TNS: 06 Turley Old Vines, 06 Carlisle Cardiac Hill Syrah +

Four solid wines with red meat.

2006 Turley Old Vines Zinfandel
Decanted all day essentially, very graceful by drinking time with brambly cherry and spice. Not hot or overbearing, little zing of chocolate/cocoa at the end.

2006 Carlisle Cardiac Hill Syrah
Huge powerful wine that features very Northern Rhone characteristics: meat/game, pepper, salinity (get this in Hermitage a lot).

2004 Pax Alder Springs Syrah
A touch of plasticky/medicine smell dissipates and evolves into a restrained Rhoney nose, with pepper and meat aromas. Thought it was a notch or two below the Cardiac Hill.

2005 Orin Swift The Prisoner
I always cringe at “fun” wine names/labels, but this was a pretty nice bottle. Forget the blend, but it drank better later on than early (tight). Give it some air.

For the most part I agree on the notes. I didn’t get the plastic thing with Pax, but did enjoy the Carlisle better.

The Prisoner was decanted for about an hour to hour and a half before bringing it over. So yes, if you open one, a few hour decant is in order.

I think we did some good damage considering those are some power-packed bottles between 3 of us.

I agree, nice line up for sure.

Notes look good, didnt get the medicinal in the pax but liked the carlisle better as well. I dont like when my CA syrah’s pick up too much meat like N Rhone which the pax did.

Thanks for killing the Carlisle baby. It has been difficult for me not to open any of the '06 bottlings…save the Sonoma Zin.

Orin Swift makes some really good wines at that price point.