4/7/2013 - hudamang wrote:

Some funk blew off after 10 minutes in the glass. My friend who isn't a big wine geek said he could actually tell this one was actually a special wine. Told him the price and he said the quality price ratio on this wine makes him want to sign up on the list. I told him Carlisle has never disappointed.

3/16/2013 - hudamang wrote:

Not a huge fan of this wine since it seems to lose it's sense of place with all the different varietals. I'm actually not sure what grapes go into this blend but I assume sangiovese only makes up a small part. Tasted blind, I probably would guess either Italy or France. Doesn't have the typical "Tuscany Cherries". Certainly not a bad wine but not one I'm terribly excited about.

2/22/2013 - hudamang wrote:

Drinking well right now. Would be interesting to throw in a CA tasting as a ringer.

2/10/2013 - hudamang wrote:

Really enjoyed this wine...such an exotic nose and very balanced. I hope in the future Rivers Marie increases its chardonnay production to include a Sonoma Coast designation. What a QPR that could be!

2/10/2013 - hudamang wrote:

Judgment reserved since I believe my bottle might have been slightly corked. I had high expectations...hate it when wine is corked...

2/4/2013 - hudamang Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this very much. Light garnet in color. I can see how people compare burgundy with Barolo....very similar colors in the Riedel glass. Complex, tannic, but very long finish after my 3 hour decant. Needs many years but terrific wine.

1/30/2013 - hudamang Likes this wine:

Wanted to check out the 09 vintage, which I've never tasted at the winery. Lewelling is so consistent every year. Lots of ripe dark fruit, some mocha, silky tannins, and a long finish. Certainly can use a few years in the cellar. I'm on my 04s and 05s right now. Still my favorite winery to support since the owners are great.

1/20/2013 - hudamang Likes this wine:

Showing primary sweet fruit but what surprised me was how balanced this wine is. I had the 06 Three Sisters and it was very alcoholic. This was much better and should age well. Give it at least a few years of sleep.

1/17/2013 - hudamang Likes this wine:

Similar to previous note: Strawberries, nice finish, definitely a pinot noir.

1/3/2013 - hudamang wrote:

My last bottle (I found this one hidden in the storage unit). Purchased on release and it's evolved nicely. Some secondary flavors emerged but there is still plenty of cranberry, cherry fruit, forest floor, some black tea. This wine was so delicious at release and it still is.

1/3/2013 - hudamang Likes this wine:

More approachable right now than either the 96 Krug or Salon. Green apples, citrus, lemon, some sour dough. First time using Zalto glasses, which made me a believer. I tried the Dom in another champagne glass and it wasn't as open. Excellent champagne.

12/28/2012 - hudamang Likes this wine:

What a complex white! Tropical, mineral, lemons...kept evolving and had a nice mouthfeel. I havent had any aged Huets but the young ones sure taste good.

12/25/2012 - hudamang Likes this wine:

Garnet red in color that reminds me of a california pinot. Dark dried cherries and cranberries on the palate with plenty of tannins on the finish. Acidic and tannic. While Casanova di Neri is known as a modernist, this is still a nice expression of sangiovese. It's definitely not a jammy Aussie or CA Cab even though it's more modern than most wines from Montalcino.

11/23/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Very consistent and a nice complex napa Cabernet. Not overly ripe, really silky mouthfeel, which is very pleasant. Aging at a slow pace since I opened one a few years back and remember similar characteristics. Popped and poured both times so I wonder if some decanting will change the mouthfeel. Awesome wine. Glad to have a magnum of this too.

11/23/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Slight petrol on the nose that blew off. This has really come together. I had a few that were disjointed but this had very nice sweet nectar taste. Honey, peaches....wish I purchased more when these were on closeout at Premier Cru.

11/23/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Still very young. Lots of golden apples, brioche, lemons with tons of acidity but well balanced. I still prefer this to the 96 Salon but both are still very young to drink. Will hold my other bottles for a while before opening the next one.

11/19/2012 - hudamang wrote:

My first 2010 Rivers Marie and it certainly didn't disappoint. Popped and poured into Riedel Vinum burgundy glass. Dark ruby red in color, nose of red fruits and some pinot funk. Really well balanced showing lots of strawberries and cherries, ending in a nice finish with a hint of creaminess. Can compete against many other domestic pinots costing 2-3Xs the price. Fantastic QPR made by an all star winemaker. Excellent wine!

11/18/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Much better than when I had it in 2011. The metallic taste has gone away. Still not a lot on the nose but a pretty good value. I still think this is more of a B+/A- vs a 96 pt wine. Suckling scores minus 6 or 7 points = normal.

11/18/2012 - hudamang wrote:

One of the under appreciated Napa cabernets. Drinking really well right now. Tannins are becoming more smooth and secondary flavors compliment the fruit.

11/13/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Consumed with homemade pizza. This wine is drinking really well. Definitely italian with its sour berries and high acidity but everything is very well balanced. I'm now down to my last bottle. Scoring this an A- for now. Probably time to drink up.

10/6/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Needed a bottle for Sangria.

9/21/2012 - hudamang wrote:

Last one I had. Seen better times but still a treat to try.

12/22/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Gross

9/20/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Drinking great. Lots of mint and dark fruit

8/16/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Secondary flavors are coming in...drinking pretty well though I am concerned about ageability.

6/28/2011 - hudamang wrote:

CORKED

5/16/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Not very good

5/1/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Developing nicely...brought to a tasting but didn't take formal notes. It's no longer super tight as it was in its youth. Still needs a lot of air to show well though.

5/1/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Brought to a tasting. Slightly spritzy..showed lots of citrus with minerality and some almond notes.

4/28/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Popped and poured into Riedel Cab glasses. Dark garnet in color. While the nose was slightly muted at first, the wine hits the palate with black currants, chocolate, sweet approachable tannins, vanilla, and some coffee notes. Nice long finish. This wine isn't big like some new world wines. Very well balanced and structured.

4/26/2011 - hudamang wrote:

A lot more fruity than what I was expecting. Somewhere in between a dry muscat and a viognier. I'm not too familiar with this grape variety but I did enjoy it.

4/4/2011 - hudamang wrote:

I was looking at the vintage chart on the Carlisle website and decided it was time to drink this bottle. Drinking so well right now. My bottle was super well balanced and had great Zin fruit, yet teeth staining like a Petit Sirah. Wonderful finish. Carlisle never disappoints!

3/30/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Consumed over 2 nights. Nice bright fruit. Still new world but elegant. A-

3/15/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Decided to pop one in honor or the Carlisle delivery today. Dark blueberries and raspberry on both nose and palate, finishing with nice vanilla finish. Nice zin.

3/12/2011 - hudamang wrote:

I had one bottle that tasted fortified. Crazy bottle variation with this wine. This bottle isn't fortified in smell but it also has stewed fruit and heavy alcohol on the palate. Tastes much older than it really is...poor storage?

3/12/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Wow this is odd...almost orange in color and it smells fortified...can heat damage do this?

3/11/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Purchased from Grocery Outlet, the hidden gem store that sells wines on closeout. I think this wine was $5 or so. Opened and took a pour almost 5 days ago but decided to drink a Carlisle instead. I screwed the screwcap back on an let it rest in the Le Cache. Decided to revisit the wine tonight to see if it needed to be poured down the drain. Surprisingly, it was very drinkable. Consumed with pasta. Dark garnet in color, nose reveals some dark berries and sweet oak. On the palate, nice dark fruits that aren't overly ripe. Medium bodied and medium viscosity. The finish is medium length with nice oak. Bargain at $5. Blend of Bonarda, Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon. B+

3/6/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Dark inky purple. Nose of blueberries and blackberries and just a hint of barnyard on day 2 (Unusual for a carlisle). Nice mouthfeel with plenty of fruit, cocoa, spice, finishing with dusty tannins.

2/25/2011 - hudamang wrote:

I was excited to try this wine due to the WS96 and the QPR that I thought it represents. Purchased for $21 at the San Diego Costco. First day: Dark garnet in color. Pop and pour into Riedel Cabernet glasses. The nose was extremely muted and had a metallic scent. Wasn't getting much on the palate and I decided to wait for Day2.

Day 2: Much nicer nose. Black cherries..pleasant nose. On the palate, sour cherries, coffee, minerals, and spice. The finish is medium and pleasant. I prefer some of the Chianti Classicos and definitely the Brunellos over this Super Tuscan. I was expecting a lot. In my book, a 96 pointer should represent a Solid A, A+. This was a B+ wine to me.

2/22/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Holding pretty well for a 8 year old chardonnay. Nose had a touch too much oak but the wine was easy to drink. Didn't take formal notes but was pretty good.

2/22/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Purchased 5 years ago. Slightly darker color but still dominated by delicious ripe apples. One of my favorite NV champagnes.

2/14/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Consumed for Valentine's Day Dinner. Dark garnet in color. Lots of dark berries and nice floral on the nose. On the palate, dark sweet berries and dark chocolate, some coffee notes, some spice, leaving a nice long creamy finish. Definitely New World CA in style but well balanced and delicious. This reminds me of the 2002 Insignia when young. Delicious and drinking well now. This is one winery that I definitely support. Great wine, great people.

2/13/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Popped and poured. Initial nose had a stink. Thanksfully, I opened this in the comforts of my house so I let it breathe in glass. The wine had a nice transformation from smelly to nice cherry and strawberry. Ripe Red fruit on the palate with strawberries dominating. Some nice oak on the finish that wasn't overwhelming and good amounts of acidity. Needs time to fill out. If my impressions were only from the first 10 minutes, this wine would've been a pretty bad wine. Instead, it opened up and was very nice. B+ for now with possibility of getting better in the future. Bargain at $19 from Wine Ex.

2/6/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Used for cooking but I took a sip. Thought it was a nice SB.

2/2/2011 - hudamang wrote:

This was dark purple/black in color. Pop and poured into Cabernet glasses, it took about 30 minutes to open up and show lots of dark fruit, cocoa, blueberries. On the palate, I got massive amounts of dark ripe berries, espresso, cocoa, and rock. Massive wall of sweet tannins on the finish. Huge amount of sediments in the glass. If you describe CA Cab as Megan Fox-like, this is definitely Tera Patrick-ish. Teeth staining...this wine is like squid ink risotto...

1/30/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Popped and poured. Probably could've used a decant but it was delicious enough to be finished in 1 hour. Lots of dark fruit, well balanced, and very smooth tannins. I had this when it was first bottled, when it was showing just primary fruit. I think this still needs some time or at least a decant. Pop and pour doesnt do this wine justice.

1/28/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Medium garnet in color. Medium viscosity with the nose showing pinot funk and cherries. Sweet cherries and pomegranate hit the palate with spices mixed in. Slightly spritzy, but it blew away after 20 minutes. What I've noticed with this wine is its tannins leave a slightly dry medium finish. A nice wine that definitely has pinot characteristics. If I'm James Suckling, I would say I'm about an A- on this wine.

1/22/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Very nice with ripe apples, not too oaky...nice long finish. Not over the top or buttery.

1/16/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Garnet color with a clear rim. This took an hour to start to open up. Dried berries on both the nose and palate, this finishes with some cedar notes and has a slightly tannic finish. B+. This actually could benefit with some age on it.

1/2/2011 - hudamang wrote:

Took to New Years Eve dinner at kous kous and what does the waitress do? Pop the cork so loud that the champagne flies all over our table. Nice color but honestly, I don't see how this is any better than the regular Chandon Rose. Good thing I bought it for sub $20 but the winery sells this for $50, which is overpriced. Had large bubbles and wasn't very complex. I'll rather have a cheaper Cremant d'alsace.