Intoxicating aromas of mixed black fruits, still smells primary-ish but there is more going on here to give it these aromas. Age has fared well for this nose. Palate is a bit flat though with some plummy notes poking though. Finished with some tannin still and odd bitterness. All said I enjoyed this wine and I don’t think it’s near falling apart, but the bitterness is a bit worrying should it intrude anymore. A fun experiment non the less.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of boysenberry, plum and a little roasted meat. Flavors of boysenberry, raspberry and plum. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Greenblanket didn't even know he had this wine in his cellar and may have picked it up in a "chump off" situation when the sister in law moved. Whatever, it was in a great place; plummy and smooth with none of the big alcohol showing. (Greenblanket doesn't understand what alchemy of time made this possible). It had some nice Mourvèdre flavor with sticks and stones and a pretty floral thing going on. It was just wonderful with our middle eastern lamb " bo saam".
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Of Rainstorms and Rieslings: LOVE. very young and fresh. zinberry, spicy red fruit. how this is 16% alc is... mindboggling. black cherry, herbs, plum and acidity in the mid. powerful finish. earthy - herby notes. the fresh fruit in a ten yearold wine - amazing.
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Had the good fortune to drink one of these tonight, a bottle that didn't get any advance air. Boy, this was good tonight. I appreciated the absence of any boozy signature, along with the solid balance and weight of this wine. Just drank pretty superb and from looking at my note from last September, tonight's bottle outclassed that bottle and I still don't see this 2005 fading. I'd hold if you only have one left and see how this further evolves but from what I drank tonight, there is no fade in this wine.
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This was a big step up from the 2002 Three Birds. The alcohol was hidden in this wine, and there was more depth and complexity. Again I only had a small pour but I enjoyed this. The more of these I have, the more a realize I'm a fan of the Two Acres bottling.
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I let this sit in the glass for about 30 mins. A smoky note and some early hints of 2ndary flavors, both which I enjoy here. Medium plus body, with the fruit reflecting a nice ripe core, as well as a tangy tobacco leaf note and hard cherry candy that gives is some glossy edges. The finish reflects a nice mix of blue and red fruit with ample acidity still giving it a tangy finish. No signs of fading and in fact the next stage of aging flavors are beginning so this would be a bottle I would track.
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The wine is a deep maroon color. The stunning nose has blackberries, warm baking spices, melted licorice, eucalyptus, graphite, minerals, dark bittersweet chocolate, scorched earth, and some underbrush. This has a fairly full body, mostly integrated tannins, and good acidity. This is rich and lush on the palate with layers of fruit, spice, and earthy elements that take turns leading the show. The finish is very long and flavorful. This wine is in a fantastic place and is rich and smooth. No hurry on this one, it should hold for at least a few more years.
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Had this and a bottle of '00 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul at an osso bucco dinner with friends. To me the Carlisle was the better wine. Good fruit, good balance, excellent match-up with the osso bucco. IMHO the wine will continue to drink well and possibly improve for at least 3-5 more years.
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Pop and poured through Vinturi. Dark black/purple color. Muted nose. Strong and powerful blend with a taste of blackberry and blueberry. A smooth and pleasurable wine but nothing amazing. Just a nice quality everyday table wine.
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World class and awesome old vine Cali wine. My last bottle, best of the lot, but still too young. I would hold on a couple more years. I am very fortunate to get a regular allocation of wines from Carlisle!
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Pop and pour. Dark purple color. Nose of graphite, blueberry and licorice. Full-bodied with layered mouth feel. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry and earth. Smooth finish. Really nice wine.
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1 hour decant. Rich and plush with fine but noticeable tannins. Very dark and aromatic. More dark fruit than leather and earthiness. Only got better through the evening. Terrific for drinking now, but will easily go 5 more years.
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This is my first bottle of this the 2005 Two Acres, always one of my favorite Carlisles. The wine was pop and pour and delicious right from the start even though a bit of alcohol was showing. the color is clear garnet purple. Expressive nose with earth, dark fruit, graphite and smoke. The flavor profile is mouth watering with pepper, spicy berry fruit, smoky meat, leather and again a bit of alcohol. This beaut is drinking beautifully right now and I must say headed for even greater things in the years ahead. Bravo Mike!
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Still plenty of time on these, and this bottle came across as a relatively young wine. Bears the hallmarks of the Carlisle style -- good ripeness, well integrated and generally subtle oak, balanced, easy to drink and smooth. I drank this non-blind, but in a lineup of Carlisle Zins I would have a hard time picking this out as Mourvedre-based. Enjoyable now, but I'll be holding my numerous remaining 2 Acres bottles to age and develop more complexity.
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Very nice! Rustic nose of deep red fruits, iron and minerals. In the mouth, a touch hot, but tasty. I think this wine is at its peak, but it should last here for a couple. Drink up if you have em!
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Popped and poured. Not much nose at first, but with a quick swirl of the glass the fruit is released and you can smell it from a few feet away. Interestingly, this seemed somewhat soft at first but expanded, but over a few hours put on weight and became hardened as if the petite sirah was hiding at first and then snuck into the fore. Think sweet, redder fruits at first, moving to dark, more serious fruit towards the end. Also showing a little earth which adds to the balance of the wine. Though big fruit, not overblown. I'll try to give my remaining bottles a few years and see what happens. Paired nicely with grilled, sage rubbed veal chops.
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From Mike Officer's fabulous "Two Acres" vineyard, planted in 1910. 215 cases produced. This wine is a poster child for the old vine movement. Discovered by Mike neglected and ragged, lovingly brought back to life in 1996. Mostly Mourvedre, which is atypical for Sonoma County vineyards of this age. Interplanted with Mondeuse, Petite, Carignane, Alicante and a little Zin. When I think of Two Acres, I think of a car buff who finds a vintage Pierce Arrow rusting in an abandoned barn. Through love and attention, a true gem is re-born. Two Acre is a true gem.
Medium-dark, but crystalline ruby red. 15.9% alcohol (recent vintages are significantly lower IIRC). Huge red and black fruit aromas. Hugely appealing rasberries, cassis, plums, spice and cream on the palate. Extremely well balanced, rich and delicious. One of California's most historic and distinctives wine. One of my favorite wines.
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This is really special wine, drinking very well right now. Exquisite liqueur like texture and intensity. Aroma and nose were still deepening five hours after opening the bottle. Nose of tropical flowers and cool moss, dark flavors of fruit like plum and berries with earthy tea leave flavors and composted soil finish, remaining rich and complex for many minutes, and never seeming to end.
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Great wine. I am amazed at how great the mouvedre stands alone, or almost alone. This wine is deep and complex, and offers so much. One of my favorite Carlisles!
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First night-fabulous and rich. Texture is like port whipped cream, flavors of dark pie spice berries, pencil lead/ minerals, finish is long, very long, with notes of citrus peel, astringent herbs, and chocolate that draws you back into the nose, ripe and full of character. Second day even better, richer body, even more intensity of flavor.
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Overall different than what I expected (but the Mourvedre better than expected), but I liked it. It seems to be in the middle of shedding the exuberant youth and accepting its maturity.
Color was dark as usual for Carlisle, par for the course here. Purple-red edges.
Nose: Initially tea, pepper, meaty with smoke, tar. Later the oak appeared, with smoky meat retaining the share, framed with pepper.
Palate: Tea, peppery spice, blackberry and ripe strawberry, meaty. Full robe of silky tannins, finishing not so much tart, but with noticeable acid.
I feel like its just starting to turn the corner so if you like the jammy, brambly brawny youth of this wine drink up. If not, sit back and enjoy its complexity.
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Served with dinner alongside two very similar old world Mourvedre blends. While this wine has shed much of it's youthful exuberance and is showing more Mourvedre and secondary character it was no match for the balance and poise of the other wines. Excellent.
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15.9% ABV. Dark ruby garnet translucent in the glass. On the nose, slight animal fur along with wax, eucalyptus, and a spicy pinon smoke note over red fruit. Medium-full bodied with sweet red fruit on the palate balanced with a savory (iodine?) quality. Excellent. 93+
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This was pretty terrific - excellent mix of piney, minty underbrush, a hint of iodine and oak to round out the nose. On the palate, peppery spice, forest floor, primary dark fruits, and vanilla oak. Like the package a lot, very unmistakably Califoria Rhone varietal, done well. Can't wait to get on this mailing list. 92-93
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Carlisle week continues and Greenblanket continues to be gratified by the development of his 04s and now this 05. While big tannic structure still remains there is even more spice and brush and maybe even a little smoked meat showing this year. It's delicious with great balance and texture and not much trace of the high alcohol.
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9 Blind Mourvedre: The nose had red fruit aromas with an interesting pine needle/eucalyptus-like note. The palate had spicy red fruit flavors, and a forest floor note (That's a first for me to use forest floor in a tasting note). This was medium to full bodied and had a long finish where the wine seemed to take on a raisin flavor. When this was revealed as a Carlisle, I was fairly surprised, but this was also the first tasting of anything other than a Syrah from Carlisle. I would love to taste this again in the future.
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Based on everyone's note I decanted this all day which really paid off. I was surprised at the intensity of the nose, lovely dark berries a touch of spice. So satisfying and vibrant mouth feel. Lovely fruit and balance. Then tannins were amazingly soft. The bartender was blown away !. I'm a fan for sure. About to order my allocation now.
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Mourvedre shines through on the nose, with blueberry and black raspberry, rock/mineral, roasted meat with bay leaf, chocolate, beet root?, purple flowers and spices. Palate comes off as medium bodied, with robust acidity, and more spicy than fruity. Listed at 15.9% alcohol, but seems much less.
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I totally love everything about this wine. I love the concept of the field blend. I love the way it tastes. I love the way it is priced.
The nose is unique and inviting, with dark fruits and a hint of blueberry coming through. The wine has a full mouthfeel and a 20+ second finish. In addition to the dark fruits, I pick up a little pepper. I'm not sure I pick up the "cushed rocks" RMP sees, but I do get some of the "underbrush."
Really great stuff. I can see this aging, but it seems perfectly wonderful right now.
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While this wine is still dominated by big fruit it is starting to express more and more Mourvedre typical flavors including spice, loamy earth, and bark. Big, lush, high in alcohol but somehow still balanced and delicious.
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This showed dark fruits on the nose and across the palate and beautiful long smooth structure with waves of blackberry, dark plum and savory spice. Delicious, hedonistic, and seductive right now and hopefully this will unveil more Mourvedre character in years to come.
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A nose of great lift and clarity, showing ink, cassis, pie crust and a little game. Smooth on the palate with succulent, floral black fruits. Some ripe tannin gives good grip on the finish along with bright, effusive fruit and a little dried leaf.
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I like this more than the 1 or 2 prior vintages I've tried. I recall not liking the '03 -- perhaps I drank it too soon. This seemed very open for business. Wonderful nose of sweet dark fruits with some nice complexity to it -- maybe even a mineral component. Palate was lush but also not over the top fruity -- have never had such a lush wine that was more earthy than fruity (reminded me a bit of the l'oustal blanc minervois -- i know this is mostly grenache -- the two acres was still better than this). Moderate tannins and acidity. Could get better in a few years but why wait! Nicely done.
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A very interesting blend of Mourvedre and other rhone components. Another great wine by Mike Officer. Just wish I had more in my cellar. Drinking great now but might even improve with age.
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Pop and Pour. GREAT chocolate, blackberry, spice nose. Palate is well balanced, dark fruit, tea and asian spice dominate with medium tannins (2 more years probably would be best). It's a terrific wine for the price!
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Ridiculously good combo of dark, just slightly chewy fruit, coffee, chococate, black cherry... long soft finish. No edges anywhere; yet it's a million miles from dull and there's plenty of acidity to match the fruit. Drinking great today. And now I look at others notes that this needs more time, and I don't quite agree.
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decanted two hours, beautiful wine with intricate nose, medium dark red in color, fruity but not cloying or too sweet in any way, I didn't sense much heat.
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Decanted about 3 hrs. Core of dark refruits, with an interesting note of tree bark. Rich, lush and buttressed with adequate acidity. Showing very nicely with the decant (a taste before decant, showed a tight wine). This wine also displays a nice pepper note, along with its full bodied texture.
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Mrs. "Old World" Brother In Law and Greenblanket have a partnership arrangement on a 5 bottle purchase of Two Acres so we figured to split a bottle to get an idea about where this wine might be headed. We decanted for two hours before the Super Bowl and that was not not nearly long enough. This stuff is young and big. Spice, pepper, black and red fruit, flowers, and sweet mushrooms were all over the nose. It was mighty tannic on the palate with spicy black berries and more black pepper. The palate was too primary to allow a real judgment about balance. The 15.9 degrees of alcohol were definitely in play but not in a terribly distracting way. The finish was long with tons of spice, black fruit, vanilla and earth. This wine is big and packed with all kinds of structure and character but it's way too early for this Matero rookie to make a good prediction about how it will develop.
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This was heavy, rich, and complex. It had smoke, sweet ripe blackberries, vanilla, and wood spice. It was rockin. The heat was there, but it was balanced enough, and that is why I keep buying from this producer. I liked it, and I didn't find no spoofalation here. It’s just a different expression of wine that doesn’t have to justify itself!
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I decanted this wine about 6 hours. The nose shows beautiful red fruit, mainly raspberry and cherry. The fruit is surrounded by a very strong pepper aroma that then transitions to spice and leather at the end. In the mouth it is rich and thick, with loads of pepper upfront, followed by sour cherries and a touch of black currant. It finishes with a lingering taste of dirt and tree bark.
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Purple fruit and flowers. Mineral elements as well. Gives me the impressian the wine willl be heavy. On the palate this wine is oh so young. This is the youngest Two Acres I have tasted. The palate is smooth and somewhat heavy. I had over 2 nights but the wine did not budge much. Still pleasurable and interesting but will be much more enjoyable in a few years. My only worry is the way the alcohol pops through on the finish. If the fruit catches up to it, I can see marking this up be a few points. I'll continue to buy this wine every year. 5,12,16,8
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Popped and poured. This is a wonderful rhone blend, with a rich nose and layers of flavors. It got significantly better as the night went on so next time, I'd let it breathe for about an hour before drinking. Another Carlisle winner.
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3/7/2019 - dmitchell4 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is why I love Carlisle wines
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2/19/2019 - JBD wrote: 94 Points
I opened this about 8 days ago and it started out very fine and got better through tonight .
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1/4/2019 - dmitchell4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drink up
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12/31/2018 - Adventr.us wrote: 93 Points
Yum. Delicious.
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12/4/2018 - Ekoostik wrote:
Intoxicating aromas of mixed black fruits, still smells primary-ish but there is more going on here to give it these aromas. Age has fared well for this nose. Palate is a bit flat though with some plummy notes poking though. Finished with some tannin still and odd bitterness. All said I enjoyed this wine and I don’t think it’s near falling apart, but the bitterness is a bit worrying should it intrude anymore. A fun experiment non the less.
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7/3/2017 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark berries, plums, spices, and strawberries on the nose. Well integrated tannins with still lots of fruit on the palate. Good finish.
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11/21/2016 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of boysenberry, plum and a little roasted meat. Flavors of boysenberry, raspberry and plum. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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3/28/2016 - greenblanket Likes this wine:
Greenblanket didn't even know he had this wine in his cellar and may have picked it up in a "chump off" situation when the sister in law moved. Whatever, it was in a great place; plummy and smooth with none of the big alcohol showing. (Greenblanket doesn't understand what alchemy of time made this possible). It had some nice Mourvèdre flavor with sticks and stones and a pretty floral thing going on. It was just wonderful with our middle eastern lamb " bo saam".
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3/23/2016 - ntruder wrote: 90 Points
Still youthful and quite delicious.
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10/3/2015 - Mlermontov wrote: 93 Points
Of Rainstorms and Rieslings: LOVE. very young and fresh. zinberry, spicy red fruit. how this is 16% alc is... mindboggling. black cherry, herbs, plum and acidity in the mid. powerful finish. earthy - herby notes. the fresh fruit in a ten yearold wine - amazing.
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11/6/2014 - bdeblank wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. After being open for an hour, nicely balanced without heavy alcohol. Would hold onto for another year to try the next.
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8/5/2014 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Had the good fortune to drink one of these tonight, a bottle that didn't get any advance air. Boy, this was good tonight. I appreciated the absence of any boozy signature, along with the solid balance and weight of this wine. Just drank pretty superb and from looking at my note from last September, tonight's bottle outclassed that bottle and I still don't see this 2005 fading. I'd hold if you only have one left and see how this further evolves but from what I drank tonight, there is no fade in this wine.
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10/20/2013 - Outplaying wrote:
This was a big step up from the 2002 Three Birds. The alcohol was hidden in this wine, and there was more depth and complexity. Again I only had a small pour but I enjoyed this. The more of these I have, the more a realize I'm a fan of the Two Acres bottling.
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9/11/2013 - Frank Murray III wrote:
I let this sit in the glass for about 30 mins. A smoky note and some early hints of 2ndary flavors, both which I enjoy here. Medium plus body, with the fruit reflecting a nice ripe core, as well as a tangy tobacco leaf note and hard cherry candy that gives is some glossy edges. The finish reflects a nice mix of blue and red fruit with ample acidity still giving it a tangy finish. No signs of fading and in fact the next stage of aging flavors are beginning so this would be a bottle I would track.
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6/23/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 93 Points
The wine is a deep maroon color. The stunning nose has blackberries, warm baking spices, melted licorice, eucalyptus, graphite, minerals, dark bittersweet chocolate, scorched earth, and some underbrush. This has a fairly full body, mostly integrated tannins, and good acidity. This is rich and lush on the palate with layers of fruit, spice, and earthy elements that take turns leading the show. The finish is very long and flavorful. This wine is in a fantastic place and is rich and smooth. No hurry on this one, it should hold for at least a few more years.
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5/13/2013 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this and a bottle of '00 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul at an osso bucco dinner with friends. To me the Carlisle was the better wine. Good fruit, good balance, excellent match-up with the osso bucco. IMHO the wine will continue to drink well and possibly improve for at least 3-5 more years.
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3/28/2013 - travelme wrote: 91 Points
Pop and poured through Vinturi. Dark black/purple color. Muted nose. Strong and powerful blend with a taste of blackberry and blueberry. A smooth and pleasurable wine but nothing amazing. Just a nice quality everyday table wine.
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2/10/2013 - rwerner Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last bottle too. The wine has rich complex flavors with a velvety long finish.
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1/29/2013 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 94 Points
World class and awesome old vine Cali wine. My last bottle, best of the lot, but still too young. I would hold on a couple more years. I am very fortunate to get a regular allocation of wines from Carlisle!
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12/24/2012 - jfkwines wrote: 94 Points
P nP. wine rocked from the bottle to the last drop
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12/9/2012 - rwerner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich flavors with a very long finish.Velvety on the tongue. Continues to be a favorite wine from Carlisle.
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7/19/2012 - wdb001 wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Dark purple color. Nose of graphite, blueberry and licorice. Full-bodied with layered mouth feel. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry and earth. Smooth finish. Really nice wine.
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1/21/2012 - rdf58 wrote: 94 Points
1 hour decant. Rich and plush with fine but noticeable tannins. Very dark and aromatic. More dark fruit than leather and earthiness. Only got better through the evening. Terrific for drinking now, but will easily go 5 more years.
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12/7/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is my first bottle of this the 2005 Two Acres, always one of my favorite Carlisles. The wine was pop and pour and delicious right from the start even though a bit of alcohol was showing. the color is clear garnet purple. Expressive nose with earth, dark fruit, graphite and smoke. The flavor profile is mouth watering with pepper, spicy berry fruit, smoky meat, leather and again a bit of alcohol. This beaut is drinking beautifully right now and I must say headed for even greater things in the years ahead. Bravo Mike!
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10/8/2011 - zheem wrote:
drinking very well
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10/1/2011 - MJHDC wrote:
Still plenty of time on these, and this bottle came across as a relatively young wine. Bears the hallmarks of the Carlisle style -- good ripeness, well integrated and generally subtle oak, balanced, easy to drink and smooth. I drank this non-blind, but in a lineup of Carlisle Zins I would have a hard time picking this out as Mourvedre-based. Enjoyable now, but I'll be holding my numerous remaining 2 Acres bottles to age and develop more complexity.
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9/20/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Very nice! Rustic nose of deep red fruits, iron and minerals. In the mouth, a touch hot, but tasty. I think this wine is at its peak, but it should last here for a couple. Drink up if you have em!
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1/20/2011 - JFish wrote:
Popped and poured. Not much nose at first, but with a quick swirl of the glass the fruit is released and you can smell it from a few feet away. Interestingly, this seemed somewhat soft at first but expanded, but over a few hours put on weight and became hardened as if the petite sirah was hiding at first and then snuck into the fore. Think sweet, redder fruits at first, moving to dark, more serious fruit towards the end. Also showing a little earth which adds to the balance of the wine. Though big fruit, not overblown. I'll try to give my remaining bottles a few years and see what happens. Paired nicely with grilled, sage rubbed veal chops.
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11/4/2010 - budman wrote: 91 Points
Smooth mouthfeel. Good dark fruit. Unique.
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10/22/2010 - Geoffrey Carter wrote: 89 Points
Popped and poured. Little rough and not put together completely.
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8/15/2010 - Mike Dildine wrote: 94 Points
From Mike Officer's fabulous "Two Acres" vineyard, planted in 1910. 215 cases produced. This wine is a poster child for the old vine movement. Discovered by Mike neglected and ragged, lovingly brought back to life in 1996. Mostly Mourvedre, which is atypical for Sonoma County vineyards of this age. Interplanted with Mondeuse, Petite, Carignane, Alicante and a little Zin. When I think of Two Acres, I think of a car buff who finds a vintage Pierce Arrow rusting in an abandoned barn. Through love and attention, a true gem is re-born. Two Acre is a true gem.
Medium-dark, but crystalline ruby red. 15.9% alcohol (recent vintages are significantly lower IIRC). Huge red and black fruit aromas. Hugely appealing rasberries, cassis, plums, spice and cream on the palate. Extremely well balanced, rich and delicious. One of California's most historic and distinctives wine. One of my favorite wines.
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7/29/2010 - jwolfsthal wrote:
no detailed note, but really delicious. Great fruit and feel.
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7/17/2010 - tbone wrote:
Big bodied, yet balanced hedonistic Cali rhone ranger. Followed a brunello and was a nice contrast.
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7/16/2010 - zheem wrote: 93 Points
This is really special wine, drinking very well right now. Exquisite liqueur like texture and intensity. Aroma and nose were still deepening five hours after opening the bottle. Nose of tropical flowers and cool moss, dark flavors of fruit like plum and berries with earthy tea leave flavors and composted soil finish, remaining rich and complex for many minutes, and never seeming to end.
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7/15/2010 - glg wrote: 93 Points
Great wine. I am amazed at how great the mouvedre stands alone, or almost alone. This wine is deep and complex, and offers so much. One of my favorite Carlisles!
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6/14/2010 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Smooth dark fruit. Awesome!
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5/16/2010 - rralls wrote:
Sat. wine lunch.
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4/28/2010 - zheem wrote:
First night-fabulous and rich. Texture is like port whipped cream, flavors of dark pie spice berries, pencil lead/ minerals, finish is long, very long, with notes of citrus peel, astringent herbs, and chocolate that draws you back into the nose, ripe and full of character. Second day even better, richer body, even more intensity of flavor.
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4/11/2010 - tkoby11 wrote: 92 Points
Overall different than what I expected (but the Mourvedre better than expected), but I liked it. It seems to be in the middle of shedding the exuberant youth and accepting its maturity.
Color was dark as usual for Carlisle, par for the course here. Purple-red edges.
Nose: Initially tea, pepper, meaty with smoke, tar. Later the oak appeared, with smoky meat retaining the share, framed with pepper.
Palate: Tea, peppery spice, blackberry and ripe strawberry, meaty. Full robe of silky tannins, finishing not so much tart, but with noticeable acid.
I feel like its just starting to turn the corner so if you like the jammy, brambly brawny youth of this wine drink up. If not, sit back and enjoy its complexity.
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3/27/2010 - greenblanket Likes this wine:
Served with dinner alongside two very similar old world Mourvedre blends. While this wine has shed much of it's youthful exuberance and is showing more Mourvedre and secondary character it was no match for the balance and poise of the other wines. Excellent.
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12/31/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote: 93 Points
15.9% ABV. Dark ruby garnet translucent in the glass. On the nose, slight animal fur along with wax, eucalyptus, and a spicy pinon smoke note over red fruit. Medium-full bodied with sweet red fruit on the palate balanced with a savory (iodine?) quality. Excellent. 93+
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11/23/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 93 Points
This was pretty terrific - excellent mix of piney, minty underbrush, a hint of iodine and oak to round out the nose. On the palate, peppery spice, forest floor, primary dark fruits, and vanilla oak. Like the package a lot, very unmistakably Califoria Rhone varietal, done well. Can't wait to get on this mailing list. 92-93
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11/18/2009 - greenblanket wrote:
Carlisle week continues and Greenblanket continues to be gratified by the development of his 04s and now this 05. While big tannic structure still remains there is even more spice and brush and maybe even a little smoked meat showing this year. It's delicious with great balance and texture and not much trace of the high alcohol.
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10/17/2009 - last chance wrote: 91 Points
9 Blind Mourvedre: The nose had red fruit aromas with an interesting pine needle/eucalyptus-like note. The palate had spicy red fruit flavors, and a forest floor note (That's a first for me to use forest floor in a tasting note). This was medium to full bodied and had a long finish where the wine seemed to take on a raisin flavor. When this was revealed as a Carlisle, I was fairly surprised, but this was also the first tasting of anything other than a Syrah from Carlisle. I would love to taste this again in the future.
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9/12/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Loads of red fruits. Big lingering finish, no heat evident.
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8/25/2009 - ginfizz wrote: 91 Points
At this point, primary, but just wonderful concentration and deep blue and black fruits. Can age another 20 years.
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7/21/2009 - oaxaca90049 wrote: 90 Points
Based on everyone's note I decanted this all day which really paid off. I was surprised at the intensity of the nose, lovely dark berries a touch of spice. So satisfying and vibrant mouth feel. Lovely fruit and balance. Then tannins were amazingly soft. The bartender was blown away !. I'm a fan for sure. About to order my allocation now.
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5/25/2009 - cookie7 wrote:
Tried a pop and pour and that was a mistake. This needs time to open up. Last glass on day 2 was the best.
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4/17/2009 - Haltermr wrote: 91 Points
Mourvedre shines through on the nose, with blueberry and black raspberry, rock/mineral, roasted meat with bay leaf, chocolate, beet root?, purple flowers and spices. Palate comes off as medium bodied, with robust acidity, and more spicy than fruity. Listed at 15.9% alcohol, but seems much less.
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3/3/2009 - glg wrote: 94 Points
I totally love everything about this wine. I love the concept of the field blend. I love the way it tastes. I love the way it is priced.
The nose is unique and inviting, with dark fruits and a hint of blueberry coming through. The wine has a full mouthfeel and a 20+ second finish. In addition to the dark fruits, I pick up a little pepper. I'm not sure I pick up the "cushed rocks" RMP sees, but I do get some of the "underbrush."
Really great stuff. I can see this aging, but it seems perfectly wonderful right now.
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2/2/2009 - rmsanz wrote: 92 Points
DARK and tannic, yet very tasty. Black fruits with a touch of heat. Let's see how it is on Day 2...
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1/18/2009 - greenblanket wrote:
While this wine is still dominated by big fruit it is starting to express more and more Mourvedre typical flavors including spice, loamy earth, and bark. Big, lush, high in alcohol but somehow still balanced and delicious.
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11/28/2008 - greenblanket wrote:
This showed dark fruits on the nose and across the palate and beautiful long smooth structure with waves of blackberry, dark plum and savory spice. Delicious, hedonistic, and seductive right now and hopefully this will unveil more Mourvedre character in years to come.
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10/18/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
A nose of great lift and clarity, showing ink, cassis, pie crust and a little game. Smooth on the palate with succulent, floral black fruits. Some ripe tannin gives good grip on the finish along with bright, effusive fruit and a little dried leaf.
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10/10/2008 - fisk15 wrote: 92 Points
This is the best 05 Carlisle with great berry and spice, thick and rich w/o being jammy and heavy handed.
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8/1/2008 - SUN-J wrote: 93 Points
I like this more than the 1 or 2 prior vintages I've tried. I recall not liking the '03 -- perhaps I drank it too soon. This seemed very open for business. Wonderful nose of sweet dark fruits with some nice complexity to it -- maybe even a mineral component. Palate was lush but also not over the top fruity -- have never had such a lush wine that was more earthy than fruity (reminded me a bit of the l'oustal blanc minervois -- i know this is mostly grenache -- the two acres was still better than this). Moderate tannins and acidity. Could get better in a few years but why wait! Nicely done.
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7/11/2008 - Screameagle wrote: 92 Points
A very interesting blend of Mourvedre and other rhone components. Another great wine by Mike Officer. Just wish I had more in my cellar. Drinking great now but might even improve with age.
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7/8/2008 - pakabear wrote: 93 Points
Pop and Pour. GREAT chocolate, blackberry, spice nose. Palate is well balanced, dark fruit, tea and asian spice dominate with medium tannins (2 more years probably would be best). It's a terrific wine for the price!
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4/9/2008 - swp3 wrote: 93 Points
Ridiculously good combo of dark, just slightly chewy fruit, coffee, chococate, black cherry... long soft finish. No edges anywhere; yet it's a million miles from dull and there's plenty of acidity to match the fruit. Drinking great today. And now I look at others notes that this needs more time, and I don't quite agree.
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4/8/2008 - JonnyB wrote: 90 Points
decanted two hours, beautiful wine with intricate nose, medium dark red in color, fruity but not cloying or too sweet in any way, I didn't sense much heat.
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2/18/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Decanted about 3 hrs. Core of dark refruits, with an interesting note of tree bark. Rich, lush and buttressed with adequate acidity. Showing very nicely with the decant (a taste before decant, showed a tight wine). This wine also displays a nice pepper note, along with its full bodied texture.
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2/3/2008 - greenblanket wrote:
Mrs. "Old World" Brother In Law and Greenblanket have a partnership arrangement on a 5 bottle purchase of Two Acres so we figured to split a bottle to get an idea about where this wine might be headed. We decanted for two hours before the Super Bowl and that was not not nearly long enough. This stuff is young and big. Spice, pepper, black and red fruit, flowers, and sweet mushrooms were all over the nose. It was mighty tannic on the palate with spicy black berries and more black pepper. The palate was too primary to allow a real judgment about balance. The 15.9 degrees of alcohol were definitely in play but not in a terribly distracting way. The finish was long with tons of spice, black fruit, vanilla and earth. This wine is big and packed with all kinds of structure and character but it's way too early for this Matero rookie to make a good prediction about how it will develop.
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1/25/2008 - LikeABC wrote:
a very young wine that should have been saved for a couple more years. still, very enjoyable.
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1/17/2008 - mebydef wrote: 92 Points
This was heavy, rich, and complex. It had smoke, sweet ripe blackberries, vanilla, and wood spice. It was rockin. The heat was there, but it was balanced enough, and that is why I keep buying from this producer. I liked it, and I didn't find no spoofalation here. It’s just a different expression of wine that doesn’t have to justify itself!
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1/11/2008 - mmurry wrote: 92 Points
I decanted this wine about 6 hours. The nose shows beautiful red fruit, mainly raspberry and cherry. The fruit is surrounded by a very strong pepper aroma that then transitions to spice and leather at the end. In the mouth it is rich and thick, with loads of pepper upfront, followed by sour cherries and a touch of black currant. It finishes with a lingering taste of dirt and tree bark.
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12/22/2007 - sbwino wrote: 89 Points
Black Pepper and Red Raspberry
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12/5/2007 - jasonh wrote: 91 Points
Purple fruit and flowers. Mineral elements as well. Gives me the impressian the wine willl be heavy. On the palate this wine is oh so young. This is the youngest Two Acres I have tasted. The palate is smooth and somewhat heavy. I had over 2 nights but the wine did not budge much. Still pleasurable and interesting but will be much more enjoyable in a few years. My only worry is the way the alcohol pops through on the finish. If the fruit catches up to it, I can see marking this up be a few points. I'll continue to buy this wine every year. 5,12,16,8
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11/17/2007 - shapida wrote:
Popped and poured. This is a wonderful rhone blend, with a rich nose and layers of flavors. It got significantly better as the night went on so next time, I'd let it breathe for about an hour before drinking. Another Carlisle winner.
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