Drank this alongside an '07 Chapoutier SJ Granits and it was an interesting comparison. The Carlisle (which I popped first) didn't come across as particularly sweet or at all meretricious, until by comparison. Then I started to appreciate that its nose of blueberries, sarsaparilla, and dark berries was rather more forward than the Chapoutier. The palate the wine showed nice balance, moderate acidity and a touch of hoisin, but also a greater sense of sweetness. This is wine holding up and showing quite well (I am surprised to see 2013 as CT users' long stop date for this wine; it's in a great place now but I don't see it declining for another 3-4 years), and is a serious wine that both stands alone and plays nicely with food. The fact that it was different to Chapoutier's Granits should not suggest that it was inferior, only different.
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Wow - gorgeous concentrated, wide ranging and exotic aromas of black fruit, asphalt, stems, five-spice, cloves, smoke and pepper. Palate is medium to full bodied with smooth and polished black fruit. Crunchy acidity provides freshness, lift and balance. There is incredible persistence and poise in the long multi-flavored finish.
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This punches so far over it's weight class - just ridiculous. Nose is lifted and complex with pure, focused black fruit, incense, smoked meat and spice. Palate has medium-to-full body with round, lightly rich fruit and juicy acidity. Long, persistent finish. Great on its own and great with food.
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- Garnet color and has flavours of blackberry - Very nice still. I would say a few years left. Decanted for 2 hours before we had with a nice tri-tip... Really came into its own an hour later Big, smoky, black fruit and peppery spice.. Great Carlisle syrah
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Cork popped after 3 days of a glass being Coravin'd. Camphor, smoke and meat on the nose. Mocha, chocolate and spice on the concentrated palate. Drinking well now and probably will continue to drink well for another 5+ years.
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Truly delicious. A great bottle of wine with lots of fruit and finesse in spite of very high alcoholic content (15.7%). I actually think this still has some time left, so I'll leave my other bottles sitting down for at least a little while.
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Inky purple. Big, luscious and bold nose of black fruit, smoke, tar, violets, forest floor, spice and toast. Palate is rich and juicy. Bold and large scaled black fruits coat the palate - with a lightness and balance. Very long. What wine -- plays so far above it's pay grade!
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Still wonderful....inky black red, nose of spice with long finish and freat structure while still giving a full fruity and earthy mouthful, soft tannins on the ending.
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Excellent combo of fruit and tannins that goes well with food. Caught 5 rattlesnakes, mountain biked, and had with an Alban Lorraine. Life doesn't suck !!!!
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Opened last night, finished tonight. I really enjoyed the smoke, bacon fat and bright flavors of this wine. Big in tone, it is. But it doesn't get out of whack or become unbalanced and this is the same way this wine showed 2-3 years ago, the way if left such an impression on me back then, as it does now. Of the AVA based syrahs Mike has made over the years, and we can discuss the same 2007 version of this wine as being a terrific value, I don't think the 2007 will match this wine for the acid it still shows, the espresso and dark flavors. I'll always have a fond place for this bottling, as this is my last bottle and we served it for my buddy's birthday, and it didnt disappoint. Great bottle.
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Deep, dark purple color. Intoxicating nose with smoked meat, bacon fat, black pepper, blackberries, blueberries, and fresh cut flowers. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Still tastes very young on the palate with the tannins and acidity kicking at at the back end. Juicy, spicy finish that gets clipped a bit by the tannins and acidity. Running late so I didn't decant but this really could have used an hour or two of air. Keep remaining bottles for at least another couple of years before trying another. Loads of upside.
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Absolutely rocking! Blueberry, blackberry, and bacon fat goodness. No heat, fully integrated bliss. Even the wife who only likes pinot was digging this.
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A simply spectacular showing. Soaring aromatics from the pop n' pour get go - black fruit, smoke, tar, bacon fat, black pepper and floral notes. Palate has medium rich fruit balanced by acidic grip and structure. Mid-palate is plush yet firm. Chock-full of flavor. Long, juicy and flavorful finish. This was bangin' from start to finish over ~6 hours. I gotta believe it has a long aging arc ahead.
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Really delicious. Dark purple color. Smoked meat, deep crushed dark fruit on the palate and a touch of salinity. This is lush and delicious on the palate. Nip of heat. Nicely concentration but lacked that extra bit of complexity on the palate. Very nice wine!
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Another great Carlisle wine! Upon opening the nose presented rich dark fruits with underlying notes of meat and subtle pepper. The taste reaffirmed the nose with lavish blackberry and blueberry fruit followed by undertones of white pepper and mild bacon fat. I also detected subtle asian spice on the back end. The tannis are extremely ripe and polished at this point. No need to decant. I also noticed that some of the wines complexity faded a bit as the night went on. This would suggest the wine is at it's peak right now and should be consumed soon.
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Really enjoyable puzzling deep and rich Syrah that was very pleasant but elicited contemplation, probably sensing the other varietals mixed in this blend. Sweet overtones to the smoky dusky quality of the nose, fore taste fruit that breaks easily through a dustiness, ripening to full blue and black fruit with just enough sweetness to give dimension, tannins are strong but not gripping and provide a nice long edged finish. Great total experience, rich and fulfilling.
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Great nose of meat and smoke with dark fruit. The palate follows the nose. After a few hours the fruit is still very much there with a touch of chocolate. It felt nice and smooth. Did give it about an hour decant and drank over a few hours. Thank you FCMIII for sharing this bottle.
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My second to last bottle. Surprised that this wine tasted as youthful as it did, as I expected more age from it. The aromatics on this wine are really beautiful, with a load of bacon fat, some flower and hint of smoke. The palate is not as dark as I thought I recalled, and still showing a lively mix of darker, smokier fruit and a medium + weight. I would have liked to have sat with a glass of this 24 hours later, to really gauge it but we drained it next to the 05 KB 4 Barrel. Not a bad evening. My last bottle of this wine will go in 2011. I think it oughta be in a prime window by then.
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Very similar to my previous note, this wine is very steady. The nose is really what shines here, smokey, just a touch of earth and meat with overflowing fruit. This bottle didnt really show evolution though like the last, still showed extremely young. Very nice, drink or hold.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Nose of blackberries, meat and earth. Black cherry on the initial palate with a ginish of black pepper and spiciness. Very enjoyable.
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Needless to say, the wine was drinking great, with a smokey nose and loads of dark, fresh fruit. The finish in my glass Friday was a bit tight, but after resting overnight, the rest of the bottle had a smooth, full finish with great body and nice notes of the fruit and smoke. I have 2 more of these in the cellar to enjoy down the road. These should easily go for a few more years.
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Opaque purple in the glass. Meaty nose with secondary herb notes coming through. Dark fruit steps up on the palate, along with bacon fat and some smoke; the herbal notes also take a more prominent role. It's a little tight if you pop and pour, but some decanting, or in our case a spin through the Vinturi, and its raring to go. Drink or hold for 2-3 years.
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Mike's wines are in my wheelhouse these days. Full bodied, balanced and exquisite friut. Lengthy, seamless finish. Can't wait to have the rest of the bottle tomorrow.
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On the nose this one seems to be evolving a bit. I was actually getting a mini version of grapefruit on the nose as well. Real evolution not evident anywhere else though really. The rest...well its really a pretty typical Carlisle syrah, stacked and packed yet somehow light on its feet. Nice overall.
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Dark purple color. On the nose, notes of licorice and blackberry. Blackberry and blueberry flavors. Nice acidity. This is still pretty tight and could use another 12 months in the cellar. Nice now but I think it has room to improve.
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I posted on this wine out of the bottle with a 1-2 hour splash decant last night. Stored a half bottle sans oxygen for 24 hours. It was different wine. It integrated nicely. The touch of heat and roughness last night was gone. The fruit had emerged. A very good wine... and for the the price, an outstanding wine. To get a better syrah you pay 2x the price. This is a terrific every day go to wine when it matures. I still think 2011 is the time for the next bottle. I can't wait to try some of Mike's SVD Syrahs.
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Decanted with lots of aeration. Tannic and young, dark fruit hiding in there. Over a couple of hours it relaxed a little, but was still tight. Saved half a bottle for a followup. Needs time. Has potential but can't see where it is going yet.
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A lifted nose of incense, plum roasted in meat juices, a cherry top-note and camphor. Smooth, silky, dense but alive. Flavors of blackcurrant and grilled meat. Powerful, black peppery finish, with a black olive note, no heat and a little stoniness. Will improve with another 2-3 years.
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Quick decant then consumed over 3-4 hours in the snowstorm. Definitely got that meaty, bacony component on the nose as well as the palate, but also blackberry and blueberry fruits, smoke and a hint of flowers. This was wonderful and improved with each glass.
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Continuing my roll towards WOTY, up next is this one. Having followed the 2005 Switchback Ridge Petite, maybe not a fair fight, although it's been 5 days since that bottle so we'll call it fair! Dark color, darker than I recall the last time. What stands for me this time on the nose is bacon fat. Did not note that last time but the more I swirl now, the more it floats out of the glass, along with the flowery component and some pepper, too. Medium to full bodied, with lots of bluberry and blackberry, but still fairly tight, even at the 3 hour mark from being open. Game, licorice, acidity, some chocolate and char to the finish and it's all here. The acidity and structure calls for more cellar time so I will keep this wine locked down for another 18 months before I hit the next bottle. Complexity, aromatics, structure, color: it's all here.
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I opened this 2 hours before a wine dinner I tasted a bit of chocolate upon opening. At dinner, this wine had a great smell. Hmmm. The wine was a nice dark purple color, but no tannins to talk about upon tasting..Very smooth and rich. At the 3 hour mark the wine got a little sweeter. At the 4 hour mark it was really smoking. My travel/wine friends kept saying how good the Carlisle was! I was glad that I opened the wine prior to dinner.
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Aromas of fresh meat, pine resins, cranberry currant reduction. In the mouth, silky, full-bodied, full-throttled wine. Blackberries, menthol and spices over rose petals.
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Well, missed my supposed summer bbq with this wine...but bottoms up on the last bottle - my notes from last October indicated this couldn't get better, we'll see...
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Inky, almost black in color. Spicey, white-hot pepper with long, heated finish. Drank with dessert - double-chocolate, warm cake brought out the jammy, blackberry notes. Impressive.
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CA Syrah(Alcina, Carlisle, A. West) Dinner with Aaron and Cheryl; 4/26/2008-4/27/2008 (Count's Manor): needs time. wven with a decant of close to an hour and a half or was it 2? this was very young - rich powerfull wine but excellently balanced. chocolate, black fruit, finish reinded me of a young zin - touch of that bramble note. lots of potential - but i would keep away from the wine for a few years - just not giving its all tonight.
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Scholium, Alcina, Carlisle, August West at Mikhail's Home (Queens, NY): This was my second Carlisle of the weekend and my wine of the weekend as well. I loved it. It was a gorgeous, dark, dark purple. Balanced, blackberries, and nice medium length finish. While it might get better with age, I think it is fantastic now. Thanks, Aaron!
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Drank over V-Day dinner last night, as well as enjoying more of the bottle tonight. This is really a stunning example of CA syrah--dark dense color, deep flavors and rich fruit. Shows a flowery expressive nose, along with some pepper. A gamy, black and blue filled palate, reminding me a lot of SLH styled fruit, like a Garys'. Reflects a good dose of chocolate and char (some new wood poking through) and then a finishing note of nice acidity. For me, this is why I drink CA syrah and champion it as my favorite varietal. As of now, this is my current contender for WOTY--yes, it's early in 2008 but it will hold the crown until something else can steal it away. $32 and worth every penny.
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Deep dark red. Almost black. Smell is chocolate, smoke and vanilla. White pepper. Slight alcohol smell. Taste is spice, pepper, cherry, and chocolate. Mouth coating tannins. Smooth, thick wine. Nice.
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Decanted for 90 minutes, consumed over the following three hours.
On the nose, pepper, smoke and blackberries. On the palate, full bodied with lots of blackberries, coffee and chocolate, with a fairly tannic finish with some pepper. Over time, the finish kept lengthening, and the flavors took on more definition. Very nice wine, not at all jammy, and may improve in the short term.
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Typical outstanding Carlisle that balances qualities of plushness, power, style. A big wine that never shows it's heat and is the antithesis of clumsy, it is full of blackberry, smoke, coffee, and violets.
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Decanted for 45 minutes then drank half bottle over 2 hour period. Very nice entry with fairly fruity nose and palate. Enjoyable. Smooth, fairly rich and full bodied. Not cloying or jammy like a lot of Cal Syrahs can be to me.
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Pepper and smoke on the nose, dark inky/grapey black fruit and some glycerine. Finish is short (but only open for 10 mins, forgive the comment) but for the factor of dark and black fruit factor, this wine is huge. Reminds me on opening of the aromatics of a Rosella's. As the wine sits for another 30 mins, the finish starts to fill in and a nice brushstroke of chocolate begins to create the finish for the wine.
Over the next 2 nights as I finished the bottle, the wine showed terrific, with melted licorice, dark chocolate, pure blackberry shaded with a note of peppery red fruit. I love the density of this wine and the way the flavors mix and express themselves. As for a drinking window on this wine, I can offer up that this wine drinks well now and while there may be some softening of some of the baby fat and density of the wine, I say why waste that pleasure from the youthfulness it shows? Age if you wish but please yourself now and enjoy this dark beauty.
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15.7% alcohol... Decanted this one for about 45 minutes, though the aromas flying out of the decanter were quite tempting...sweet smoke, roasted and grilled meat, sweet oak, a nose that you just want to enjoy - never needing to taste the wine...full throttle, full-bodied, rich, medium tannins, velvety, long, petrol, dried earth, smoke, sweet and intense fruit - what is so great about this wine are all the smoke/meat secondary flavors/aromas in the wine. This wine is ready to go, can't imagine what will happen to make it "better". Might save the next/last bottle for barbecue next summer...
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A tale of two wines...or I have never heard of a wine requiring such long aeration. Opened on Thursday, this was basically undrinkable. Searing heat, thin, disjointed fruit. After forcing down a glass, I corked and stuck in the fridge. I got busy for a few days and forgot about this wine. My wife had a glass on Friday, with similar results. Finally, I got back around to finishing off the last half of the bottle on Sunday evening. What a difference four days makes. Now, it was round, lush, and balanced, with no signs of heat, great syrah fruit, and a tarry earth complexity.
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The color was purple/ blue. The nose was filled with earth, smoke, and dark berries. The palate, long and complex, echoed the aromatics in addition to having cutting acidity and some alcoholic heat. The wine was lighter than usual and didn’t have the density I’ve come to expect form Carlisle. Still, it was a very enjoyable drink.
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What a great wine. Upon pouring this was quite possibly the purple-ist wine I have ever encountered, it was a beautiful sight. Thick blackberries on the nose and palate. A touch of smoke and some spiciness. Voluptuous mouthfeel. No noticeable tannins, fruit big and beautiful. Drinking very well now and should age very nicely. At two hours open (this was not decanted, popped & poured), I am getting subtle cigar box in the back round. The fruit on the nose is so pure, it such a turn on. Carries the 15.7% alcohol impeccably well. Kudos to Mike officer!
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Split score with this as it varied significantly from day 1 to day 2: On day 1, it was popped and poured and was great. It had aromas of blackberries, earth, and smoke and a wonderful thickness and richness in the mouth. On day two, there was a coarse oak flavor and aroma that arrived and the wine lost some of its richness. There was plenty of tannin and good concentration, so maybe this wine just needs to figure itself out over the next couple of years.
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Nice red fruit. A little worriesome too me was the oak (which hasnt bothered me in the past from Carlisle) and some heat on the finish. Im confident the oak will interate but the heat??? Still a fun drink that will hopefully be better in 2-3 years.
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I thought this wine was amazing--great complexity with an explosion of flavors, but it was not overwhelming - still balanced. Had it alongside the 04 Dry Creek Valley Syrah. This was better.
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Popped and poured based upon the recent Tanzer review, which claimed this was ready to go. A beautiful saturated violet color. A fascinated nose that combines a bass, barrel sample element of dark chocolate and roasting coffee bean, along with heavily perfumed, floral wild red berries, graphite and cola. Initially there was a slight skunky, burnt rubber edge that faded quickly. Dense, creamy mouthfeel, with coffee, dark berry and earthy minerals. The finish shows lots of acid lift and slightly coarse tannin. Rather cool climate in profile, full of interest and in need of at least two years.
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Popped and poured with no decant first night. Big blast of fruit, maybe a bit too much but paired well with bbq burgers. Second night this really showed its potential. Very dark purple in glass, nice dark fruit, full nose. Big, full, round blast of creamy fruit with a good 30 second finish. No harshness or sign of tannins at this point. My first Carlisle and boy did I like this a lot!
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10/13/2015 - tbone wrote:
Insanely sweet for me on this night. Tried with food and without. 1 dimensional sugar shack. Giving it another night and hoping it calms down. Yikes!
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10/12/2015 - jsebiri wrote:
nicely done , a bit spicier than it was 3 years ago , but still very nice wine , cant seem to go wrong with this wine
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9/19/2015 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
BLACKBERRIES, LEATHER AND EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. BLACK CHERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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5/23/2015 - ParisWino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank this alongside an '07 Chapoutier SJ Granits and it was an interesting comparison. The Carlisle (which I popped first) didn't come across as particularly sweet or at all meretricious, until by comparison. Then I started to appreciate that its nose of blueberries, sarsaparilla, and dark berries was rather more forward than the Chapoutier. The palate the wine showed nice balance, moderate acidity and a touch of hoisin, but also a greater sense of sweetness. This is wine holding up and showing quite well (I am surprised to see 2013 as CT users' long stop date for this wine; it's in a great place now but I don't see it declining for another 3-4 years), and is a serious wine that both stands alone and plays nicely with food. The fact that it was different to Chapoutier's Granits should not suggest that it was inferior, only different.
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3/13/2015 - Nanda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow - gorgeous concentrated, wide ranging and exotic aromas of black fruit, asphalt, stems, five-spice, cloves, smoke and pepper. Palate is medium to full bodied with smooth and polished black fruit. Crunchy acidity provides freshness, lift and balance. There is incredible persistence and poise in the long multi-flavored finish.
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2/19/2015 - Spencer wrote:
Bleh. 15.7% and you can taste every bit of it. Monolithic, ponderous and difficult to drink more than 1 glass.
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1/20/2015 - jsg12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Full bodied fruit with boysenberry, blueberry undertones. An amazing fruit bomb with great tannins and a long finish. Loved it.
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11/23/2014 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
This punches so far over it's weight class - just ridiculous. Nose is lifted and complex with pure, focused black fruit, incense, smoked meat and spice. Palate has medium-to-full body with round, lightly rich fruit and juicy acidity. Long, persistent finish. Great on its own and great with food.
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5/19/2014 - Jettoy1992 wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color and has flavours of blackberry - Very nice still. I would say a few years left. Decanted for 2 hours before we had with a nice tri-tip... Really came into its own an hour later Big, smoky, black fruit and peppery spice.. Great Carlisle syrah
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1/18/2014 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Cork popped after 3 days of a glass being Coravin'd. Camphor, smoke and meat on the nose. Mocha, chocolate and spice on the concentrated palate. Drinking well now and probably will continue to drink well for another 5+ years.
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11/21/2013 - JayAAllen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Truly delicious. A great bottle of wine with lots of fruit and finesse in spite of very high alcoholic content (15.7%). I actually think this still has some time left, so I'll leave my other bottles sitting down for at least a little while.
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9/27/2012 - jsebiri wrote:
this wine is always a crowd pleaser with our friends
very sweet and ripe , ready to drink , massive wine , nose is very full of berries
tastes good all the time , very nice
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2/16/2012 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Full bodied, flavorful modern wine. Lots of blackberries and toasty spice.
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11/17/2011 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
Inky purple. Big, luscious and bold nose of black fruit, smoke, tar, violets, forest floor, spice and toast. Palate is rich and juicy. Bold and large scaled black fruits coat the palate - with a lightness and balance. Very long. What wine -- plays so far above it's pay grade!
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11/13/2011 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Still wonderful....inky black red, nose of spice with long finish and freat structure while still giving a full fruity and earthy mouthful, soft tannins on the ending.
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10/4/2011 - theferb wrote: 93 Points
lots of hickory and smokey flavor. almost a bacon flavor.
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9/16/2011 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 88 Points
Very stinky nose. On the palate it was one dimensional and hot.
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7/17/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Excellent combo of fruit and tannins that goes well with food. Caught 5 rattlesnakes, mountain biked, and had with an Alban Lorraine. Life doesn't suck !!!!
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7/3/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Opened last night, finished tonight. I really enjoyed the smoke, bacon fat and bright flavors of this wine. Big in tone, it is. But it doesn't get out of whack or become unbalanced and this is the same way this wine showed 2-3 years ago, the way if left such an impression on me back then, as it does now. Of the AVA based syrahs Mike has made over the years, and we can discuss the same 2007 version of this wine as being a terrific value, I don't think the 2007 will match this wine for the acid it still shows, the espresso and dark flavors. I'll always have a fond place for this bottling, as this is my last bottle and we served it for my buddy's birthday, and it didnt disappoint. Great bottle.
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4/21/2011 - ogres3 wrote:
Vibrant, smooth, nice finish. Not sure the nose is unique but an excellent wine.
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4/2/2011 - cbbrown3 wrote: 93 Points
Deep, dark purple color. Intoxicating nose with smoked meat, bacon fat, black pepper, blackberries, blueberries, and fresh cut flowers. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and very nice acidity. Still tastes very young on the palate with the tannins and acidity kicking at at the back end. Juicy, spicy finish that gets clipped a bit by the tannins and acidity. Running late so I didn't decant but this really could have used an hour or two of air. Keep remaining bottles for at least another couple of years before trying another. Loads of upside.
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2/7/2011 - atun53 wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely rocking! Blueberry, blackberry, and bacon fat goodness. No heat, fully integrated bliss. Even the wife who only likes pinot was digging this.
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1/13/2011 - Nanda wrote: 94 Points
A simply spectacular showing. Soaring aromatics from the pop n' pour get go - black fruit, smoke, tar, bacon fat, black pepper and floral notes. Palate has medium rich fruit balanced by acidic grip and structure. Mid-palate is plush yet firm. Chock-full of flavor. Long, juicy and flavorful finish. This was bangin' from start to finish over ~6 hours. I gotta believe it has a long aging arc ahead.
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1/4/2011 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 93 Points
Simply delicious right after decant, beautiful nose, rich full bodied syrah with a medium to lingering finish. Enjoyed by all.
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7/22/2010 - jrobs7777 wrote: 91 Points
Really delicious. Dark purple color. Smoked meat, deep crushed dark fruit on the palate and a touch of salinity. This is lush and delicious on the palate. Nip of heat. Nicely concentration but lacked that extra bit of complexity on the palate. Very nice wine!
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7/18/2010 - jce733 wrote: 93 Points
Another great Carlisle wine! Upon opening the nose presented rich dark fruits with underlying notes of meat and subtle pepper. The taste reaffirmed the nose with lavish blackberry and blueberry fruit followed by undertones of white pepper and mild bacon fat. I also detected subtle asian spice on the back end. The tannis are extremely ripe and polished at this point. No need to decant. I also noticed that some of the wines complexity faded a bit as the night went on. This would suggest the wine is at it's peak right now and should be consumed soon.
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5/1/2010 - JBD wrote: 90 Points
This was excellent
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3/10/2010 - caboychuck wrote:
Tar and black fruit on the nose. Man is this tasty stuff. Dark fruit, an earthiness and slight trace of the tar, plus a little smoke.
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3/9/2010 - Blcmdpa@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyable puzzling deep and rich Syrah that was very pleasant but elicited contemplation, probably sensing the other varietals mixed in this blend. Sweet overtones to the smoky dusky quality of the nose, fore taste fruit that breaks easily through a dustiness, ripening to full blue and black fruit with just enough sweetness to give dimension, tannins are strong but not gripping and provide a nice long edged finish. Great total experience, rich and fulfilling.
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2/20/2010 - SPK wrote:
Great nose of meat and smoke with dark fruit. The palate follows the nose. After a few hours the fruit is still very much there with a touch of chocolate. It felt nice and smooth. Did give it about an hour decant and drank over a few hours. Thank you FCMIII for sharing this bottle.
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2/20/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
My second to last bottle. Surprised that this wine tasted as youthful as it did, as I expected more age from it. The aromatics on this wine are really beautiful, with a load of bacon fat, some flower and hint of smoke. The palate is not as dark as I thought I recalled, and still showing a lively mix of darker, smokier fruit and a medium + weight. I would have liked to have sat with a glass of this 24 hours later, to really gauge it but we drained it next to the 05 KB 4 Barrel. Not a bad evening. My last bottle of this wine will go in 2011. I think it oughta be in a prime window by then.
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1/17/2010 - Ekoostik wrote: 90 Points
Very similar to my previous note, this wine is very steady. The nose is really what shines here, smokey, just a touch of earth and meat with overflowing fruit. This bottle didnt really show evolution though like the last, still showed extremely young. Very nice, drink or hold.
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1/15/2010 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Nose of blackberries, meat and earth. Black cherry on the initial palate with a ginish of black pepper and spiciness. Very enjoyable.
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12/18/2009 - Mike Stoneking wrote:
Needless to say, the wine was drinking great, with a smokey nose and loads of dark, fresh fruit. The finish in my glass Friday was a bit tight, but after resting overnight, the rest of the bottle had a smooth, full finish with great body and nice notes of the fruit and smoke. I have 2 more of these in the cellar to enjoy down the road. These should easily go for a few more years.
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10/25/2009 - Haltermr wrote: 91 Points
Notes similar to last time. Delicious.
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9/5/2009 - windypinot wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed over two days; full flavored wine, but not very distinctive
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7/17/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 91 Points
15.7% ABV. Smoky coffee nose initially. Dark rich fruit tending toward black raspberry? Concentrated with nice length.
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7/16/2009 - mebydef wrote: 92 Points
Very nice, much like the first bottle but settled a bit more. Very floral with good mineral. Length and mouth feel were excellent.
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6/7/2009 - T.J.Burn wrote: 91 Points
Opaque purple in the glass. Meaty nose with secondary herb notes coming through. Dark fruit steps up on the palate, along with bacon fat and some smoke; the herbal notes also take a more prominent role. It's a little tight if you pop and pour, but some decanting, or in our case a spin through the Vinturi, and its raring to go. Drink or hold for 2-3 years.
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4/14/2009 - glg wrote: 93 Points
Mike's wines are in my wheelhouse these days. Full bodied, balanced and exquisite friut. Lengthy, seamless finish. Can't wait to have the rest of the bottle tomorrow.
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4/12/2009 - Ekoostik wrote: 90 Points
On the nose this one seems to be evolving a bit. I was actually getting a mini version of grapefruit on the nose as well. Real evolution not evident anywhere else though really. The rest...well its really a pretty typical Carlisle syrah, stacked and packed yet somehow light on its feet. Nice overall.
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4/5/2009 - depdoc wrote: 90 Points
Has the nose of a chatauneuf. Long finish. Well balanced.
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3/7/2009 - wdb001 wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple color. On the nose, notes of licorice and blackberry. Blackberry and blueberry flavors. Nice acidity. This is still pretty tight and could use another 12 months in the cellar. Nice now but I think it has room to improve.
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2/8/2009 - depdoc wrote: 90 Points
gigantic mouthful of blackberry that goes on and on. Truly massive.
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1/31/2009 - Redwonk wrote: 90 Points
I posted on this wine out of the bottle with a 1-2 hour splash decant last night. Stored a half bottle sans oxygen for 24 hours. It was different wine. It integrated nicely. The touch of heat and roughness last night was gone. The fruit had emerged. A very good wine... and for the the price, an outstanding wine. To get a better syrah you pay 2x the price. This is a terrific every day go to wine when it matures. I still think 2011 is the time for the next bottle. I can't wait to try some of Mike's SVD Syrahs.
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1/31/2009 - Redwonk wrote: 84 Points
Decanted with lots of aeration. Tannic and young, dark fruit hiding in there. Over a couple of hours it relaxed a little, but was still tight. Saved half a bottle for a followup. Needs time. Has potential but can't see where it is going yet.
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1/27/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
A lifted nose of incense, plum roasted in meat juices, a cherry top-note and camphor. Smooth, silky, dense but alive. Flavors of blackcurrant and grilled meat. Powerful, black peppery finish, with a black olive note, no heat and a little stoniness. Will improve with another 2-3 years.
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12/20/2008 - shapida wrote:
Quick decant then consumed over 3-4 hours in the snowstorm. Definitely got that meaty, bacony component on the nose as well as the palate, but also blackberry and blueberry fruits, smoke and a hint of flowers. This was wonderful and improved with each glass.
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11/27/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Continuing my roll towards WOTY, up next is this one. Having followed the 2005 Switchback Ridge Petite, maybe not a fair fight, although it's been 5 days since that bottle so we'll call it fair! Dark color, darker than I recall the last time. What stands for me this time on the nose is bacon fat. Did not note that last time but the more I swirl now, the more it floats out of the glass, along with the flowery component and some pepper, too. Medium to full bodied, with lots of bluberry and blackberry, but still fairly tight, even at the 3 hour mark from being open. Game, licorice, acidity, some chocolate and char to the finish and it's all here. The acidity and structure calls for more cellar time so I will keep this wine locked down for another 18 months before I hit the next bottle. Complexity, aromatics, structure, color: it's all here.
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10/13/2008 - dhammer53 wrote: 91 Points
I opened this 2 hours before a wine dinner I tasted a bit of chocolate upon opening. At dinner, this wine had a great smell. Hmmm. The wine was a nice dark purple color, but no tannins to talk about upon tasting..Very smooth and rich. At the 3 hour mark the wine got a little sweeter. At the 4 hour mark it was really smoking. My travel/wine friends kept saying how good the Carlisle was! I was glad that I opened the wine prior to dinner.
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10/3/2008 - Ali wrote: 82 Points
This bottle was harsh and alcoholic
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9/26/2008 - tairanosaurus wrote: 91 Points
Aromas of fresh meat, pine resins, cranberry currant reduction. In the mouth, silky, full-bodied, full-throttled wine. Blackberries, menthol and spices over rose petals.
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9/1/2008 - CO CHRIS wrote:
Well, missed my supposed summer bbq with this wine...but bottoms up on the last bottle - my notes from last October indicated this couldn't get better, we'll see...
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9/1/2008 - raydawgone wrote: 92 Points
Inky, almost black in color. Spicey, white-hot pepper with long, heated finish. Drank with dessert - double-chocolate, warm cake brought out the jammy, blackberry notes. Impressive.
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6/29/2008 - win wrote: 94 Points
Very expressive Syrah -- deep red, great aromas of blackberries and raspberries, with a hint of vanilla. Smooth finish--very impressive.
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5/12/2008 - Tintin wrote: 90 Points
Dark, rich, and full of fruit. Increased in complexity and intensity on night 2.
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4/27/2008 - Mlermontov wrote: 92 Points
CA Syrah(Alcina, Carlisle, A. West) Dinner with Aaron and Cheryl; 4/26/2008-4/27/2008 (Count's Manor): needs time. wven with a decant of close to an hour and a half or was it 2? this was very young - rich powerfull wine but excellently balanced. chocolate, black fruit, finish reinded me of a young zin - touch of that bramble note. lots of potential - but i would keep away from the wine for a few years - just not giving its all tonight.
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4/26/2008 - Cheryl wrote:
Scholium, Alcina, Carlisle, August West at Mikhail's Home (Queens, NY): This was my second Carlisle of the weekend and my wine of the weekend as well. I loved it. It was a gorgeous, dark, dark purple. Balanced, blackberries, and nice medium length finish. While it might get better with age, I think it is fantastic now. Thanks, Aaron!
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2/15/2008 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Drank over V-Day dinner last night, as well as enjoying more of the bottle tonight. This is really a stunning example of CA syrah--dark dense color, deep flavors and rich fruit. Shows a flowery expressive nose, along with some pepper. A gamy, black and blue filled palate, reminding me a lot of SLH styled fruit, like a Garys'. Reflects a good dose of chocolate and char (some new wood poking through) and then a finishing note of nice acidity. For me, this is why I drink CA syrah and champion it as my favorite varietal. As of now, this is my current contender for WOTY--yes, it's early in 2008 but it will hold the crown until something else can steal it away. $32 and worth every penny.
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1/19/2008 - NolesOnTop wrote:
Deep dark red. Almost black. Smell is chocolate, smoke and vanilla. White pepper. Slight alcohol smell. Taste is spice, pepper, cherry, and chocolate. Mouth coating tannins. Smooth, thick wine. Nice.
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1/18/2008 - SacredCow wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes, consumed over the following three hours.
On the nose, pepper, smoke and blackberries. On the palate, full bodied with lots of blackberries, coffee and chocolate, with a fairly tannic finish with some pepper. Over time, the finish kept lengthening, and the flavors took on more definition. Very nice wine, not at all jammy, and may improve in the short term.
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1/18/2008 - Haltermr wrote: 91 Points
Typical outstanding Carlisle that balances qualities of plushness, power, style. A big wine that never shows it's heat and is the antithesis of clumsy, it is full of blackberry, smoke, coffee, and violets.
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1/18/2008 - tbone wrote:
Decanted for 45 minutes then drank half bottle over 2 hour period. Very nice entry with fairly fruity nose and palate. Enjoyable. Smooth, fairly rich and full bodied. Not cloying or jammy like a lot of Cal Syrahs can be to me.
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12/30/2007 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Pepper and smoke on the nose, dark inky/grapey black fruit and some glycerine. Finish is short (but only open for 10 mins, forgive the comment) but for the factor of dark and black fruit factor, this wine is huge. Reminds me on opening of the aromatics of a Rosella's. As the wine sits for another 30 mins, the finish starts to fill in and a nice brushstroke of chocolate begins to create the finish for the wine.
Over the next 2 nights as I finished the bottle, the wine showed terrific, with melted licorice, dark chocolate, pure blackberry shaded with a note of peppery red fruit. I love the density of this wine and the way the flavors mix and express themselves. As for a drinking window on this wine, I can offer up that this wine drinks well now and while there may be some softening of some of the baby fat and density of the wine, I say why waste that pleasure from the youthfulness it shows? Age if you wish but please yourself now and enjoy this dark beauty.
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10/14/2007 - CO CHRIS wrote: 93 Points
15.7% alcohol...
Decanted this one for about 45 minutes, though the aromas flying out of the decanter were quite tempting...sweet smoke, roasted and grilled meat, sweet oak, a nose that you just want to enjoy - never needing to taste the wine...full throttle, full-bodied, rich, medium tannins, velvety, long, petrol, dried earth, smoke, sweet and intense fruit - what is so great about this wine are all the smoke/meat secondary flavors/aromas in the wine. This wine is ready to go, can't imagine what will happen to make it "better". Might save the next/last bottle for barbecue next summer...
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10/5/2007 - klmarshall wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Still very young, but fantastic spice, structure, and fruit.
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8/27/2007 - jerhardt wrote: 90 Points
A tale of two wines...or I have never heard of a wine requiring such long aeration. Opened on Thursday, this was basically undrinkable. Searing heat, thin, disjointed fruit. After forcing down a glass, I corked and stuck in the fridge. I got busy for a few days and forgot about this wine. My wife had a glass on Friday, with similar results. Finally, I got back around to finishing off the last half of the bottle on Sunday evening. What a difference four days makes. Now, it was round, lush, and balanced, with no signs of heat, great syrah fruit, and a tarry earth complexity.
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8/26/2007 - mebydef wrote: 92 Points
The color was purple/ blue. The nose was filled with earth, smoke, and dark berries. The palate, long and complex, echoed the aromatics in addition to having cutting acidity and some alcoholic heat. The wine was lighter than usual and didn’t have the density I’ve come to expect form Carlisle. Still, it was a very enjoyable drink.
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8/16/2007 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
What a great wine. Upon pouring this was quite possibly the purple-ist wine I have ever encountered, it was a beautiful sight. Thick blackberries on the nose and palate. A touch of smoke and some spiciness. Voluptuous mouthfeel. No noticeable tannins, fruit big and beautiful. Drinking very well now and should age very nicely. At two hours open (this was not decanted, popped & poured), I am getting subtle cigar box in the back round. The fruit on the nose is so pure, it such a turn on. Carries the 15.7% alcohol impeccably well. Kudos to Mike officer!
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7/17/2007 - nectar14 wrote: 91 Points
Split score with this as it varied significantly from day 1 to day 2: On day 1, it was popped and poured and was great. It had aromas of blackberries, earth, and smoke and a wonderful thickness and richness in the mouth. On day two, there was a coarse oak flavor and aroma that arrived and the wine lost some of its richness. There was plenty of tannin and good concentration, so maybe this wine just needs to figure itself out over the next couple of years.
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7/14/2007 - Ekoostik wrote: 90 Points
Nice red fruit. A little worriesome too me was the oak (which hasnt bothered me in the past from Carlisle) and some heat on the finish. Im confident the oak will interate but the heat??? Still a fun drink that will hopefully be better in 2-3 years.
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6/29/2007 - win wrote: 94 Points
I thought this wine was amazing--great complexity with an explosion of flavors, but it was not overwhelming - still balanced. Had it alongside the 04 Dry Creek Valley Syrah. This was better.
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5/31/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured based upon the recent Tanzer review, which claimed this was ready to go. A beautiful saturated violet color. A fascinated nose that combines a bass, barrel sample element of dark chocolate and roasting coffee bean, along with heavily perfumed, floral wild red berries, graphite and cola. Initially there was a slight skunky, burnt rubber edge that faded quickly. Dense, creamy mouthfeel, with coffee, dark berry and earthy minerals. The finish shows lots of acid lift and slightly coarse tannin. Rather cool climate in profile, full of interest and in need of at least two years.
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4/2/2007 - tbone wrote:
Popped and poured with no decant first night. Big blast of fruit, maybe a bit too much but paired well with bbq burgers. Second night this really showed its potential. Very dark purple in glass, nice dark fruit, full nose. Big, full, round blast of creamy fruit with a good 30 second finish. No harshness or sign of tannins at this point. My first Carlisle and boy did I like this a lot!
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