Medium weight. Screw cap. Some density here. Nice deep fruit. Can't tell the flavor profile if black or blue fruits. Always a great wine and one of my favorite without stepping into the high end wines. When I tried several days later, fruit receded just a tad and became more balanced with the soil components. This can go a few more years.
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I should have opened this a year ago. It tastes too ripe and out of balance now compared to the bottles I opened in 2020 and 2021. Full disclosure: I didn't have room for this in my wine coolers, so it's been in the space under the stairs for a few years. (My bad.)
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Popped and poured. Nose of violet, blackberry, black plum, garrigue and vanilla. Ripe black and red fruit, garrique and vanilla on the palate. Long ripe finish. Full bodied. Served with grilled pork tenderloin and plums.
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A nose of dark fruits and spices, dark purple in color. A medium to full bodied red, with blackberry, blueberry, meat and spices on long finish, a great QPR. www.winelx.com
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Such fantastic Q/P/V!! There are plenty of syrahs out there for a lot more money that really aren't much - if any - better than this entry level wine from Carlisle! Case in point... I enjoyed a 2015 Carlisle "Rosella's" the following night which cost nearly twice as much as this "Sonoma County" syrah. Was the "Rosella's better? Yep. Deeper flavors, more layers, more interesting. But there was not a blatantly obvious qualitative difference between the two wines.
Opened about a hour before serving. For me, it was a rich - but not overbearing. It had a degree of brightness but also an earthiness. I suspect the earthiness will become more prevalent as the wine ages. I sincerely wish I had more!
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Nose: Lots of earthy, dusty minerals with aromas of spicy cherry. Palate: While last bottle showed raspberries predominately this one is more about the cherries. Soft styled and ready to go on a pop & pour basis this continues to impress with its wonderful QPR. Still 91 points.
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Let open for an hour or two for best effect. Nice alone and paired well with a Mediterranean New Year's Eve meal: Grilled rohan josh lamb, beef kibbe, lentil kibbe, sweet potato kibbe, spinich feta pie, hummus, tabouli, pita, moujadra, belila, tzatziki, olives, artichoke hearts, basmati and brown rice. What a yummy feast.
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Drinking surprisingly well for such a young Carlisle wine. Black fruit, fig, tinges of tar, with a nice finish of chocolate and coffee. Drink now - 2030.
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Definitely not ready to drink yet, especially with the rough tannins that never settled down but did evolve decently with airtime. Would suggest a minimum of a four-hour decant if anyone wants to try this baby now. Good spice and meaty backbone with blackberry and saline flavors, nice balance of fruit and acids. For some reason of the past vintages of the SC I've had, this one feels to me like it will have the most interesting and longest development time. Will try again in 2022 or later.
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Knowing full well this is too young per Carlisme’s recco, I popped it anyway. And loved it! Great varietal character: cherries, black pepper, meat ... and a lushness/fatness on the palate that seems to be a hallmark of tbeir syrahs. This is a stellar value. 92-93
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Didn't have any until day 2 after being stored overnight in the fridge; had to coax the nose a bit which is different from most of Mike's wines but likely due to it being a bit too cold; closer to room temp it exhibited a nose of charred meat, violets and iodine; the palate had a little heat up front then it softened into the charred meat and soy; not terribly complex but still very good
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Popped and poured but wish I had let it breathed before drinking. Very tight upon opening and hard to appreciate the flavor as much as I usually do. I tend to try and forget these wines for a wine so the soften and evolve. The nose is fruity and medium strong. Color is medium red/purple and the body is medium. Red and black raspberries and other brambly flavors. I think I will leave this alone for a couple of years.
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2 hour slow ox. Nose: Brambly raspberries with trace elements of earth and wet cement. Palate: Very red fruited which is quite unusual for the varietal and based on past bottlings of this (although very enjoyable). Lots of spice with balanced tannins and a medium length finish. One other reviewer said go with a 1 hour decant and you could but my 2 hour slow ox did the trick. Yet another base bottling winner from Carlisle. Glad I have 3 more left!
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Popped and poured. This is wound up pretty tight, but its peppery, dark fruited awesomeness is already in evidence. Lots of tannin and real structure. Enjoyable now but I imagine this will really pay off being forgotten about for 3-5 years. 91++.
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Strong vintage for the SC Syrah, full of rosy tinted dark fruits, great balance, should age well, not a chance though as I always tend to drink these young.
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Great QPR - it has nice cool climate syrah notes (pepper), isn't jammy, and is nicely balanced. Well worth picking up a few bottles - I'll be curious to see what it's like after another year or so, but it's very drinkable now.
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Elderberry, braised steak, wet earth, dried shallots and ramen. Sleek, yet such a luscious, full body. The Sonoma County Syrah, like the Zinfandel blend with the same name, often offers some of the best value in California wine. Silky and layered tannins. This should be decanted or wait a couple of years, and watch for five to seven years. Drink 2021 - 2028.
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11/20/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium weight. Screw cap. Some density here. Nice deep fruit. Can't tell the flavor profile if black or blue fruits. Always a great wine and one of my favorite without stepping into the high end wines. When I tried several days later, fruit receded just a tad and became more balanced with the soil components. This can go a few more years.
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2/10/2023 - DAGwine wrote:
I should have opened this a year ago. It tastes too ripe and out of balance now compared to the bottles I opened in 2020 and 2021. Full disclosure: I didn't have room for this in my wine coolers, so it's been in the space under the stairs for a few years. (My bad.)
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9/12/2022 - hoservin wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of violet, blackberry, black plum, garrigue and vanilla. Ripe black and red fruit, garrique and vanilla on the palate. Long ripe finish. Full bodied. Served with grilled pork tenderloin and plums.
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4/18/2022 - Randito Likes this wine: 90 Points
Paired well with a Giordano’s deep dish sausage pizza.
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12/21/2021 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nose of dark fruits and spices, dark purple in color. A medium to full bodied red, with blackberry, blueberry, meat and spices on long finish, a great QPR. www.winelx.com
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9/14/2021 - djpo wrote: 90 Points
Great wine - dusty dry cherries, medium finish. Improved, markedly, with a couple of hours of air. Do not PNP and ideally wait a couple of years.
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9/10/2021 - 1997cobalt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasty. Ready to drink, very well balanced.
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8/7/2021 - Neras Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just love syrah from Carlisle. So easy to drink, and yet with plenty depth and complexity.
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5/23/2021 - JERB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Such fantastic Q/P/V!! There are plenty of syrahs out there for a lot more money that really aren't much - if any - better than this entry level wine from Carlisle! Case in point... I enjoyed a 2015 Carlisle "Rosella's" the following night which cost nearly twice as much as this "Sonoma County" syrah. Was the "Rosella's better? Yep. Deeper flavors, more layers, more interesting. But there was not a blatantly obvious qualitative difference between the two wines.
Opened about a hour before serving. For me, it was a rich - but not overbearing. It had a degree of brightness but also an earthiness. I suspect the earthiness will become more prevalent as the wine ages. I sincerely wish I had more!
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2/8/2021 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Lots of earthy, dusty minerals with aromas of spicy cherry. Palate: While last bottle showed raspberries predominately this one is more about the cherries. Soft styled and ready to go on a pop & pour basis this continues to impress with its wonderful QPR. Still 91 points.
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1/16/2021 - RPerro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Echoing my previous note from 2020. In a nice spot once it's had some air. Nice mix of fruit and savory flavors. Drink now - 2030.
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12/31/2020 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 91 Points
Let open for an hour or two for best effect. Nice alone and paired well with a Mediterranean New Year's Eve meal: Grilled rohan josh lamb, beef kibbe, lentil kibbe, sweet potato kibbe, spinich feta pie, hummus, tabouli, pita, moujadra, belila, tzatziki, olives, artichoke hearts, basmati and brown rice. What a yummy feast.
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10/23/2020 - denisontb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious... nice and subtle. Very smooth
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9/6/2020 - RPerro Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking surprisingly well for such a young Carlisle wine. Black fruit, fig, tinges of tar, with a nice finish of chocolate and coffee. Drink now - 2030.
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7/10/2020 - pgm wrote: 89 Points
A soft plush syrah, with rich black fruit. Easy drinking and enjoyable.
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5/7/2020 - STM82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Best on the second night. Plenty of depth, fruit, and showy notes here. A wonderful qpr
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3/13/2020 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely not ready to drink yet, especially with the rough tannins that never settled down but did evolve decently with airtime. Would suggest a minimum of a four-hour decant if anyone wants to try this baby now. Good spice and meaty backbone with blackberry and saline flavors, nice balance of fruit and acids. For some reason of the past vintages of the SC I've had, this one feels to me like it will have the most interesting and longest development time. Will try again in 2022 or later.
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2/15/2020 - jmull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Knowing full well this is too young per Carlisme’s recco, I popped it anyway. And loved it! Great varietal character: cherries, black pepper, meat ... and a lushness/fatness on the palate that seems to be a hallmark of tbeir syrahs. This is a stellar value. 92-93
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1/31/2020 - tcufletch Likes this wine:
Didn't have any until day 2 after being stored overnight in the fridge; had to coax the nose a bit which is different from most of Mike's wines but likely due to it being a bit too cold; closer to room temp it exhibited a nose of charred meat, violets and iodine; the palate had a little heat up front then it softened into the charred meat and soy; not terribly complex but still very good
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11/29/2019 - STM82 wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed by all at Thanksgiving
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11/27/2019 - sma Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured but wish I had let it breathed before drinking. Very tight upon opening and hard to appreciate the flavor as much as I usually do. I tend to try and forget these wines for a wine so the soften and evolve. The nose is fruity and medium strong. Color is medium red/purple and the body is medium. Red and black raspberries and other brambly flavors. I think I will leave this alone for a couple of years.
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11/22/2019 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
2 hour slow ox. Nose: Brambly raspberries with trace elements of earth and wet cement. Palate: Very red fruited which is quite unusual for the varietal and based on past bottlings of this (although very enjoyable). Lots of spice with balanced tannins and a medium length finish. One other reviewer said go with a 1 hour decant and you could but my 2 hour slow ox did the trick. Yet another base bottling winner from Carlisle. Glad I have 3 more left!
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10/9/2019 - STM82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Definitely fleshed out and improved. Decant for an hour.
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9/24/2019 - TastesGoodToMe wrote: 89 Points
Excellent QPR
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7/19/2019 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good dark fruit (blackberries noticeable).
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7/7/2019 - jmull Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and poured. This is wound up pretty tight, but its peppery, dark fruited awesomeness is already in evidence. Lots of tannin and real structure. Enjoyable now but I imagine this will really pay off being forgotten about for 3-5 years. 91++.
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6/27/2019 - Matt T wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyable, but agree this needs time. Relatively shut down right now compared to prior versions. Plenty of upside potential.
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6/23/2019 - Dale M wrote: 91 Points
Strong vintage for the SC Syrah, full of rosy tinted dark fruits, great balance, should age well, not a chance though as I always tend to drink these young.
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5/27/2019 - piedmoose Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great balance, with peppery notes and a hint of smoke. Nice bottle of wine.
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4/25/2019 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great QPR - it has nice cool climate syrah notes (pepper), isn't jammy, and is nicely balanced. Well worth picking up a few bottles - I'll be curious to see what it's like after another year or so, but it's very drinkable now.
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4/7/2019 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elderberry, braised steak, wet earth, dried shallots and ramen. Sleek, yet such a luscious, full body. The Sonoma County Syrah, like the Zinfandel blend with the same name, often offers some of the best value in California wine. Silky and layered tannins. This should be decanted or wait a couple of years, and watch for five to seven years. Drink 2021 - 2028.
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3/24/2019 - STM82 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Kind of a non descript syrah. Spicy after an hour, plenty of fruit, soft tannins. Was hoping for more depth
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3/23/2019 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good dark fruit, touch of Syrah spice. A touch muted, probably too young.
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