January 14, 2024 - plenty of life left in this. I'm picking up some red fruits. Enjoyable wine very well made and holding up nicely
September 26, 2023 - Popped and poured, surprisingly youthful purple/violet hue. Pronounced aromas of dark fruits, smoked ham, vanilla pipe tobacco and a mélange of herbaceous spice notes. Nicely concentrated, this shines on the palate, with racy blackberry, black raspberry and even subtle stone fruit notes heightened by a peppery, herbaceous undercurrent that never deviates too green. Balanced acidity and rounded tannins carry everything through on the extended close. Yet another home run from Mike Officer and an absolute treat...and although quite youthful overall, this beautiful Syrah appears to have just entered into a peak drinking window but should continue aging nicely over the next decade plus if properly cellared.
September 3, 2023 - No notes taken. Drank at a party. But still early maturity and lovely with some tertiary notes. Love these wines.
July 29, 2023 - No mistaking this for anything but a syrah. On both the nose and palate, all kinds of berries, pepper, baconfat, minerals, and garrigue. Yowza. Probably a little past its peak (where and when it probably would have warranted a higher score).
April 29, 2023 - Pop and pour, drank half the bottle and half the next day that was preserved with argon. First day, savory, herbaceous and bell pepper nose. On the palate, smoked meats with boysenberry and black currant, maybe a touch of olive. Dang, the nose and palate are so expressive for different reasons. For me, this is kind of the cats meow. Sadly, on day 2, it was significantly less expressive although still pleasant.
March 18, 2022 - My last of the 2012 vintage....wonderful nose of berries, even a hint of jasmine. All the syrah notes are there, with that long Carlisle finish...
December 25, 2021 - California Syrah with some bottle age
Nose- Dark brambly raspberry fruit that is rich, spicy, even smoky.
Palate-slightly bitter, acidic lead in with dark raspberries. Finishes with licorice. Mild tannins
With air, savoriness came forward. Paired great with smoked turkey
September 4, 2021 - PnP, shared with friends around a fire on a beautiful evening. No formal note taken.
Fairly riper fruit profile showing plum, blackberry, pepper, mocha and black tea. Tannins were well integrated and finish was medium long.
July 16, 2021 - Decanted for 30 minutes. Nose of blackberry, plum, chocolate and spice. Ripe black fruit, chocolate and spice on the palate. Long finish. Full bodied. Served with grilled black bean burgers.
April 15, 2021 - Ripe and large scaled, still quite young and tannic, but the blackberry fruit profile is nice. Something goes awry on the finish though with a dollop of char giving it a strange flavor - couldn't decided if it tasted more like cherry coke or pot.