Toasty with mashmallow. Lemon curd, kiwi and a long zingy finish.

Smoky nose with some buttery oak. Viscous with papaya, a bit of wax and some fennel, along with green apple and a long finish. I thought the wine was roussanne or a rhone white and humbled again by a blind format, was proved quite wrong.

As opposed to the 2005 Reserve that preceded this wine in the same flight, this 2007 was quite different and would seemed to have been cut from a different cloth. Smoky nose, alomost with a sugar cookie note. Mineral, pear, medium body with great balance and even length. My wine of the flight and a wine that was classy and well done.

Poured from a magnum and served blind. My intial impression was a wine of about 10 years in age, as it showed the older nose with a light cream and sweet tobacco and light cedar. All of this rang for me like a 99 CA cab or something in that vein. Palate of currant, cherry, some light chocolate and notable acidity. Revealed to be the Carlisle and the first edition of this wine that he made, according to CT.

I intially thought syrah with the zippy blueberry and oak notes. Some chalk, espresso and dark chocolate and a touch of heat. For me, not ready and put it away for another 3 years to let the structure soften.

This bottle came from Gerry's cellar, poured from mag. Gerry says it was a blend of Garys', Pisoni and Bien Nacido and was never released but was a wine that Joe would give as gifts or save for family or other types of events. Bit of smoke, a hint of stalkiness and what to me seemed light some new wood signature on the nose, but hard to imagine given the age so I suspect I am off on that point. Juicy with cranberry and mulch/loam. Clearly a pinot nose so I guessed that part correctly blind.

Initially, I thought Rosella's fruit, as it had that merde signature that faded once it sat in the glass. Big time whole cluster here, with menthol and herbals on the nose. Palate of iron ore, dark blue fruits and chalk. As it sat and I tasted the wine, I thought then it might be a Copain Garys' but later revealed to be Pax. Stumped me there and this wine needs a few more years to let the stems soften.

Had a bit of what I call a "rubber" or tire smell on the nose. I don't like this kind of aromatic signature and I found it there, although not dominant. Deep olive, blackberry, menthol, some green notes, chalk and chocolate. Some really liked this wine, but for me, it needs time again to let the whole cluster setttle in. Full weight and big wine, for sure.

This was a helluva wine. I know some at the dinner preferred or liked the 2005 Keltie more but this Castelli did it for me. This is the kind of CA syrah that defines the varietal for me, with the richness, dark color and flavor profile. It also of the three wines in the flight reflected the least amount of whole cluster signature (as compared to the 05 Keltie and 04 Kobler). Rich, a big blast of juicy blue and black fruit, licorice, milk chocolate and in the finish, shows some red fruit underneath. I ended up collecting about another 6 ounces of the wine, to which I finished about an hour after my original tasting note. That glass showed more whole cluster to me, more menthol, coffee and some crushed rocks, along with the dark blue and black notes and same milk chocolate. For 2009 being so young, this is my best syrah YTD. Great wine for me and my preferences.

I did not like this wine, as to me it seemed to suggest lots of wood and one dimension. Shows off some red fruit, chocolate cherry sweet and some spiciness, which may have been some alcohol on the finish.

This was a very nice wine, and while I continue to feel more convicted about drinking my wines younger, for a wine with over 10 years of age, it drank very youthful. Juicy black cherry, dusty, licorice and dried herbs and some cigar leaf. Seemed fresh and young and my WOTF.

Some grit/chalk, deep cherry and kind of a volcanic feel in the palate. I'm typically not into this kind of varietal mix and so while it tasted fine, did not resonate for me.