own cellar. When the bottle was first opened, it smelled a little reduced but once into the decanter, the reduction went away within about 10 mins. At one hour of being open, the wine settles in with a distinct floral component and a molten quality. Palate tastes inky, almost like a Garys' syrah with that BBQ/A-1 type of sauce feel, along with tar and melted licorice. In fact, the expressiveness of the fruit here could me mistaken for a petite, along with the color and intensity. Finally, some faint black pepper and stone fruit pit is also in the wine but it's pure dark fruit to be sure--blackberry delicious. Having drank an '05 Carlilse RRV last week, this Dry Creek is even better.
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Still a baby this great syrah is drinking great already. Starts with an amazing nose and very dark color this syrah is a beauty. Enjoyable now this wine should improve over the next five years and hold for another five years at least. One of the best of Mike's syrahs I've ever consumed and I've been drinking them back to the first Sonoma.
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Another impressive syrah from Mike. As good as he is with old vine zin, I believe he is amazing producer of syrah. A full-bodied rich effort, with blackberries, blueberries, smoke, and roasted meats. This wines broods and while being rich and full, it is not an in your face effort. I find it very hard to keep from touching my Carlisle wines because they always deliver.
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Against my better judgement I opened this for our 8th anniversary and our son's 1st birthday. I usually like to give Carlisle more age, and wish I had done so here. Very tight, tannic and I picked up a lot of heat. The heat seemed to wear off a bit as it opened up after about an hour and a half, but I was still mad at myself. This needs at least another year, possibly two, to settle down.
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It's easy to tell that the 2005 syrahs will outperform the '05 zins... This was great. Purple-black in color with a nice nose of smoked meat, dusty earth, blackberry, and leather. Full and rich but not heavy in the mouth, it opened up over several hours and was a lovely, balanced wine. Plenty of smooth tannin; this should age well for at least 5-8 years or so.
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3/16/2024 - CRUSHER Likes this wine: 95 Points
bluebe
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2/2/2020 - BHRH Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is the Teldeschi Ranch bottling. Very dark purple. Big cassis and earth aromas with some black pepper and cedar. On the palate, a bit monolithic with blackberry and savory meaty earthy flavors that linger. Silky tannins with a spicy finish. Recommend drinking within the year
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5/13/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
The '05 Dry Creek is hauntingly dark, earthy and beautiful tonight. My initial impression is of the Northern Rhone before California. Black fruit, rich savory spice, rosemary, charred meat and dark soil tones define the bouquet. On the palate silky textures delivered notes of molten blackberry, plum, exotic spice, black pepper, savory herbs, and blueberry skins, all enlivened by zesty acidity. The finish was long and spicy with lingering dried berries and savory minerality. What a fantastic display.
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3/25/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful Syrah that continues to improve. My last bottle a probably the best one. Beautiful balance and integration of the flavors. Moderately complex. If I had more it would not scare me to hold on a bit longer but IMHO the wine is at peak now.
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12/25/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 93 Points
Christmas Eve at Eric and Deb's: sweet plums, violets, ripe black berries, funky (northern rhone) nose, herbs, pepper, a touch of menthol, sweet spices (cinnamon?) BIG middle, ripe and rich with plums and berries, very fresh with excellent acidity. touch of heat on the finish (but at 15.99% this is amazingly balanced)
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12/24/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
A Christmas Eve to Remember: 2014: Intense yet finessed on the nose, showing mushroom, undergrowth and musk up front, yet with time its fruit began to emerge, revealing dark wild berry, savory herbs, pepper and spice. On the palate, it was velvety smooth with pleasing textures as ripe blackberry, plum and exotic spice seemed to saturate the senses. It was intense with a hint of heat, yet never tiring with notes of dark chocolate and menthol lasting throughout the finish. This was a perfect synergy of Rhone meets and Cali, and a wine I will look for again.
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8/30/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
The wine is a deep, dark purple color. The deep and dark nose is full of smoldering charcoal, blackberries, roasted herbs, black pepper, dark bittersweet chocolate, well worn leather, charred meat, violets, blueberries, and some earthiness. This has a full body, moderate tannins, and good acidity. On the palate a load of peppery, smoky berries jump out first with roasted herbs and some building earthiness coming in on the backend. The finish is fairly long and leans more on the savory elements with the fruit coming in late adding nice sweetness. I think this is as good as it gets for this wine, I'd advise consuming over the next couple of years.
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3/17/2013 - S R U D I N Likes this wine: 91 Points
Took a while to open up but once it did it was delicious.
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5/21/2012 - Screameagle wrote: 91 Points
I've always liked the wine since it was released. I should since I bought a case. Throwing lots of sediment now it's still very good.
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5/6/2012 - Janstan wrote: 86 Points
very smoky upon opening. dark fruits in finish. Too much alcohol
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5/6/2012 - jwebtx wrote:
funky nose, but the fruit was black and powerful. not much acidity.
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3/15/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Davids & Rhone Dinner (San Francisco): Nice fruit, dusty black fruits, a bit spicy; palate approachable now but heat overwhelms the fruit. 89
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1/30/2012 - vinoveritas wrote: 85 Points
Not so great. Lots of Charcoal. Stripped of its fruit
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1/15/2012 - Outplaying wrote:
Aromas of black olive, maple?, tar and dark fruits. The tannis are soft but the wine is big with bacon fat, smoked meats, blue and black fruits. The 15.9% alc was hidden pretty well I thought but a couple people said the wine showed a little heat. We enjoyed it.
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10/16/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Powerful wine that is front end loaded. Not or the faint of heart.
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10/13/2011 - wdb001 wrote: flawed
VA or brett issue that would not blow off. Very off-putting. Unusual for this producer.
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8/16/2011 - lpollack wrote: 91 Points
Dark garnet color. Vibrant nose of fruit. Deep concentration. Up front taste of red fruits. White pepper on the back end. A pleasure to drink
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8/11/2011 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 91 Points
15.9% ABV. Opaque dark garnet in the glass. Sweet red and black fruit nose shared with an equal measure of a leather and roasting coffee beans. Full bodied with ripe black fruit. A somewhat creamy texture midpalate with a touch of heat in the finish. Good.
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7/25/2011 - psrv wrote: 86 Points
PnP. Aromas and flavors of dark fruits, smoked meats, cocoa, and tobacco, with a medium+ finish. There was an underling bitterness, especially on the finish, that faded over the course of the three hours it took to drink the bottle, but never completely disappeared.
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7/21/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Lucious. Can still go a few years. Gobs and gobs of fruit. Needs to decant. Bold but enjoyable. Not sure can be paired well with fruit, but very good juice.
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5/27/2011 - ravbik wrote: 92 Points
Well integrated. Leather, tobacco, dark red fruit. Soft silky finish
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4/11/2011 - John Dunlap wrote: 91 Points
A dark, teeth staining wine. Lovely and rich fruit. Nicely integrated flavors. Prefect drinking at this time.
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4/3/2011 - bsherwin wrote:
Smoky dark fruit. In a nice place right now.
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3/25/2011 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
My 7th bottle of this wine and I've loved every one of them. The bottle blew away the '07 Faillia Phoenix syrah that we consumed just before this bottle. There's something I love about what Mike does with this Dry Creek fruit. A screaming buy at $30.50 a bottle that's for sure.
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1/5/2011 - theferb wrote: flawed
flawed bottle; slightly corked
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11/26/2010 - Trish22 wrote: flawed
corked :( this is an anomaly. Carlisle is a terrific wine!! The lat Syrah opened was incredible!!
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11/13/2010 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
A nice garnet color. Smoked meat, crushed blackberries, espresso, leather, a bit of violet and just a bit of stems on the nose. Full body with chewy, ripe tannins and good acidity. Massive on the palate, with a lot of pepper coming on in the finish. Long, spicy finish. Outstanding bottle of wine.
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10/29/2010 - cookie7 wrote: 90 Points
Blackberries and espresso on the nose. Plum and licorice on the palate. Just a bit of heat on the finish. Overall a nice wine. No rush to drink.
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7/24/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Chablis, Melville Clonal Blending and The Round 3 Let 'Er Rip (My House In The South OC): Opens with a smoky, leather nose. One of the comments was reduction. Not sure, but I liked the aromatic it added. So, to the rest of the note. Well, a poor note on my part here but I never got back to this wine, as this was the last Round 3 bottle we yanked from the cellar. The wine seemed to be in good shape and several comments were positive but I can't nothing more to add, other than the bouquet comment!
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7/19/2010 - Ekoostik wrote: 90 Points
Very nice with explosive Carlisle fruit. I did get more Alcohol tonight than in other bottles. Im not horribly sensitive but for those that are its going to be too much. Seems to have lost some brightness and mellowed out...very smooth if you can get past the alc. Just good tonight.
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7/11/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
15 months from the last bottle I drank, this wine continues to evolve, which I think means in this case, to soften. Much of what I wrote about in 2009 is still here, mainly in the aromatics, which are indeed SLH-like: smoke, light pepper, hint of stems and good dose of bacon fat (that seemed to emerge with about 90 mins of air time). The palate shows some saddle/funk, tar, an inky feel and lots of red and black fruit with ripe edges. My comment about the wine softening is indeed true, although there is enough of these complex notes to give it range and these notes intensify with air so I would say peak by end of 2011, with a drink by 2013.
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4/10/2010 - otisabdul wrote: 91 Points
Upon opening, this had a funky Rhonish nose, but it eventually blew off after 30 minutes and started to soar. Kept getting more balanced and exhibiting great depth by the the final glass one hour in. Recommend a 60-minute decant minimum if opening right now. Plush and lush, with lots of layers of dark-fruited flavors. Some interesting pickling spice notes occasionally flashing through.
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1/16/2010 - rdsboca wrote: flawed
Some type of VAo r brett issue that wouldn't go away. Even pumped the bottle and it was the same/worse on day two. There was fruit underneath but just couldnt get to it. I have two more left. Will try again.
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11/1/2009 - blondon wrote:
Popped, left uncorked for several hours, then enjoyed during the Yankees game and a dinner of baked ziti. Very fragrant nose of fruit, smoke & charred meat. Blue fruits dominate the palate. Smooth and supple in the front of the mouth, long, peppery finish. Saving 1/2 the bottle for tomorrow's game.
Day 2: More brooding, darker fruits, pepper has vanished into a long, smooth finish.
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10/25/2009 - Ekoostik wrote: 92 Points
I really thought this wine was in a nice spot tonight. Smoky on the nose and all thr fruit you'd expect, but this seems to have developed a quite a bit of complexity. Deep and brambly with dark fruit galore. Not at all jammy, but leans away from the bright fruit I usually think of with many Carlisles. This one will to well mid term but I dont get alot of tannic structure, so for me its close to ready. Throwing alot of sediment so be sure to stand up.
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9/8/2009 - Screameagle wrote: 90 Points
OK, maybe not the best bottle of this wine I've consumed but very tasty none the less. Looking forward to seeing how this wine evolves over the years ahead.
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4/30/2009 - rowen wrote:
Popped & poured. Seemed disjointed on day 1, would have rated around 87 points. Saved half of bottle in fridge overnight. Much much improved on day 2, would have rated around 93 points. Hold!
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3/25/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Each time I have this wine, this being the 3rd bottle, I find resemblance to the SLH terroir, like a Garys', specifically. Tonight, I had the same impression. The aromatics show creosote, soy/teriyaki, some pepper, hint of ore and some alcohol (but it fits in with the other components). Aside from the ore/graphite note, the nose says Garys'. On the palate. medium weight with espresso, dark fruit, some licorice and still a tight edge to the wine. Under that edge is some really nice fruit so as much as I would like to think this wine has moved and evolved since my last bottle a year ago, it's still pretty youthful and has a long life ahead. If I can manage to save some for tomorrow, I will and then add a final impression..........so as we finish the last 2 glasses (SIL and I), and I coud swear there is some stem component in the nose (which I did not experience last night). And, this wine tonight shows as much red fruit as it does blue/black, and the complexity of this wine with the layers and flavors is more prominent than it was a year ago. I would offer this wine has 2 years of sleep ahead of it before it enters the drink window but the range and complexity of this wine has really emerged.
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2/9/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Ink colored, even the bubbles were black! A penetrating nose of iodine, lavender, red currant, hardwood and damp concrete. Precise caramel, black berry and white pepper on the medium-bodied palate. The spicy, peppery finish has good length and adds an interesting note of Xmas pudding. A lifted, spicy, almost elegant wine that is not as fat as the usual Carlisle Syrah.
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1/27/2009 - glg wrote: 93 Points
Inviting with an interesting and complex nose and weighty mouthfeel. Hides its high alcohol. Dark fruits and pepper and spice are in harmony. Probably needs more time, but still excellent now.
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12/4/2008 - budman wrote: 91 Points
Similar to my other bottle. A BIG wine!
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11/17/2008 - nectar14 wrote: 92 Points
Dark in color, still showing an assertive nose of leather, hot rocks, blackberry, and a hint of barnyard. Full body in the mouth with fairly intense fruit. Very slightly hot on the finish, but overall this has good balance and persistence. Yummy.
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11/9/2008 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
This wine is starting to mature but is still showing young even with a 3 hour decant. Another beautiful syrah by Mike. So happy I have a bunch of them
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11/8/2008 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Lots of brambly dark fruit in this wine. Big WOW factor. I wish I had a half dozen more of these!!!
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11/8/2008 - brownman6 wrote: 89 Points
deep fruit very enjoyable, want more
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10/12/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: flawed
Just a kiss of corking.
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7/17/2008 - cookie7 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes. Big wines, lots of black pepper and very spicy. Worked well with a tri-tip. Great QPR.
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7/12/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 87 Points
nose of vanilla, blueberry and herbs. fruit forward mouth, blueberry milkshake and a touch of heat. medium long finish.
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7/1/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 90 Points
deep dark fruit, blackberry blueberry and espresso. nice attack but very concentrated and brooding. more espresso and a little heat.
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2/23/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Decided to revisit following my unbridled enthusiasm for the 2005 Carlisle RRV. Wanting to see if the DC would beat the RRV, I have to say 'no'. Don't mistake, this is a tremendous wine and while I felt that the DC would beat the RRV, after tasting them both again, my nod goes to the RRV. So what about the DC? Pepper on the nose and a bit of fruit bowl. The palate is nice mix of blue, red and black fruit, concentrated and delicious. Game and pepper reinforce the palate, and as I remarked last time, same with this experience......the wine would be a ringer for me of a Garys' bottling. Spicy finish and meaty....I'd not think warm climate (DC) fruit. Some of the density and depth I remarked on before I woulld edit down some. The structure and acidity of the finish suggests further aging. A close chase but still my wine of 2005 for Carlisle is the RRV. P.S. Leslie Fisher liked it, too.
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2/2/2008 - tcfishler wrote: 92 Points
Shows meaty and decidedly not fruit-driven in its expression on the first day, although some definable fruit component does eventually take shape on the fifth and sixth days after opening. Also some chili con carne and black olive-heavy tapenade nicely sweetened by oak is present. The ripeness really is apparent in the mouth, however, with serious New World weight showing, although this never even approaches the line separating impressive from over-the-top (and there's no hint of the 15.9% ABV either). Great length caps off a much-too-young Syrah that's simultaneously distinctive and classy.
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1/13/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
This is some great juice. Further, the style of this syrah is the very reason I drink CA syrah and find it to be the #1 varietal of choice for my own cellar. When the bottle was first opened, it smelled a little reduced but once into the decanter, the reduction went away within about 10 mins. At one hour of being open, the wine settles in with a distinct floral component and a molten quality. Palate tastes inky, almost like a Garys' syrah with that BBQ/A-1 type of sauce feel, along with tar and melted licorice. In fact, the expressiveness of the fruit here could me mistaken for a petite, along with the color and intensity. Finally, some faint black pepper and stone fruit pit is also in the wine but it's pure dark fruit to be sure--blackberry delicious. Having drank an '05 Carlilse RRV last week, this Dry Creek is even better.
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12/26/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
a fruit conicopia. frech ripe blueberries, blackberries and cherry. a little vanilla. similar profile in the mouth. no decernable heat.
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11/21/2007 - Screameagle wrote: 93 Points
Still a baby this great syrah is drinking great already. Starts with an amazing nose and very dark color this syrah is a beauty. Enjoyable now this wine should improve over the next five years and hold for another five years at least. One of the best of Mike's syrahs I've ever consumed and I've been drinking them back to the first Sonoma.
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8/29/2007 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Another impressive syrah from Mike. As good as he is with old vine zin, I believe he is amazing producer of syrah. A full-bodied rich effort, with blackberries, blueberries, smoke, and roasted meats. This wines broods and while being rich and full, it is not an in your face effort. I find it very hard to keep from touching my Carlisle wines because they always deliver.
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7/19/2007 - Spencer wrote: 90 Points
Big (of course), but surprisingly well-balanced, with just a trace of heat on the finish. Complex, jam-packed (pun intended) with fruit. Great nose.
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7/11/2007 - PinotFan wrote:
Against my better judgement I opened this for our 8th anniversary and our son's 1st birthday. I usually like to give Carlisle more age, and wish I had done so here. Very tight, tannic and I picked up a lot of heat. The heat seemed to wear off a bit as it opened up after about an hour and a half, but I was still mad at myself. This needs at least another year, possibly two, to settle down.
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6/11/2007 - Ekoostik wrote: 91 Points
Very nice syrah. Red fruits, excellent purity and a full on the palate to the finish. It does finish a tad hot though.
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3/25/2007 - nectar14 wrote: 94 Points
It's easy to tell that the 2005 syrahs will outperform the '05 zins... This was great. Purple-black in color with a nice nose of smoked meat, dusty earth, blackberry, and leather. Full and rich but not heavy in the mouth, it opened up over several hours and was a lovely, balanced wine. Plenty of smooth tannin; this should age well for at least 5-8 years or so.
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