We tasted last night (3/13/19) Some Zins & Syrahs:
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LimerickLane 1023 EG/RRV/SC (52% Zin/45% Syrah/3% Grenache; 14.8%; 12 brls; Drk: 1-12 yrs: JB)
2016: Dark color; strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/spicy some toasty/oak quite dusty/OV lovely
perfumed nose; fairly tart bit alcoholic strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry fairly dusty/OV some
toasty/oak flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very long/lingering bit hot/alcoholic very strong
blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/very spicy/ripe rather dusty/OV finish w/ modest ripe tannins; can
benefit from another few yrs of age; shows that classic LL spiciness; speaks mostly of the Zin
not quite as ripe as the '15. $72.00
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LimerickLane 1023 EG/RRV/SC (52% Zin/45% Syrah/3% Grenache; 15.2%) 2015: Very dark color; strong
blackberry/boysenberry/ripe/less spicy bit alcoholic less dusty/OV some toasty/oak more aromatic/
lush fruit quite attractive nose; softer/riper blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/bit spicy bit alcoholic/
hot light toasty/oak flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very long/lingering rather ripe/boysenberry/
blackberry/Zin/bit spicy bit alcoholic finish w/ modest tannins; a bit more ripeness and alcohol
& more lush boysenberry Zin fruit but quite a delicious mostly-Zin red. $68.00
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LimerickLane Zin 1910 Block EG/RRV/SC (15.1%; 12 brls; + Peloursin/Negrette/AlicanteBouschet/Syrah/
PetiteSirah; Drk: 1-10 yrs: JB) 2016: Very dark/near black color; quite dusty/OV quite spicy/blackberry/
Zin/boysenberry/Zin light toasty/oak slight earthy bit complex nose; rather tart bright/raspberry/
blackberry/Zin/very spicy light toasty/oak some complex flavor w/ some brisk/chewey tannins; very
long/lingering bright/ripe/Zin/very spicy/blackberry/raspberry bit complex quite dusty/OV finish w/
some chewey tannins; speaks strong of that spicy LL Zin but not seems as overripe as the first two;
my easy favorite of the LL’s. $60.00
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Lagier-Meredith Tribidrag MtVeeder/NapaVlly RW (15.4%; 18 mo. in neutral Fr.oak; 144 cs) 2016: Very dark
color; classic MtVeeder spicy/Zin/blackberry/raspberry slight peppery/earthy some toasty/vanilla/pencilly/
oak lovely pure Zin nose; fairly tart/tangy bright/Zin/blackberry/raspberry/very spicy/cinammon bit peppery
some toasty/pencilly/oak quite structured flavor w/ ample tangy tannins; very long/lingering fairly tart
very strong blackberry/raspberry/Zin/very spicy slight peppery some toasty/pencilly/oak quite structured
finish w/ ample tannins; needs at least several yrs yet; shows loads of that classic Mt.Veeder spice/
peppery Zin character; beautiful Zin and not too shabby for a Tribidrag. $38.25
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Carlisle Zin HayneVnyd/NapaVlly (15.9%; Plntd in 1903; + PS/TrousseauNoir/Peloursin; 250 cs) 2012: Dark color;
very spicy blackberry/Zin/ripe/spicy bit earthy/dusty/OV light toasty/oak bit complex lovely nose; bit soft
rich/lush bit alcoholic ripe/blackberry/Zin/quite spicy light toasty/oak rather dusty/OV/earthy flavor w/
modest ripe/round tannins; very long/lingering strong spicy/blackberry/Zin/very spicy some dusty/OV light
toasty/oak finish w/ some ripe tannins; another classic Carlisle Zin. $45.75
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Carlisle Zin HayneVnyd/NapaVlly (15.9%; Plntd: 1903; +PetiteSirah/Trousseau/Peloursin; 215 cs) 2013: Very dark
color; strong blackberry/Zin/raspberry/plummy/ripe less spicy/aromatic bit alcoholic light toasty/oak nose;
bit tarter strong blackberry/Zin/boysenberry/plummy/ripe bit less spicy bit alcoholic light toasty/oak flavor
w/ modest ripe tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/boysenberry/Zin/lightly spicy finish w/ modest
lush tannins; very much like the '12 but not quite as spicy and a bit riper. $47.50
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Carlisle Zin HayneVnyd/NapaVlly (15.8%; Plntd: 1903; + PetiteSirah/Trousseau/Peloursin; 300 cs) 2014: Dark
color; slight metallic more bright/raspberry/Zin/quite spicy slight volatile/alcoholic some dusty/OV slightly
funky rather interesting nose; tarter/brighter slight metallic/tangy strong raspberry/blackberry/Zin/fairly
spicy light toasty/oak some dusty/OV flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very long bit pungent/metallic strong
raspberry/blackberry bit alcoholic/volatile finish w/ modest tangy tannins; quite different from the first
two w/ a bit funky/odd/metallic character; not the purity of fruit in the first two but still pretty good,
just a bit different. $48.00
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Lagier-Meredith Syrah MtVeeder/NapaVlly (14.5%; 23 mo.in neutral Fr.oak; 440 cs) 2016: Very dark color;
light pencilly/oak very strong blackberry/Syrah/very spicy light black pepper beautiful complex nose; rather
tart very spicy/blackberry/Syrah/bit boysenberry/ripe light black pepper/licorice light pencilly/oak very
structured some complex flavor w/ modest grippy tannins; very long/lingering strong blackberry/Syrah/very
spicy light pencilly/oak some black pepper/c-c bit complex finish w/ ample firm tannins; another beautiful/
structured L-M Syrah w/ loads of that MtVeeder spice; will age well for ?? yrs. $40.80
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Drew Syrah ValentiVnyd/MendoRidge/GreenwoodRidge (98 cs; 13.8%) 2009: Dark color; slight pungent/burning metal
bit reductive some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah slight peppery bit Rhonish/roasted some complex nose; quite tart
bit reductive/burning metal/pungent some blueberry/blackberry/Syrah some rustic/Cornas-like flavor w/ modest
chewey tannins; very long slight funky/reductive/pungent/burning metal fairly blueberry/blackberry/Syrah/bit
spicy/peppery bit rustic finish w/ some chewey tannins; a somewhat Rhonish bit rough/rustic/funky Syrah that’s
developing wierdly but not over the hill or drying out. $40.00
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Drew Syrah ValentiVnyd/MendocinoRidge (12.8%) 2011: Dark color; bit herbal quite spicy/black pepper/blackberry/
blueberry/Syrah some pencilly/oak quite perfumed lovely/complex nose; very tart/tangy very spicy/herbal/bit
black pepper strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/licorice/very spicy some complex interesting flavor w/ modest
chewey tannins; very long/lingerg strong blueberry/blackberry/Syrah light herbal/blackberry very spicy light
pencilly/oak finish w/ light firm tannins; still needs 2-4 yrs yet; quite a good c-c/MendoRidge Syrah. $34.00
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Drew Syrah PerliVnyd MendoRidge (13.9%; McDowell Slctn + 877 clone; Drk: 2018-2028: JD; 45% whole cluster;
seasoned Fr.oak puncheon) 2016: Dark color; strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy slight herbal/cracked
black pepper light pencilly/oak fairly complex nose; very tart/acid/bit painful strong blueberry/blackberry/
Syrah/spicy some black pepper some earthy/dusty bit Rhonish/rustic flavor w/ some crunchy tannins; very long
very tart/acidic very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/quite spicy some cracked black pepper some Rhonish/w-c
complex finish w/ modest hard/crunchy tannins; needs another 4-8 yrs yet; lovely Syrah. $40.80
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Drew Syrah ValentiRanch/MendoRidge (13%; 75% w-c; 75% seasoned Fr.oak/25% Hungarian oak; Chave Slctn &
Clone 1; 5% Viog co-frmt; Drk: 2019-2030: JD) 2017: Dark color; strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah quite spicy
slight peppery/Rhonish/w-c light pencilly/oak some herbal/thyme/earthy/garrigue rather complex nose; very tart/
acid quite spicy/blackberry/blueberry/Syrah some c-c/black pepper light pencilly/oak bit rustic/Rhonish rather
complex/interesting flavor w/ ample cruncht tannins; very long/lingering some w-c/Rhonish/peppery/earthy
strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/quite spicy some complex finish w/ strong firm/hard tannins; needs 4-8 yrs
yet; quite an outstanding young Syrah; my favorite of these Drews. $46.75
More crotsipple from TheBloodyPulpit:
- Carlisle Hayne: Given that the Turley Hayne is generally their best Zin (and most expensive), I was expecting
these Carlisle Haynes to be something really different for Mike. They were not. They were classic ripe
Carlisle Zins but not quite as interesting & good as his RRV Zins.
- Drew: One of my favorite wines. Jason & Molly do a terrific job at what they do. Even though they are one of
SweetAlice’s darlings, he doesn’t wear the “natural” winemaking on his sleeve and I still like his wines.
I primarily continue to buy them for his Syrahs, but like his Pinots as well. His Syrahs are certainly different
from most Calif Syrahs, one of the reason I like them. This is how they would make Cornas in Calif if they could.
Jason’s Syrahs tend to be pretty acid/tart, but not quit as screechy/painful as the Arnot-Roberts Syrahs. I
think that is why they are such good agers. His use of w-c ferments I particularly like and gives them a very
interesting character. Of the two Syrahs he makes, I typically prefer slightly the Valenti.
- L-m: One of my most favorite producers. Their Syrah & Zin are killer. But the Mondeuse is my favorite,
a world-class Mondeuse.
Tom