Drank with 5 other wine guys from 15000 ml well cellared bottle. This is the most I have enjoyed Carlisle Dry Creek Syrah which often seems to have somewhat overpowering fruit. After 19 years the subtleties of this beautiful wine are coming through the rich dark fruit that is still present. Worth the wait! 93
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While it's a bit past it's prime - the fruit has somewhat faded - it's good, and better than the bottle I opened last year. Still has enough of that Carlisle magic. The cork fell apart, which is really unfortunate, but it's not too hard to salvage.
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Still in a nice place. Very dark in color. Ripe dark fruit including plums, with earth and licorice. Smooth and lacking significant tannins. If scoring 92-94.
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Still very young, dark in color, though not opaque, medium/full bodied, nice nose initially of ripe berries, then roasted mushrooms, grilled meat; palate is dark and juicy, plenty of lush fruit but in control, some mineral earth and brightness from the good acidity, some nice complexity mixing in. Holding up beautifully, should be good for another 5+ years at minimum.
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My last '01 syrah, just have 2 petites left from that vintage. Quite a pleasant bottle, has the dry creek dust on top of red/purple fruit. Leaner mouthfeel that other Carlisles but this wasn't a detraction. Opened with pork loin, but enjoyed more with the chocolate and fudge served after dinner. Glad I had tucked the bottle away for a few years, but it was ready to go.
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I think this was a bit past its peak. It could have been from bad storage as I purchased it recently. Still yummy with a long finish. Very new world bold spicy masculine fruit-forward syrah.
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2007 Novy Syrah Party + A Pile Of Other Things (The Murray Casa): Based on some talk with Mike Officer, I let this rip, as it's putting on some age. 2001 is going back some for me, as my TNs on Mike's wines really start to engage in 2002/2003. There is a core of blueberry in the palate, what my note said was syrupy, but it was not thick or overdone so keep my comment in context. Also blackberry and what I still think is enough acidity to carry the wine another year. While I did find the 2001 Carlisle petite to be pruny, this wine is less so, although there is a hint of it on the edges. Drink now or hold another year. As for comments during the event, several people indicated they really dug the bottle, as did I.
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This is a HUGE wine. Decanted for 3 hours. Definitely has a few more years of life ahead of it. Liqueur like in quality. Has a deep purple magenta color and a thickness in mouthfeel. Not for everyone, but I really liked this wine.
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My last bottle of a case and what a journey it has been experiencing this wines progression over the past 5 years. Certainly sad to say goodbye but this bottle was just wonderful with great balance, a nice mix of red and black fruits and good structure that was a great match with pot roast. The wine held up great on day 2 so no rush to pull corks but I wouldn't wait too long as this is as good as it is going to get. Salute my old friend.
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Decanted for 3 hours and back in the bottle for another three. Satisfying aromas of blackcurrant liquor, charcoal, kirsch, just a little grilled herb and develops a floral edge. Meaty on the palate, with lots of cassis and green peppercorn. The powerful finish shows kirsch, white pepper, a crushed rock note and bright fruit. There is just the slightest heat that detracts very little from the pleasure. An interesting wine that is just slightly over-ripe for my palate.
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What a joy it has been to follow this wines progression over the past 4.5 years. This was one of my only case purchases and am I ever glad I purchased this much. This wine has continued to improve over the years, except for a hard shut down in '06 and the first few months of '07, and is probably drinking today as well as it ever has. This wine was never one of Mike's favorites and I must admit I was very worried about it's future in '06 but the last few bottles opened over the past 18 months have continued to confirm this is a very good CA syrah. The purity of the blackberry fruit is where this wine has always shined and even more so today. The nose is all about purple flowers, lavender and violets, with dark blackberry and some slight meaty notes. The palate follows the nose with incredible purity of blackberry fruit, some spice, meatiness, chocolate/mocha and a kiss of acidity. The finish is lengthy and delicious with the essence of blackberry fruit adding a creamy element along with some spice and draws one back for another hedonistic slurp. No mistaking this for a delicious and very well made syrah of CA. LOVE IT!!! One bottle left that I will savor at some point this winter.
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Based on the notes, there is some significant bottle variation on this wine. The wife & I are sensitive to heat and detected none. We got gobs of dark fruit, olives, and minerals. Finish was about 15 to 20 seconds. Nose was "ok" with a saline/brine quality and what I thought might be a little VA. It did not detract from taste though.
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On the nose 180 proof raspberry liqueur oozed from the glass. Similarly, on the palate the wine heat followed by jammy fruit and more heat. Later, some oak began to show. Corked and refrigerated to retry tonight.
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This bottle confirms what I experienced from the last botte I opened in 4/07;
This was delicious from beginning to end. Much better balanced compared to the bottles I opend in 6/06 and again in 1/07, with a very floral nose and plenty of blackberry while the palate offered layers of fruit, good complexity and a delicious lengthy finish. No sign of any heat.
It also confirms for me that this wine was in a weird phase during '06 and the first part of '07. This wine is at peak and I have a hard time seeing further improvement but I also do not see it falling apart anytime soon as it drank just as well on day 2. I still have 3 bottles remaining from a case that I will open over the next 18 months.
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16.5% AV. High octane juice. Flavor is intense, racy. Lots of ripe raspberries, bitter chocolate, pepper, some creaminess to the texture. Alcohol is noticeable, but not as much as I thought it would be--a slight burn. Drank better alone than with the meal of grilled pork chops and veges.
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Wow, this wine was thick and rich and probably over-ripe and the wrong style for me. But I couldn't help myself and I enjoyed it immensely sipping with friends. Good spice and oak notes to back up the rich jammy fruity. Did not notice any heat.
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The nose packs a focused punch with blackcurrant liqueur, tobacco, cracked pepper and campfire ash. The palate shows a sweeter edge, with cherry joining the black fruits, black pepper, dark chocolate and asphalt. There is a powerful, spicy finish with just a little heat. Drink these at cellar temp as it showed a tawny port note as it warmed. Very good but I prefer the later vintages of Carlisle Syrah.
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Much better than the last bottle in January and probably the best bottle I have had so far. This was delicious from beginning to end. Much better balanced with a very floral nose and plenty of blackberry while the palate offered layers of fruit, good complexity and a delicious lengthy finish. I just have a very hard time seeing this wine getting even better than this bottle but I still have 4 left so I will certainly hold 1 or 2 in the name of science.
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This has not moved much since the last bottle I had in June '06. On day 1 without decanting the wine was very big and monolithic and although the alcohol was not obvious on the palate it did show as a warming sensation in the chest. Certainly not anywhere near as strong as a shot but still there none-the-less. This was drinking much better on day 2 but I am not sure which direction this is heading. This was drinking much better a year ago and I am concerned that the alcohol will become more prevalent with time. However, since I still have 5 bottles left we will find out which direction this takes. Knowing Mike, I do have faith.
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Huge fruity wine with dark fruits, some pepper and mocha. Lost the expresso tast it had in its youth. Very easy drinking with minimal tannin. Has reached maturity earlier than I expected.
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Tasted @ the OC Fratello's Offline (Big Decanter). The early taste of this wine showed a giant nose with some heat and a mulchy berry feel but smooooootttttth palate and silky berry with milk chocolate and pepper. Towards end of night, the nose becomes more wild and as Gerry called it "exotic" and the heat leaves. The palate stayed silky, sexy and just plush. I took the last glass home to finish tonight. Will have to disagree with some of the TNs on CT, as I feel this wine is ready to go. Some acidity remains and a good decant to flesh off the heat will help but drink if you want. Lovely wine.
Second night (remainder of bottle): I am finishing the Carlisle 2001 tonight and it's pretty damn good. Any trace of heat is gone, the fruit is shining through as blue and sweet and the tannins are a little dusty. Even a hint of acidity remains so this wine, IMO, will go for another few years but is drinking quite well now. Indeed, this is a really nice bottle of Syrah.
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This syrah has it all starting with a great nose. It is starting to enter its prime drinking window but should drink well for many years. So glad I've got four of these left. Kudos to Mike for making such a great syrah.
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Drinking well now. A little sweeter fruit and slightly less structure than the '01 Carlilse-Novy Hospice du Rhone syrah opened at the same time. Both were very good.
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This bottle was much more closed and monolithic than the last bottle I opened 7 months ago. There is still tons of dark fruit and plenty of structure so I will wait another 6 months and see where we are. Based on this bottle the wine should easily go another 5-8 years. This was a bit of a disappointment but hopefully just in a closed phase.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby/purple in color. On the nose, dark berry fruit and mint. On the palate, blackberries, mocha, and a sweet finish that lasts a very long 30-40 seconds. Beautifully balanced and mouth-filling, the fruit, acidity, and tannins dance well together. This really is a lovely New World syrah! Wish I had more, but this was my only bottle.
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Still very closed. Started tight and full of coffee, dark chocolate and truffles. After a couple of hours revealed more currant and dark cherry fruit, and a strong white pepper element. I think that this needs another 3-4 years to show its best.
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I sure am glad I purchased a case upon release. Upon opening the nose was full of rich blackberry, some smoke and bacon fat. The palate is all about deep, lush, creamy blackberry fruit. The finish is a continuation of the rich dark blackberry fruit with enough acidity to keep things interesting. The tannins that were evident back in April appear to have integrated. On day 2 the wine was drinking even better as the blackberry fruit on the palate was now layered with dark chocolate and the finish was even longer. I did not decant but an hour or two would not hurt anything. This is entering a really nice drinking window.
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This is continuing to drink very well but still needs some decanting which I did not do on this occasion. I saved half the bottle in an air tight carafe in the fridge for 48 hours and it held up beautifully and was even more balanced. This wine should continue to drink well for many years.
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Wonderful big fruit in the mouth followed by a bit disappointing finsih - bitter at first opening, but improved as the wine was consumed. Over all very enjoyable and I look forward to the next bottle.
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This is beginning to enter a very nice drinking window. The nose is all blackberry with floral notes some meat and subtle mint. The palate is all about layers of rich pure blackberry fruit, a touch of pepper and chocolate. The finish is long with tannins that are still making their presence known. This is certainly not a complex syrah but none-the-less it is very fun to drink and offers plenty of pleasure. Another year in the cellar should allow the tannins to mellow.
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I just read my previous note on this wine from last June and realized I had followed my own advice to wait at least 6 months before opening another bottle. I decanted it for 2.5 hours and drank it over the next 2 hours. This wine has certainly calmed down and the tannins are much smoother. The blackberry fruit is really shining at this point and comes at you in waves. There is some blueberry fruit but it is in the background. The fruit is rich and velvety and the wine is showing good balance. There is also a hint of chocolate. The finish is long with some spice accentuating the fruit. Some folks say Mike's syrah is very similar to an Aussie shiraz but this wine is not monolithic, the fruit is not syrupy, the oak is not evident, and there is no heat. I realize I am generalizing here but if more Aussies were in this mold I would have a lot more in my cellar. If pressed to list a negative about the wine it would be the lack of acidity.
I saved half the bottle in an air-tight carafe in the fridge and on the 2nd night the blackberry fruit was even richer and creamier with a slight graham cracker note on the finish. A little more acidity shows up as well. Very happy to still have 10 bottles in the cellar. Cannot wait to get my hands on Mike's expanded '03 bottlings.
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This wine exuded dark fruit, chocolate and some menthol but had plenty of structure and is definitely in need of some time. A friend commented that "this is a wine that kicks you in your teeth!"
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tried hard to wait a year before opening one. Decanted this for 4 hours before trying and drank over the next few hours. Saved half the bottle overnight in fridge for day 2. The wine did not change much over 24 hours. The nose was a little tight but the palate had layers of dark blackberry and raspberry with a nice spicey finish. The listed abv. is 16.5% but, as usual with Mike's wines, no hint of it. This wine has plenty of structure to age well for the next 3-5 years and the tannins are very evident at this stage even with tons of air so I would recommend waiting at least another 6 months before opening one.
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($36) Dinner at Traci's: Blind Red 5 - Big smelling - a bit port-like and carrying a higher level of alcohol. Bit of coffee. Rich, sweet attack with lots of blackberry fruit. A little warm in the finish. When I realized what this was, I concluded that it needs a bit more time in the bottle, and to be served a little cooler than we had it.
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12/13/2020 - Steve Fishback wrote: 93 Points
Drank with 5 other wine guys from 15000 ml well cellared bottle. This is the most I have enjoyed Carlisle Dry Creek Syrah which often seems to have somewhat overpowering fruit. After 19 years the subtleties of this beautiful wine are coming through the rich dark fruit that is still present. Worth the wait! 93
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6/13/2018 - mac-eye Likes this wine: 91 Points
While it's a bit past it's prime - the fruit has somewhat faded - it's good, and better than the bottle I opened last year. Still has enough of that Carlisle magic.
The cork fell apart, which is really unfortunate, but it's not too hard to salvage.
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11/18/2017 - mac-eye Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still young, sharp, deep, a bit sweet. Hot with alcohol. Not as good as other Carlisle syrahs, which tend to be great.
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10/5/2015 - rhanke wrote: 91 Points
dark red, in color. black fruit, with hints of black pepper
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8/11/2015 - dontime wrote:
Still in a nice place. Very dark in color. Ripe dark fruit including plums, with earth and licorice. Smooth and lacking significant tannins. If scoring 92-94.
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7/7/2014 - affordableCollector wrote: 88 Points
dark red, in color. black fruit, pepper, earth, on the nose. plum, blackberry, spice, on the palate. medium acid, on the finish.
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9/10/2010 - alanr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still very young, dark in color, though not opaque, medium/full bodied, nice nose initially of ripe berries, then roasted mushrooms, grilled meat; palate is dark and juicy, plenty of lush fruit but in control, some mineral earth and brightness from the good acidity, some nice complexity mixing in. Holding up beautifully, should be good for another 5+ years at minimum.
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7/23/2010 - blgros wrote: 89 Points
still hanging on. Dark and brooding, little bit of fruit left, smoky and earthy dominate. Medium full body. Long finish.
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12/26/2009 - btock wrote: 90 Points
My last '01 syrah, just have 2 petites left from that vintage. Quite a pleasant bottle, has the dry creek dust on top of red/purple fruit. Leaner mouthfeel that other Carlisles but this wasn't a detraction. Opened with pork loin, but enjoyed more with the chocolate and fudge served after dinner. Glad I had tucked the bottle away for a few years, but it was ready to go.
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9/28/2009 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
I think this was a bit past its peak. It could have been from bad storage as I purchased it recently. Still yummy with a long finish. Very new world bold spicy masculine fruit-forward syrah.
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6/15/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
2007 Novy Syrah Party + A Pile Of Other Things (The Murray Casa): Based on some talk with Mike Officer, I let this rip, as it's putting on some age. 2001 is going back some for me, as my TNs on Mike's wines really start to engage in 2002/2003. There is a core of blueberry in the palate, what my note said was syrupy, but it was not thick or overdone so keep my comment in context. Also blackberry and what I still think is enough acidity to carry the wine another year. While I did find the 2001 Carlisle petite to be pruny, this wine is less so, although there is a hint of it on the edges. Drink now or hold another year. As for comments during the event, several people indicated they really dug the bottle, as did I.
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3/30/2009 - emdub wrote: 92 Points
This is a HUGE wine. Decanted for 3 hours. Definitely has a few more years of life ahead of it. Liqueur like in quality. Has a deep purple magenta color and a thickness in mouthfeel. Not for everyone, but I really liked this wine.
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3/3/2009 - RussW wrote:
My last bottle of a case and what a journey it has been experiencing this wines progression over the past 5 years. Certainly sad to say goodbye but this bottle was just wonderful with great balance, a nice mix of red and black fruits and good structure that was a great match with pot roast. The wine held up great on day 2 so no rush to pull corks but I wouldn't wait too long as this is as good as it is going to get. Salute my old friend.
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1/15/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 3 hours and back in the bottle for another three. Satisfying aromas of blackcurrant liquor, charcoal, kirsch, just a little grilled herb and develops a floral edge. Meaty on the palate, with lots of cassis and green peppercorn. The powerful finish shows kirsch, white pepper, a crushed rock note and bright fruit. There is just the slightest heat that detracts very little from the pleasure. An interesting wine that is just slightly over-ripe for my palate.
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12/22/2008 - RussW wrote:
What a joy it has been to follow this wines progression over the past 4.5 years. This was one of my only case purchases and am I ever glad I purchased this much. This wine has continued to improve over the years, except for a hard shut down in '06 and the first few months of '07, and is probably drinking today as well as it ever has. This wine was never one of Mike's favorites and I must admit I was very worried about it's future in '06 but the last few bottles opened over the past 18 months have continued to confirm this is a very good CA syrah. The purity of the blackberry fruit is where this wine has always shined and even more so today. The nose is all about purple flowers, lavender and violets, with dark blackberry and some slight meaty notes. The palate follows the nose with incredible purity of blackberry fruit, some spice, meatiness, chocolate/mocha and a kiss of acidity. The finish is lengthy and delicious with the essence of blackberry fruit adding a creamy element along with some spice and draws one back for another hedonistic slurp. No mistaking this for a delicious and very well made syrah of CA. LOVE IT!!! One bottle left that I will savor at some point this winter.
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11/24/2008 - jwebtx wrote: 92 Points
Spot on with my last note. A terrific bottle of wine. Loads of olives. Delicious.
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11/17/2008 - jwebtx wrote: 91 Points
Based on the notes, there is some significant bottle variation on this wine. The wife & I are sensitive to heat and detected none. We got gobs of dark fruit, olives, and minerals. Finish was about 15 to 20 seconds. Nose was "ok" with a saline/brine quality and what I thought might be a little VA. It did not detract from taste though.
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10/21/2008 - JFish wrote:
On the nose 180 proof raspberry liqueur oozed from the glass. Similarly, on the palate the wine heat followed by jammy fruit and more heat. Later, some oak began to show. Corked and refrigerated to retry tonight.
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7/29/2008 - GlenD wrote: 93 Points
Very tasty. Still plenty of purple fruit, a touch of tannin, and some interesting secondary characteristics. You could drink or hold.
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4/21/2008 - theferb wrote: 94 Points
Another outstanding syrah from Carlisle.
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1/18/2008 - RussW wrote:
This bottle confirms what I experienced from the last botte I opened in 4/07;
This was delicious from beginning to end. Much better balanced compared to the bottles I opend in 6/06 and again in 1/07, with a very floral nose and plenty of blackberry while the palate offered layers of fruit, good complexity and a delicious lengthy finish. No sign of any heat.
It also confirms for me that this wine was in a weird phase during '06 and the first part of '07. This wine is at peak and I have a hard time seeing further improvement but I also do not see it falling apart anytime soon as it drank just as well on day 2. I still have 3 bottles remaining from a case that I will open over the next 18 months.
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1/11/2008 - davergny wrote: 90 Points
16.5% AV. High octane juice. Flavor is intense, racy. Lots of ripe raspberries, bitter chocolate, pepper, some creaminess to the texture. Alcohol is noticeable, but not as much as I thought it would be--a slight burn. Drank better alone than with the meal of grilled pork chops and veges.
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1/5/2008 - blgros wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this wine was thick and rich and probably over-ripe and the wrong style for me. But I couldn't help myself and I enjoyed it immensely sipping with friends. Good spice and oak notes to back up the rich jammy fruity. Did not notice any heat.
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5/1/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
The nose packs a focused punch with blackcurrant liqueur, tobacco, cracked pepper and campfire ash. The palate shows a sweeter edge, with cherry joining the black fruits, black pepper, dark chocolate and asphalt. There is a powerful, spicy finish with just a little heat. Drink these at cellar temp as it showed a tawny port note as it warmed. Very good but I prefer the later vintages of Carlisle Syrah.
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4/29/2007 - redforlife wrote: 91 Points
Massive, thick and full bodied. Huge nose of creamy blackberry fruit. A really impressive wine with lots of life left.
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4/24/2007 - RussW wrote:
Much better than the last bottle in January and probably the best bottle I have had so far. This was delicious from beginning to end. Much better balanced with a very floral nose and plenty of blackberry while the palate offered layers of fruit, good complexity and a delicious lengthy finish. I just have a very hard time seeing this wine getting even better than this bottle but I still have 4 left so I will certainly hold 1 or 2 in the name of science.
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2/18/2007 - schaykin wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Was open from the get go, silky smooth, berry pie, and a nice finish. Not sure if this is going to get any better.
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1/29/2007 - RussW wrote:
This has not moved much since the last bottle I had in June '06. On day 1 without decanting the wine was very big and monolithic and although the alcohol was not obvious on the palate it did show as a warming sensation in the chest. Certainly not anywhere near as strong as a shot but still there none-the-less. This was drinking much better on day 2 but I am not sure which direction this is heading. This was drinking much better a year ago and I am concerned that the alcohol will become more prevalent with time. However, since I still have 5 bottles left we will find out which direction this takes. Knowing Mike, I do have faith.
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1/1/2007 - Dan M wrote:
Huge fruity wine with dark fruits, some pepper and mocha. Lost the expresso tast it had in its youth. Very easy drinking with minimal tannin. Has reached maturity earlier than I expected.
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9/13/2006 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasted @ the OC Fratello's Offline (Big Decanter). The early taste of this wine showed a giant nose with some heat and a mulchy berry feel but smooooootttttth palate and silky berry with milk chocolate and pepper. Towards end of night, the nose becomes more wild and as Gerry called it "exotic" and the heat leaves. The palate stayed silky, sexy and just plush. I took the last glass home to finish tonight. Will have to disagree with some of the TNs on CT, as I feel this wine is ready to go. Some acidity remains and a good decant to flesh off the heat will help but drink if you want. Lovely wine.
Second night (remainder of bottle): I am finishing the Carlisle 2001 tonight and it's pretty damn good. Any trace of heat is gone, the fruit is shining through as blue and sweet and the tannins are a little dusty. Even a hint of acidity remains so this wine, IMO, will go for another few years but is drinking quite well now. Indeed, this is a really nice bottle of Syrah.
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9/4/2006 - Screameagle wrote: 93 Points
This syrah has it all starting with a great nose. It is starting to enter its prime drinking window but should drink well for many years. So glad I've got four of these left. Kudos to Mike for making such a great syrah.
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8/26/2006 - JFish wrote:
Drinking well now. A little sweeter fruit and slightly less structure than the '01 Carlilse-Novy Hospice du Rhone syrah opened at the same time. Both were very good.
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6/17/2006 - RussW wrote:
This bottle was much more closed and monolithic than the last bottle I opened 7 months ago. There is still tons of dark fruit and plenty of structure so I will wait another 6 months and see where we are. Based on this bottle the wine should easily go another 5-8 years. This was a bit of a disappointment but hopefully just in a closed phase.
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5/24/2006 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($36) 16.5% alcohol. Inky appearance and aroma. Crushed, macerated black fruit. Touch of vanially oak. Ripe, sweet attack. Shows some roasting coffee bean smokiness late.
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4/17/2006 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby/purple in color. On the nose, dark berry fruit and mint. On the palate, blackberries, mocha, and a sweet finish that lasts a very long 30-40 seconds. Beautifully balanced and mouth-filling, the fruit, acidity, and tannins dance well together. This really is a lovely New World syrah! Wish I had more, but this was my only bottle.
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11/24/2005 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Still very closed. Started tight and full of coffee, dark chocolate and truffles. After a couple of hours revealed more currant and dark cherry fruit, and a strong white pepper element. I think that this needs another 3-4 years to show its best.
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10/29/2005 - RussW wrote:
I sure am glad I purchased a case upon release. Upon opening the nose was full of rich blackberry, some smoke and bacon fat. The palate is all about deep, lush, creamy blackberry fruit. The finish is a continuation of the rich dark blackberry fruit with enough acidity to keep things interesting. The tannins that were evident back in April appear to have integrated. On day 2 the wine was drinking even better as the blackberry fruit on the palate was now layered with dark chocolate and the finish was even longer. I did not decant but an hour or two would not hurt anything. This is entering a really nice drinking window.
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9/3/2005 - RussW wrote:
This is continuing to drink very well but still needs some decanting which I did not do on this occasion. I saved half the bottle in an air tight carafe in the fridge for 48 hours and it held up beautifully and was even more balanced. This wine should continue to drink well for many years.
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4/23/2005 - rayphillips wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful big fruit in the mouth followed by a bit disappointing finsih - bitter at first opening, but improved as the wine was consumed. Over all very enjoyable and I look forward to the next bottle.
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4/9/2005 - RussW wrote:
This is beginning to enter a very nice drinking window. The nose is all blackberry with floral notes some meat and subtle mint. The palate is all about layers of rich pure blackberry fruit, a touch of pepper and chocolate. The finish is long with tannins that are still making their presence known. This is certainly not a complex syrah but none-the-less it is very fun to drink and offers plenty of pleasure. Another year in the cellar should allow the tannins to mellow.
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12/19/2004 - RussW wrote:
I just read my previous note on this wine from last June and realized I had followed my own advice to wait at least 6 months before opening another bottle. I decanted it for 2.5 hours and drank it over the next 2 hours. This wine has certainly calmed down and the tannins are much smoother. The blackberry fruit is really shining at this point and comes at you in waves. There is some blueberry fruit but it is in the background. The fruit is rich and velvety and the wine is showing good balance. There is also a hint of chocolate. The finish is long with some spice accentuating the fruit. Some folks say Mike's syrah is very similar to an Aussie shiraz but this wine is not monolithic, the fruit is not syrupy, the oak is not evident, and there is no heat. I realize I am generalizing here but if more Aussies were in this mold I would have a lot more in my cellar. If pressed to list a negative about the wine it would be the lack of acidity.
I saved half the bottle in an air-tight carafe in the fridge and on the 2nd night the blackberry fruit was even richer and creamier with a slight graham cracker note on the finish. A little more acidity shows up as well. Very happy to still have 10 bottles in the cellar. Cannot wait to get my hands on Mike's expanded '03 bottlings.
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11/13/2004 - JFish wrote: 92 Points
This wine exuded dark fruit, chocolate and some menthol but had plenty of structure and is definitely in need of some time. A friend commented that "this is a wine that kicks you in your teeth!"
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6/16/2004 - RussW wrote:
tried hard to wait a year before opening one. Decanted this for 4 hours before trying and drank over the next few hours. Saved half the bottle overnight in fridge for day 2. The wine did not change much over 24 hours. The nose was a little tight but the palate had layers of dark blackberry and raspberry with a nice spicey finish. The listed abv. is 16.5% but, as usual with Mike's wines, no hint of it. This wine has plenty of structure to age well for the next 3-5 years and the tannins are very evident at this stage even with tons of air so I would recommend waiting at least another 6 months before opening one.
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5/4/2004 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($36) Dinner at Traci's: Blind Red 5 - Big smelling - a bit port-like and carrying a higher level of alcohol. Bit of coffee. Rich, sweet attack with lots of blackberry fruit. A little warm in the finish. When I realized what this was, I concluded that it needs a bit more time in the bottle, and to be served a little cooler than we had it.
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