Delicious, concentrated, balanced. Very open nose from the get-go, but smelled like a 5 year old wine...fruit and more fruit, blackberry, black currant. Palate closed at first, then after 10 minutes opened to blackberry, raspberry preserves, smokey dusty bramble just as a hint, brooding. But medium weight and fine finish. Slowly dried up over an hour and a half so drink!
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Simply nothing short of spectacular - even if enjoyed informally. Might even rate it higher in a more ‘serious’ setting. Holy smokes! At least 10 years left in this bottle - possibly more
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Rich sweet cherry on the nose. Ripe but powerful, dark, rich black fruit. Serious and complex on the palate, ripe juicy and well balanced. Great herbs and spices on the back. No sign of heat. Just plain sexy and delicious!
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Flat bottom decant for 90 minutes. Integrated dark plum fruit with very little tannin. As mentioned below, nothing like the youthful fruity Syrahs of Carlisle in the early release years. But showed well at a dinner wth 06 Lillian Blue Label
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Holding up surprising well after 12 years. Good acidity with nice roasted savory notes and plenty of blueberry/dark fruit. Still fresh but I would not wait too much on this one.
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The 2006 Cardiac Hill Syrah was dark, savory, mineral, smoky, and peppery on the nose. On the palate, I found creamy textures contrasted by amazingly balanced acidity with black fruits and echos of sweet herbs. The finish was long and spicy, going on and on with a salty-savory intensity that really left a mark. Wow!
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Drank this aged wine at my annual North Square (NYC) Flyertalk wine dinner. It's a nice wine. Really dark. Sorry, no detailed notes. Drank with a steak. Drink or hold. The '11 Bedrock Heritage wine beat it in the flight. This got 2 out of 12 votes. The Bedrock got 5 votes, and a Mercurio Lot V NV California Tempranillo got 6 votes.
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Delicious GOT Season 7 premiere wine! Amazing that it is still youthful and even a bit tannic after 2 hours decant and 11 years in the bottle! Another hour of sipping smoothed things out, but no hurry on this at all. Alas, my final bottle of four...
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Deep black fruits in the nose with smoke and a touch of spice. Licorice, black cherries and blackberries in the flavor. Well balanced wine, medium full body, and a long smooth finish.
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20th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective: The Mish Mash (Lyon Den): Who put this Zin in here?? Briary black fruit and the velvety texture are the first things you note, oh, then the meat, leather, pepper and spice show up. Very smooth and deep. 93 on day 2, more bacon/ meat noted. Very popular on day 3, the golfers who came over could relate this to the climb from 13 green to the 14th tee box at Bandon Trails (where some guy DID have a coronary!). Now-2018.
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Carlisle (Shari's condo): A 30 minute decant may have been a mistake. This wine is still big, but it also tastes old - woody and alcoholic. A big hot mess, as we say. I lilked this wine when it was younger.
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The nose was leaning more toward savory herbs, charred meat, smoke, spice, and dark earth tones, before finding crushed blackberry and eucalyptus. On the palate, I found silky textures with notes of black fruit, licorice, crushed violets, peppery spice and hint of heat on the back palate. A bitter acid twang lingered through the finish with dark fruits clinging to the senses.
This was better than my last bottle, yet the heat is still there. Also, this wine requires at least an hour in the decanter before you should attempt to taste, as it was lifeless straight from bottle.
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No visible age showing. Popped and poured and this one was very strange from the start, kind of bitter and really lacking any fruit flavor initially. After about an hour some fruit began to emerge and filled out the palate a bit, but still was lacking fruit or interest overall. I'd say this was still possibly improving at the end of the bottle (2hr) but the overall impression left me wondering whether I should have popped it right off the truck and enjoyed it for its great fruit profile when young? I still have a vertical of 06-08 so maybe a side by side with a decant is in order...
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PnP at home after attending wine dinner with sweetish, mediocre wines. Perfect antidote. Opaque. Dense, earthy mouthfeel. Started with plum and blackberry, with a hint of cherry/strawberry, plus middle eastern spices. Finish was shortish, but intense. Dry. Earthy. Not a hint of fruit jam. As it opened, the flavors swirled and separated, with the red fruit stepping up, and the finish lengthened. VacUVined and refrigerated the rest for a party 2 days from now. Stay tuned. NOTE: this bottle was stored for two years in a shipping case in a closet, and not cellared properly, so it might have matured a little quicker.
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Was in a celebratory mood so pulled a wine that I thought would have some gravitas. Have enjoyed the '06 vintage from Carlisle over time, but this drank surprisingly young. Intense, black fruit and structure. Only started to unwind after a hour or two of air. Much bigger, but also better wine than the '05 version. Will hold my remaining '06 for at least a two more years. Once softened with air, started getting some blood sausage, a hint of garrique, and some base iron qualities. But the grip of the fruit still dominates today.
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Have been cellaring well since I received from Carlisle. Popped and started pouring. This bottle is great. Great concentrated dark fruit with some real tarry dirt and a little white pepper on the nose and pallet. Almost northern Rhone early on. I am really glad I decided to wait on this bottle because at 9 years old, it was really good. A little tartness after open about 4 hours so I'm not sure this will get any better.
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Robust black fruit, spice and camphor nose. Palate is still richly fruited but the wine has shed its fat and sheer concentration. It's a big but silky and mellow wine. In a good spot.
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The nose showed intense crushed blackberry, cherry liquor, cola and eucalyptus with savory hints of charred meat, dark soil and herbs in the background. On the palate, It displayed weighty, silky textures with flavors of black fruit, licorice, bitters and peppery spice, yet there's a hint of perceptible heat here, which swayed it from balance. A bitter twang lingered through the finish with dark fruits clinging to the senses.
I want to love this, but the heat gets in the way a little, yet still a good effort.
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Slightly unbalanced with alcohol showing through on the finish. Suspect this may be starting to lose some of the fruit that initially covered the high alcohol. Still inky purple with lots of fruit but I would not hold too much longer. Nice wine.
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Something was wrong with this bottle. Cork seemed fine, did not have an off-putting smell, so I don't think it was corked. Maybe it was over the hill, maybe shutdown. I think I had a bad bottle. Real shame as I was really looking forward to this.
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The 2006 Carlisle Cardiac Hill is a very different wine from the 2008. While the latter was rich and opulent, the 2006 was more rustic and brambly. Lots of peppery, thick-cut bacon, and finishes with a fascinating lavender or herbal tea, mineral characteristic that was borderline medicinal. Not in a bad way, as I kept sipping on it to figure it out. In my opinion, this wine tastes less like a syrah and more like field blend of mixed blacks, including zin. It reminded me a little of a Ridge Lytton Springs, but somewhat less composed.
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Carlisle In The OC: By this point in the meal, I was starting to fade a bit. I found a hint of pepper and some nice balance but my notes admittedly here are crappy.
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Inky purple in color, with long legs on the glass. There’s an attractive, perfumed nose of blackberries, lavender, and scorched earth. On the palate, weighty black fruit, sweet bacon, crushed rock, and tar flavors come wrapped in firm tannins. Long, grippy finish.
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Black with a deep ruby rim. Lots of enticing ripe dark fruit essence with a touch of spice. Full bodied with loads of presence and some heat on the finish.
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I enjoyed this bottle much more than the previous bottle. I think it needs a couple of hour of decanting since the hour I gave it wasn't enough. A servious syrah that should improve over the next few years and then hold for at least another three years.
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The wine is a deep garnet to purple color. The soothing nose has blackberries, minerals, smoky ashes, white pepper, dark chocolate, baking spices, dried flowers, meat juices, and licorice. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity. The palate has nice initial fruit but the more savory notes take over fairly quickly adding a lot of depth. The finish is fairly long with nice spicy, mineral laden fruit. This still seems to be on the young side and may be better a couple years down the road.
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My last note is right on. Delicious. Glass staining is certainly appropriate. Dense, rich, gamy. Have to wonder about the notes where this wine died after opening. Kept evolving for hours. Sadly my last bottle.
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, roasted meat, plums, a hint of blueberry and a dash of white pepper. Flavors of plums, blueberries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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A very nice syrah but nowhere near as good as many other excellent Carlisles I've had the opportunity to consume. Seemed to be missing something in the mid palate. Hope my remaining bottles show better. Waiting another year to try my next bottle
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A rare dissapointment from Carlisle. Opened up nicely at first with good fruit and structure, but quickly faded in the glass. Drinkem if you got em...not going to improve.
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This wine is delicious. Drank 3/4 of the bottle over 3-4 hrs. Young yet integrated. I love the gamy/meaty notes and the minerality. Varietally correct. Delicious acid. Long finish. I didn't get any heat. Plenty of tannins left.
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Did a pop and pour which was a mistake. Best to decant for an hour. Certainly not showing its age this wine should improve over the next few years and hold for another 5-10 years. I love what mike does with the jemrose fruit and look forward to the evolution of this wine over the years.
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Came to a dinner, courtesy of Mr Nordhoff. The wine was not decanted but simply went bottle to glass, and was finished over about 2 hrs. Iron, bitter chocolate and roasted red flavors. At the core of the wine was a real youthful core still, one that I think will allow this bottle to age quite well for several more years. There's acid and structure in the core which keeps it fresh. I've since drank my last one of these back in 2011 but if I still had one, I'd suggest a good decant or simply waiting until 2014 and then enjoy, as I think this wine will endure another 4-5 years.
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No detailed notes from Day 1, when I found this a bit tight and as a results a bit ordinary. On Day 2, a much different story. Pepper on top of a meaty mix of dark red fruits. Rich mouthfeel, plush fruit. Long finish. Quite to the contrary of thinking this is "DOA", I think it has yet to emerge from its shell. I've had this experience with several other young Carlisle wines....ordinary Day 1, spectacular Day 2. 93+ points on Day 1. Well below that on the "pop".
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Well this was an unbalanced mess. The fruit can't hold up to the ETOH, (15.9%), resulting in a lot less joy than we had hoped for with BBQ'd steaks. Starts off on the palate with a nice hit of oak (not kidding, it WAS nice!), but thereafter it slid away over the next 2 hours. I've had trouble with Mike's 2006's (and he himself has warned that they need more time) but I fear the Cardiac Hill is well on its way to DOA-ville. the 2007's, by comparison, are much more of what I expect of Carlisle.
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Pop and pour. Aromas of smoked meat, pepper and maybe some dark fruit. Palate was similar with a roasted/burnt element as well -- typical Carlisle. This was pretty closed and should have been decanted. Usually love their syrah's but this was not ready or not my style
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BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. BLACK CURRANTS, BLACK CHERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. WILL BENEFIT FROM A FEW YEARS OF ADDITIONAL AGING. LONG FINISH.
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I put a good 18 months of patience in between bottles. The bottle tasted here was opened last night, retasted tonight. Not the opaque colored style here from Mike, but rather a darkish-maroon and light purple. This wine needed about 45 mins last night to fill into the mid-palate so I'd say aeration is the right approach if you're to judge this bottle. This wine is reflective well of this place, showing Jim Mack's cool location in BV, as the wine exhibits out some pepper, stem, smoke. (As a side note, Mike's website shows this wine is 40% whole cluster, which is evident in that aromatic). I like this amount, and FWIW, is similar to the Jemrose syrah that comes of the same site, which is made by Jim at 30%--all in all, that seems to suit the fruit here well and really add some nice rustic notes. There is a good structure here, with dark bitter chocolate, blueberry skin, acid and the same pepper and menthol-like zip from the stems...and if you let the wine come up to room temp, it will fatten up some, show some darker fruit and the signature Mike Officer smooth texture. A decent amount of chewy tannin, some light vanilla and char close the finish, which in my view suggests the wine ought to sit another 2 years, so a drink window of say 2012-2015.
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Took a little while to open up, but had interesting mineral and brambly notes. Not much pepper, darker fruits. Full-bodied. Could stand a little more time in the bottle. Very nice.
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Thrown into a decanter and poured a glass. Initial notes, violets, blackberry and a touch of smoke and toasty sweetness on the nose. In the mouth, dark fruits, fine grained tannins that arevery present. Needs more time to air out, but a 92-93 pointer right now.
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Man this is good. I agree with bubbchumps. Lots of iron/blood, blueberry, espresso, and black pepper. Huge nose. My tongue has never been more purple/black after drinking a wine. This could age nicely - unfortunately it was our last bottle.
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90 minute decant. what a nose. Dark fruit and smokey and fresh wood shavings. In the mouth, still a bit tight. Blackberry and plum fruit, with strong tea leaves. Nice long finish. 3 hrs out of bottle, it's starting to unwind and show its potential. Day 2: Nose of plum/blackberry, juicy bacon fat and soy sauce. In the mouth, starts with great black fruit and some pepper. Then, same fruit with wood stems, menthol and pencil shavings. Long finish with strong dry tannins, friendly acidity and a bit of heat.
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Medium dark ruby. Menthol and black fruit aromas. Complex and concentrated flavors of blackberries, blueberries, smoke, pepper and oriental spice. Lingering aftertaste. Good balance and excellent mouthfeel. A very enjoyable wine with just a tad lacking in the mid-palate. The structure calls for more age. My last bottle - if I had more I'd keep for at least another year.
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Disappointing given how great a bottle of this was last year. Packed with dense flavours of plums, blackberries and blueberries, showing some alcohol on the nose and on the back end - comes across a little clunky and dull at first, though with some air this calms down and becomes less monolithic as the alcohol integrates, and some nice smoky and meaty flavours also emerge amidst the fruit.
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15.8% alcohol. Decanted. Still youthful and tight. Deep purple-tinged color. Beautiful, powerful bouquet of blue and black fruit, with intense floral and meaty notes. In the mouth, brawny and packed with blue and black fruit. Terrific complexity and structure, which really kicks in with the acidity and strong tannins. A nice peppery note comes in on the palate, too. A-
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Very complex nose with definite northern rhone characteristics. I could smell this wine all night. Pepper, blueberry, scorched earth and some espresso on the nose. In the mouth, the flavors just explode off the palate. There is some definite structure here, but its balanced nicely with loads of fruit. I had been holding on to these since many notes indicated a very structured wine. Its ready to go with a decant, but certainly will get better with some more time in the bottle.
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Wow, this is a beast. The tannins are overwhelming right now but the fruit still shows through. Ample rewards for those that can give it some time. I'll wait at least a year to open the next one.
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Nice Carlisle Retrospective Tasting 2003-2006; 3/12/2009-3/16/2009 (Desmond's in Naples, FL): Dark rich concentrated aromas of blackberries and ripe black cherry. Palate showed ultra ripe dense sweet chunky qualities with slightly hot edge. Huge ripe black fruits, a massive wine that has big potential, but needs time to settle down. Rated more for perceived potential, then current drinkability. Suggest putting away for 3yrs+ before attempting again.
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opaque dark purple. the nose on this resembles what i find common to coronas, but only slightly sweeter. keep in mind, however, my experience with that region is relatively thin. deep dark nose of black fruit, meats, dried herbs, olive, and minerals with perhaps a bit of smoke. on the palate this wine is a mile deep, flirting its multiple layers that will surely unfold in the years to come. almost alive in the mouth with a full body, solid spine of acid, and yet a generally soft mouthfeel. dark fruits, minerals, and meat predominate in the mouth. the tannins really don't stick out until the clamp down on the fruit and mineral infused finish. this will be fabulous in several years time. i had 6 and opened it up this evening in the name of palate education. mike wows me again! well done!
as an aside, what mike does with bennett valley fruit is nothing short of utterly great - kudos!
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0thers' previous notes are on the mark. I would emphasize, however, how UNready this is to drink. I opened it to get a baseline impression, fully aware it was way too early. In spite of that awareness, I still regret the decision, as there is so much obvious unrealized potential here and such raw force raw force. Really interesting now but delicious in a few years. Really no need to try again until 2014.
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Jemrose in New York City: Meaty, deep, and masculine smelling with a touch of buried wood and herb. Trademark seamlessness in the mouth with excellent balance and good impact to the notes of grilled meats and dark spicy, plummy fruit on the palate. Still a bit wound up and needs time to relax but excellent raw materials.
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Deep purple colour. Tightly wound on the nose at first, but it opens with time to show aromas of spices, cedar, sweet dark fruits, meat and a little woodiness. Full and rich on the palate with firm tannins, moderate acidity and more complex flavours of dark fruits, spices and some savoury earthy notes. Medium-long finish that seemed to get longer and better with time in the glass. A great wine, but still incredibly young - this just needs a lot of time.
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7/22/2022 - ginfizz wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, concentrated, balanced. Very open nose from the get-go, but smelled like a 5 year old wine...fruit and more fruit, blackberry, black currant. Palate closed at first, then after 10 minutes opened to blackberry, raspberry preserves, smokey dusty bramble just as a hint, brooding. But medium weight and fine finish. Slowly dried up over an hour and a half so drink!
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1/9/2022 - dmitchell4 wrote:
Waited too long, tragic
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6/28/2020 - SineQuaNon wrote: 94 Points
Simply nothing short of spectacular - even if enjoyed informally. Might even rate it higher in a more ‘serious’ setting. Holy smokes! At least 10 years left in this bottle - possibly more
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1/18/2020 - Mlermontov Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich sweet cherry on the nose. Ripe but powerful, dark, rich black fruit. Serious and complex on the palate, ripe juicy and well balanced. Great herbs and spices on the back. No sign of heat. Just plain sexy and delicious!
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9/20/2019 - jfkwines wrote: 90 Points
Flat bottom decant for 90 minutes. Integrated dark plum fruit with very little tannin. As mentioned below, nothing like the youthful fruity Syrahs of Carlisle in the early release years. But showed well at a dinner wth 06 Lillian Blue Label
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11/2/2018 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Holding up surprising well after 12 years. Good acidity with nice roasted savory notes and plenty of blueberry/dark fruit. Still fresh but I would not wait too much on this one.
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10/14/2018 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The 2006 Cardiac Hill Syrah was dark, savory, mineral, smoky, and peppery on the nose. On the palate, I found creamy textures contrasted by amazingly balanced acidity with black fruits and echos of sweet herbs. The finish was long and spicy, going on and on with a salty-savory intensity that really left a mark. Wow!
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6/3/2018 - dhammer53 wrote: 91 Points
Drank this aged wine at my annual North Square (NYC) Flyertalk wine dinner. It's a nice wine. Really dark. Sorry, no detailed notes. Drank with a steak. Drink or hold. The '11 Bedrock Heritage wine beat it in the flight. This got 2 out of 12 votes. The Bedrock got 5 votes, and a Mercurio Lot V NV California Tempranillo got 6 votes.
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5/4/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very similar notes as previous tastings. This wine is still in a sweet spot. I think it has still has a few years in it, but why wait? Wonderful.
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7/21/2017 - Ed B wrote: 93 Points
Used aerating decanter and got a lot of big sediment chunks, so decanted again thru a strainer. Mature, but full of life. Wish I had several more.
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7/16/2017 - jbposell wrote: 93 Points
Delicious GOT Season 7 premiere wine! Amazing that it is still youthful and even a bit tannic after 2 hours decant and 11 years in the bottle! Another hour of sipping smoothed things out, but no hurry on this at all. Alas, my final bottle of four...
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7/13/2017 - losososjoe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious and peppery. In great shape even though bottle suffered a wine fridge failure. Surprisingly good with interesting red fruit flavors.
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5/6/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep black fruits in the nose with smoke and a touch of spice. Licorice, black cherries and blackberries in the flavor. Well balanced wine, medium full body, and a long smooth finish.
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11/6/2016 - Grinner wrote: 94 Points
20th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective: The Mish Mash (Lyon Den): Who put this Zin in here?? Briary black fruit and the velvety texture are the first things you note, oh, then the meat, leather, pepper and spice show up. Very smooth and deep. 93 on day 2, more bacon/ meat noted. Very popular on day 3, the golfers who came over could relate this to the climb from 13 green to the 14th tee box at Bandon Trails (where some guy DID have a coronary!). Now-2018.
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5/22/2016 - galewskj wrote: 85 Points
Carlisle (Shari's condo): A 30 minute decant may have been a mistake. This wine is still big, but it also tastes old - woody and alcoholic. A big hot mess, as we say. I lilked this wine when it was younger.
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5/21/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 86 Points
Carlisle Tasting (Shari's, Mpls, MN): Tasting pour, very big, blackberry, alcohol, wood, hot.
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3/13/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 91 Points
The nose was leaning more toward savory herbs, charred meat, smoke, spice, and dark earth tones, before finding crushed blackberry and eucalyptus. On the palate, I found silky textures with notes of black fruit, licorice, crushed violets, peppery spice and hint of heat on the back palate. A bitter acid twang lingered through the finish with dark fruits clinging to the senses.
This was better than my last bottle, yet the heat is still there. Also, this wine requires at least an hour in the decanter before you should attempt to taste, as it was lifeless straight from bottle.
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1/14/2016 - Ekoostik wrote:
No visible age showing. Popped and poured and this one was very strange from the start, kind of bitter and really lacking any fruit flavor initially. After about an hour some fruit began to emerge and filled out the palate a bit, but still was lacking fruit or interest overall. I'd say this was still possibly improving at the end of the bottle (2hr) but the overall impression left me wondering whether I should have popped it right off the truck and enjoyed it for its great fruit profile when young? I still have a vertical of 06-08 so maybe a side by side with a decant is in order...
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9/25/2015 - Ed B wrote: 93 Points
PnP at home after attending wine dinner with sweetish, mediocre wines. Perfect antidote. Opaque. Dense, earthy mouthfeel. Started with plum and blackberry, with a hint of cherry/strawberry, plus middle eastern spices. Finish was shortish, but intense. Dry. Earthy. Not a hint of fruit jam. As it opened, the flavors swirled and separated, with the red fruit stepping up, and the finish lengthened. VacUVined and refrigerated the rest for a party 2 days from now. Stay tuned. NOTE: this bottle was stored for two years in a shipping case in a closet, and not cellared properly, so it might have matured a little quicker.
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7/8/2015 - btock wrote: 91 Points
Was in a celebratory mood so pulled a wine that I thought would have some gravitas. Have enjoyed the '06 vintage from Carlisle over time, but this drank surprisingly young. Intense, black fruit and structure. Only started to unwind after a hour or two of air. Much bigger, but also better wine than the '05 version. Will hold my remaining '06 for at least a two more years. Once softened with air, started getting some blood sausage, a hint of garrique, and some base iron qualities. But the grip of the fruit still dominates today.
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6/25/2015 - BordeauxBoy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Have been cellaring well since I received from Carlisle. Popped and started pouring. This bottle is great. Great concentrated dark fruit with some real tarry dirt and a little white pepper on the nose and pallet. Almost northern Rhone early on. I am really glad I decided to wait on this bottle because at 9 years old, it was really good. A little tartness after open about 4 hours so I'm not sure this will get any better.
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6/11/2015 - Nanda Likes this wine: 90 Points
Robust black fruit, spice and camphor nose. Palate is still richly fruited but the wine has shed its fat and sheer concentration. It's a big but silky and mellow wine. In a good spot.
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3/22/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
The nose showed intense crushed blackberry, cherry liquor, cola and eucalyptus with savory hints of charred meat, dark soil and herbs in the background. On the palate, It displayed weighty, silky textures with flavors of black fruit, licorice, bitters and peppery spice, yet there's a hint of perceptible heat here, which swayed it from balance. A bitter twang lingered through the finish with dark fruits clinging to the senses.
I want to love this, but the heat gets in the way a little, yet still a good effort.
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3/16/2015 - aaronwine wrote: 90 Points
Slightly unbalanced with alcohol showing through on the finish. Suspect this may be starting to lose some of the fruit that initially covered the high alcohol. Still inky purple with lots of fruit but I would not hold too much longer. Nice wine.
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2/10/2015 - MillerRoad wrote: flawed
Something was wrong with this bottle. Cork seemed fine, did not have an off-putting smell, so I don't think it was corked. Maybe it was over the hill, maybe shutdown. I think I had a bad bottle. Real shame as I was really looking forward to this.
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2/5/2015 - bdeblank wrote: 91 Points
At a good point. Opened up after an hour. Nice nose and fruit.
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9/16/2014 - Jonathan T wrote: 91 Points
The 2006 Carlisle Cardiac Hill is a very different wine from the 2008. While the latter was rich and opulent, the 2006 was more rustic and brambly. Lots of peppery, thick-cut bacon, and finishes with a fascinating lavender or herbal tea, mineral characteristic that was borderline medicinal. Not in a bad way, as I kept sipping on it to figure it out. In my opinion, this wine tastes less like a syrah and more like field blend of mixed blacks, including zin. It reminded me a little of a Ridge Lytton Springs, but somewhat less composed.
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7/5/2014 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just another great bottle of Cardiac Hill Syrah. Loved it. So good now why wait
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5/5/2014 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid and smooth. I wish I had a few more.
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5/4/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
Carlisle Winemaker Dinner with Mike Officer (Luciana's, Dana Point, CA): Muted nose. Getting that cold climate syrah protein with an ash note and nice minerality. Medium plus finish. Unique compared to other carlisle syrah.
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5/3/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Carlisle In The OC: By this point in the meal, I was starting to fade a bit. I found a hint of pepper and some nice balance but my notes admittedly here are crappy.
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4/15/2014 - scott davis wrote: 91 Points
Inky purple in color, with long legs on the glass. There’s an attractive, perfumed nose of blackberries, lavender, and scorched earth. On the palate, weighty black fruit, sweet bacon, crushed rock, and tar flavors come wrapped in firm tannins. Long, grippy finish.
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11/22/2013 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Lots of enticing ripe dark fruit essence with a touch of spice. Full bodied with loads of presence and some heat on the finish.
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11/18/2013 - Screameagle Likes this wine: 91 Points
I enjoyed this bottle much more than the previous bottle. I think it needs a couple of hour of decanting since the hour I gave it wasn't enough. A servious syrah that should improve over the next few years and then hold for at least another three years.
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8/14/2013 - rwerner Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich with big flavors on the mouth and long finish that was perfectly balanced
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3/22/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
The wine is a deep garnet to purple color. The soothing nose has blackberries, minerals, smoky ashes, white pepper, dark chocolate, baking spices, dried flowers, meat juices, and licorice. This has medium to full body, fairly solid tannins, and good acidity. The palate has nice initial fruit but the more savory notes take over fairly quickly adding a lot of depth. The finish is fairly long with nice spicy, mineral laden fruit. This still seems to be on the young side and may be better a couple years down the road.
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11/10/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 93 Points
My last note is right on. Delicious. Glass staining is certainly appropriate. Dense, rich, gamy. Have to wonder about the notes where this wine died after opening. Kept evolving for hours. Sadly my last bottle.
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10/2/2012 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of aspirin, roasted meat, plums, a hint of blueberry and a dash of white pepper. Flavors of plums, blueberries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium to firm tannins, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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8/26/2012 - BrianMc wrote: 93 Points
Another great effort from Carlisle, the balance is what makes this wine a winner, nice raspberry notes and lasting finish.
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8/14/2012 - Screameagle wrote: 88 Points
A very nice syrah but nowhere near as good as many other excellent Carlisles I've had the opportunity to consume. Seemed to be missing something in the mid palate. Hope my remaining bottles show better. Waiting another year to try my next bottle
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7/17/2012 - psoals wrote: 84 Points
A rare dissapointment from Carlisle. Opened up nicely at first with good fruit and structure, but quickly faded in the glass. Drinkem if you got em...not going to improve.
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5/12/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 93 Points
This wine is delicious. Drank 3/4 of the bottle over 3-4 hrs. Young yet integrated. I love the gamy/meaty notes and the minerality. Varietally correct. Delicious acid. Long finish. I didn't get any heat. Plenty of tannins left.
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5/9/2012 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
Did a pop and pour which was a mistake. Best to decant for an hour. Certainly not showing its age this wine should improve over the next few years and hold for another 5-10 years. I love what mike does with the jemrose fruit and look forward to the evolution of this wine over the years.
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3/25/2012 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Came to a dinner, courtesy of Mr Nordhoff. The wine was not decanted but simply went bottle to glass, and was finished over about 2 hrs. Iron, bitter chocolate and roasted red flavors. At the core of the wine was a real youthful core still, one that I think will allow this bottle to age quite well for several more years. There's acid and structure in the core which keeps it fresh. I've since drank my last one of these back in 2011 but if I still had one, I'd suggest a good decant or simply waiting until 2014 and then enjoy, as I think this wine will endure another 4-5 years.
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3/24/2012 - danseng wrote: 93 Points
Excellent! Pop and pour and it became one of my favorite Carlisle Syrahs. Nice job Mike.
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2/11/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Casualty of wine tasting but huge hit. Palates weren't overly sophisticated but all present thought this one of the top wines.
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2/6/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 93 Points
No detailed notes from Day 1, when I found this a bit tight and as a results a bit ordinary. On Day 2, a much different story. Pepper on top of a meaty mix of dark red fruits. Rich mouthfeel, plush fruit. Long finish. Quite to the contrary of thinking this is "DOA", I think it has yet to emerge from its shell. I've had this experience with several other young Carlisle wines....ordinary Day 1, spectacular Day 2. 93+ points on Day 1. Well below that on the "pop".
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12/28/2011 - nectar14 wrote: 92 Points
Dark and intense. Blackberry, cherry, asphalt, and smoked meat. A bit chewy. Good length. Very tasty.
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12/16/2011 - stufis wrote: 86 Points
Well this was an unbalanced mess. The fruit can't hold up to the ETOH, (15.9%), resulting in a lot less joy than we had hoped for with BBQ'd steaks. Starts off on the palate with a nice hit of oak (not kidding, it WAS nice!), but thereafter it slid away over the next 2 hours. I've had trouble with Mike's 2006's (and he himself has warned that they need more time) but I fear the Cardiac Hill is well on its way to DOA-ville. the 2007's, by comparison, are much more of what I expect of Carlisle.
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11/3/2011 - SUN-J wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour. Aromas of smoked meat, pepper and maybe some dark fruit. Palate was similar with a roasted/burnt element as well -- typical Carlisle. This was pretty closed and should have been decanted. Usually love their syrah's but this was not ready or not my style
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6/20/2011 - buckeye76 wrote: 94 Points
BLACKBERRIES, CURRANTS, AND A TOUCH OF EARTHINESS IN THE NOSE. BLACK CURRANTS, BLACK CHERRIES, AND RASPBERRIES IN THE FLAVOR. WILL BENEFIT FROM A FEW YEARS OF ADDITIONAL AGING. LONG FINISH.
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5/19/2011 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I put a good 18 months of patience in between bottles. The bottle tasted here was opened last night, retasted tonight. Not the opaque colored style here from Mike, but rather a darkish-maroon and light purple. This wine needed about 45 mins last night to fill into the mid-palate so I'd say aeration is the right approach if you're to judge this bottle. This wine is reflective well of this place, showing Jim Mack's cool location in BV, as the wine exhibits out some pepper, stem, smoke. (As a side note, Mike's website shows this wine is 40% whole cluster, which is evident in that aromatic). I like this amount, and FWIW, is similar to the Jemrose syrah that comes of the same site, which is made by Jim at 30%--all in all, that seems to suit the fruit here well and really add some nice rustic notes. There is a good structure here, with dark bitter chocolate, blueberry skin, acid and the same pepper and menthol-like zip from the stems...and if you let the wine come up to room temp, it will fatten up some, show some darker fruit and the signature Mike Officer smooth texture. A decent amount of chewy tannin, some light vanilla and char close the finish, which in my view suggests the wine ought to sit another 2 years, so a drink window of say 2012-2015.
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5/1/2011 - otisabdul wrote: 92 Points
Blueberry and boysenberry. Dense and dark. Chewy and intesne. Will hold other bottle for a couple more years.
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4/25/2011 - kenthargis wrote: 91 Points
Took a little while to open up, but had interesting mineral and brambly notes. Not much pepper, darker fruits. Full-bodied. Could stand a little more time in the bottle. Very nice.
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4/4/2011 - SMG Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. This either needs a couple hours in the decanter or a couple more years in the bottle.
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3/31/2011 - mattowan wrote: 93 Points
Yound decadent and outstanding! Dark and deep. Luscious. Food wine? No idea. Tasty and enjoyable? Certainly.
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3/29/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Thrown into a decanter and poured a glass. Initial notes, violets, blackberry and a touch of smoke and toasty sweetness on the nose. In the mouth, dark fruits, fine grained tannins that arevery present. Needs more time to air out, but a 92-93 pointer right now.
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3/25/2011 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Explosive and tannic. I'm going to put the rest of these on hold for a couple of years!
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11/9/2010 - etherscreen wrote:
nice but could use a bit more time.
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10/3/2010 - Mr T wrote:
Classic Carlisle....fun to drink...not sure I get or got more than that...nor was I looking for it....not too hot or overwhelming
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4/2/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Man this is good. I agree with bubbchumps. Lots of iron/blood, blueberry, espresso, and black pepper. Huge nose. My tongue has never been more purple/black after drinking a wine. This could age nicely - unfortunately it was our last bottle.
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2/24/2010 - ginfizz wrote: 90 Points
Solid but young.
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2/19/2010 - tairanosaurus wrote:
90 minute decant. what a nose. Dark fruit and smokey and fresh wood shavings. In the mouth, still a bit tight. Blackberry and plum fruit, with strong tea leaves. Nice long finish. 3 hrs out of bottle, it's starting to unwind and show its potential.
Day 2: Nose of plum/blackberry, juicy bacon fat and soy sauce. In the mouth, starts with great black fruit and some pepper. Then, same fruit with wood stems, menthol and pencil shavings. Long finish with strong dry tannins, friendly acidity and a bit of heat.
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1/28/2010 - Mike Dildine wrote: 90 Points
Medium dark ruby. Menthol and black fruit aromas. Complex and concentrated flavors of blackberries, blueberries, smoke, pepper and oriental spice. Lingering aftertaste. Good balance and excellent mouthfeel. A very enjoyable wine with just a tad lacking in the mid-palate. The structure calls for more age. My last bottle - if I had more I'd keep for at least another year.
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12/7/2009 - win wrote: 90 Points
Fairly muted, yet refined. Interesting.
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11/26/2009 - salil wrote: 86 Points
Disappointing given how great a bottle of this was last year. Packed with dense flavours of plums, blackberries and blueberries, showing some alcohol on the nose and on the back end - comes across a little clunky and dull at first, though with some air this calms down and becomes less monolithic as the alcohol integrates, and some nice smoky and meaty flavours also emerge amidst the fruit.
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11/16/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Dark, with big structure, ore and menthol. I guessed Shane but when we pulled the bags off, it was Carlisle. Wow, nice work Mike O.
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11/14/2009 - blondon wrote:
Rhone Dinner at Frank Murray's with Jim & Gloria Mack: Grilled meat, great salinity, blood & iron, midweight mouthfeel, peppery finish. Wonderful. WOTN for me.
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10/25/2009 - gutt22 wrote:
15.8% alcohol. Decanted. Still youthful and tight. Deep purple-tinged color. Beautiful, powerful bouquet of blue and black fruit, with intense floral and meaty notes. In the mouth, brawny and packed with blue and black fruit. Terrific complexity and structure, which really kicks in with the acidity and strong tannins. A nice peppery note comes in on the palate, too. A-
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9/4/2009 - gr8r84u wrote: 92 Points
Should have checked my notes. Very good but waaaaaaaaaaay too young. HOLD!
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8/22/2009 - winelovr2001 wrote: 94 Points
Awesome extraction and tannins. Can last for a decade, but great now.
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8/12/2009 - pakabear wrote: flawed
The wine was slightly corked, but to it's credit the power of the fruit still shows through...
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7/26/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Very complex nose with definite northern rhone characteristics. I could smell this wine all night. Pepper, blueberry, scorched earth and some espresso on the nose. In the mouth, the flavors just explode off the palate. There is some definite structure here, but its balanced nicely with loads of fruit. I had been holding on to these since many notes indicated a very structured wine. Its ready to go with a decant, but certainly will get better with some more time in the bottle.
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7/8/2009 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Full-bodied, rich blackberry fruit with smokey, meaty, olive, and herb flavors, strong tannins, excellent structure, needs time to open up
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5/16/2009 - gr8r84u wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this is a beast. The tannins are overwhelming right now but the fruit still shows through. Ample rewards for those that can give it some time. I'll wait at least a year to open the next one.
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3/16/2009 - KenK wrote: 93 Points
Nice Carlisle Retrospective Tasting 2003-2006; 3/12/2009-3/16/2009 (Desmond's in Naples, FL): Dark rich concentrated aromas of blackberries and ripe black cherry. Palate showed ultra ripe dense sweet chunky qualities with slightly hot edge. Huge ripe black fruits, a massive wine that has big potential, but needs time to settle down. Rated more for perceived potential, then current drinkability. Suggest putting away for 3yrs+ before attempting again.
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3/16/2009 - etherscreen wrote:
opaque dark purple. the nose on this resembles what i find common to coronas, but only slightly sweeter. keep in mind, however, my experience with that region is relatively thin. deep dark nose of black fruit, meats, dried herbs, olive, and minerals with perhaps a bit of smoke. on the palate this wine is a mile deep, flirting its multiple layers that will surely unfold in the years to come. almost alive in the mouth with a full body, solid spine of acid, and yet a generally soft mouthfeel. dark fruits, minerals, and meat predominate in the mouth. the tannins really don't stick out until the clamp down on the fruit and mineral infused finish. this will be fabulous in several years time. i had 6 and opened it up this evening in the name of palate education. mike wows me again! well done!
as an aside, what mike does with bennett valley fruit is nothing short of utterly great - kudos!
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2/13/2009 - swp3 wrote:
0thers' previous notes are on the mark. I would emphasize, however, how UNready this is to drink. I opened it to get a baseline impression, fully aware it was way too early. In spite of that awareness, I still regret the decision, as there is so much obvious unrealized potential here and such raw force raw force. Really interesting now but delicious in a few years. Really no need to try again until 2014.
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2/6/2009 - spacewrangler wrote: 92 Points
Very Northern Rhone. Powerful with meat, pepper, game and salinity that I find in a lot of Hermitage. Super fresh and not heavy or hot in any way.
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1/31/2009 - Ali wrote: 91 Points
lots of dark fruit and pepper. Enjoyable now, but should improve with time
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9/3/2008 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 91 Points
Jemrose in New York City: Meaty, deep, and masculine smelling with a touch of buried wood and herb. Trademark seamlessness in the mouth with excellent balance and good impact to the notes of grilled meats and dark spicy, plummy fruit on the palate. Still a bit wound up and needs time to relax but excellent raw materials.
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4/16/2008 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Deep purple colour. Tightly wound on the nose at first, but it opens with time to show aromas of spices, cedar, sweet dark fruits, meat and a little woodiness. Full and rich on the palate with firm tannins, moderate acidity and more complex flavours of dark fruits, spices and some savoury earthy notes. Medium-long finish that seemed to get longer and better with time in the glass. A great wine, but still incredibly young - this just needs a lot of time.
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