11/8/2023 - MikeCW wrote:

Opened to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Undrinkable. Properly stored since purchase. Second undrinkable bottle of a four pack I purchased years back.

9/17/2023 - MikeCW wrote:

I don't mind riper Bordeaux but this was too far for me. Very dark in the glass, would have guessed very recent vintage. Just too ripe for my tastes. Reminds me of how I fee about Ridge Pagani, just too much. $33.99 from Premier Cru so I can't complain too much.

5/7/2023 - MikeCW wrote:

What a great surprise. Picked these up as wedding year wines back in 2000ish. Drinking fantastic. Mushroom on the nose, no decant. I would say at peak. Served with turkey patties with eggplant and fennel. This wine is probably about to enter slow decline, but would be interesting to follow over next 5.

12/4/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Found another bottle in my cellar. Still drinking really well.

11/10/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

This wine was fantastic. Drinking so well. Orange peel. This is why I love RM.

11/3/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Hanging in there nicely.

8/29/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Really enjoyed this pretty opulent wine. Resolved tannins. Holding well on day 2. Would have guessed California. Interested to see where this goes over the next 5.

6/1/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Drinking very well. Needed about 30 minutes to flourish. Would be surprised if this meaningfully improved.

4/28/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

What others said in recent notes. Really satisfying. I think letting these sit for at least 10 is the key.

4/11/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Found this after picking up wine from storage. My wife opened without checking. In any event, fantastic wine, drinking incredibly well right now. I really am a fan of Ridge Chardonnay and this one was in a really good place. One of the better domestic Chardonnays I have had in the past year.

2/23/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Silky and fully ready. Cloudy wine. Very nice.

1/24/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

This came around fairly nicely after 90 minutes. Very shrill and tight on opening. Enjoyable but not a standout wine.

1/24/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

This was too ripe for my tastes. Stored well, so don't think that was an issue. Surprised at the other notes talking about a lighter style, as this was not light on this evening.

1/24/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Corked, lightly on the finish, ruined what seemed like it would be a promising wine.

1/22/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Flawed. Gross.

1/16/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

What a surprise. Would have guessed Bordeaux blind. Bit of green pepper on the nose, tannins resolved, drinking really well.

1/13/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

One of the better Chardonnays I have had in a while. Was concerned this would be over the hill, but was drinking beautifully. So well integrated and balanced. I would drink now but who knows where this might go. Perfect with Dungeness Crab in butter.

1/9/2022 - MikeCW wrote:

Drinking well, not much evidence of aging other than a general mellowing. Not overtly jammy but recognizable as zinfandel to me. Don't see any reason to hold this for this long other than as a curiosity, not sure why I did. Might be interesting to see where it is in another 5 years.

10/19/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Popped and poured through a strainer after the cork disintegrated on extraction. Drinking well, enjoyable secondary flavors. I see this slowly fading off over the next several (5-7) years but in no danger of falling off a cliff. $21.99 from K&L back in the day.

9/13/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Really nice. Smokey. Not over the hill at all.

8/22/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Great showing, no decant, opened up quickly. RIP Becky Wasserman.

8/9/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

This was overripe when opened making be think it may be over the hill. Had a slight roasted profile. Improved slightly over next 3 hours but only rose the level of barely drinkable. Properly stored since purchase.

5/13/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Nice wine. Drinking well. Did not seem tired. Bit of oak on the finish.

5/7/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Very surprising showing for this wine that I did not even know I still had. Drinking very well over the course of dinner. Red fruits finishing with orange. I see other notes that note tired and thin - that was definitely not the case with this bottle. If anything, might have been a bit over the top vs. thin.

4/18/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Blind would not have guessed Cabernet. Would not have been in my top 3 guesses. Almost a mix between Syrah and Zinfandel. Strange wine, just tolerable to drink with dinner. Bit overripe/raisiny. Properly stored since purchase so not sure what going on with this wine.

3/23/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Still kicking, tasting well with salmon. Thought this might be over the hill but was pleasantly surprised.

2/27/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

What a surprise, drinking really well. Hint of toast on the nose with lemon on the finish. Exceeded expectations. Great deal on closeout from K&L.

2/18/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Forgot I had this laying around. Really enjoyable CA pinot. Drinking well. Cinnamon, blackberries and a bit of funk.

1/25/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Very nice wine, better than expected. Still has some life left but no need to hold.

1/2/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

As other tasters touched on, I was surprised how big this wine was. Definitely not a lean style, gold in the glass that would suggest older than 4 years. Would pair perfect with butter poached lobster. This was a little over the top for me in terms of richness, but my wife loved it.

1/2/2021 - MikeCW wrote:

Last of my two bottles purchased second hand off Craigslist from a passive garage cellar in San Francisco in 2006. My last bottle was consumed in December of 2018. Another great showing for this wine that paired well with rack of pork. Mushrooms on the nose, really intoxicating. I think this is drinking well right now with minimal decant.

12/8/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Right on the edge for me of enjoyable. I would decant despite age. Olive and ash, bitterness. This is why I dropped off Copain list, so many almosts and near misses. Served with herb toasted rack of pork from Bryan Flannery. Purchased from mailing list, properly stored.

12/8/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Probably my 10th bottle of this vintage. Very tropical, coconut on the front end turning to lemon curd with restrained oak. Really solid Chardonnay.

12/6/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Disappointing at this price. Not much going on, lemon on the palate. Almonds. Minimal detectable oak presence.

11/30/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

One of the most hideously corked wines I have had in some time. Could smell it from a few feet away.

11/28/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

In a really good place, smokey, olive. Alban light not as a criticism. No need to wait.

11/22/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Prune, raisin and overripe for my palate. Reminiscent of port but undrinkable . Thought it would be good pairing for BBQ but just could not enjoy this wine. Chilled it per recommendation of other notes, but did not help. Will try again today to see if any change but not optimistic. Not my typical experience with older Carlisle.

11/21/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

The wine was spectacularly oaked. Not sure what else to say other than it tasted quite like expensive oak, much of it new. Very velvety. From a 375ml. Opened before its time. Would not open another one for 10 years.

6/21/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

It's Alban. Indestructible wine. When in the mood, can't ask for more. Bacon and power.

4/9/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Little disappointing with Passover brisket. No flaws but not exciting me. Chewy with violets, but not special. Competent on this night.

4/6/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

This wine was absolutely brilliant this evening. Almost every review here comments on cherry but I did not see it leaning so much cherry or black cherry, to me I picked up the orange peel as much as cherry, with some clove. Perfectly balanced and really just spectacular with duck breast hot pot take out from Single Thread. Every time I think maybe I should be done with Rhys they pull me back in.....

3/23/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Flawed I hope as this was horrible. Bitter. Not corked just way off. Really unpleasant. Stored appropriately bought from K&L so no idea.

3/22/2020 - MikeCW wrote:

Very nice wine, holding well. Cranberry predominating. Not about to fall off a cliff but no need to hold further. Silky.

12/27/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

As much as you can expect from a California Pinot. Tremendous wine, drinking perfectly. Decanted for an hour. High orange peel quotient. Enjoyed at The Progress.

10/6/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

Fantastic. More so in 5 years.

8/10/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

Last bottle I had of this was off so thought maybe over the hill but this bottle was drinking fantastic. My last one. Given the bottle variation I would think about drinking up.

7/21/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

This is really drinking well. Blind never would have guessed Turley. A fairly subdued and nuanced zinfandel at this point, in a good way.

7/2/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

Hardly ever buy or drink Riesling anymore but decided to break into my stash of Prum bought last decade. Golden in color and a sense of sweetness for sure. Paired well with Thai Shrimp with cabbage leaves and rice. Interesting to see where this goes. I'll hold my remaining bottles another few years and check in again then.

5/31/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

Port at this point. Overly mature.

5/13/2019 - MikeCW wrote:

Not a fan of this wine. To me, tasted overripe and lending almost towards slightly fortified. Purchased at winery, stored properly so don't think it was a storage issue.