Wine Spectator Insider just hit, and Carilsle Sonoma Syrah 2009 gets 97 points for a $25 wine.
While I have no doubt this is a solid bottle of wine, and well priced at $25…Is there any prayer this is 97 points good?
Unreal. This will be $75 everywhere by tomorrow afternoon.
Already on winesearcher stores have either “sold out” of the wine or have taken it off the shelves while they reprice…
Hmmm, I had it with Mike and thought it was very good and an excellent value (as it is every year), but not 97 points for me, unless Cardiac Hill, James Berry and Papa’s are in the 105-108 range.
That is hilarious
I understand a second run is being produced as we speak.
[insert appropriate smiley here]
Disclaimer: This was a joke, in case there was any doubt. I do not know Mr. Officer personally but he seems like a class act. No aspersion intended. Just for a laugh. And yes, I know that if you have to explain a joke, it isn’t funny.
That’s my big issue with this. I can’t imagine this isn’t a great buy for well made, early drinking Cali Syrah, but come on, 97 points???
What’s that mean for the rest of the line up?
Haha, that’s awesome. It’s a matter of time until we move to the 150pt scale, replete with asterisks for best wine evahh.
This should be fun to watch, I bet it will get even more crazy if winebid posts the score.
no action until about 1.5 hours ago
Current Bid $50
High Estimate $30
![[welldone.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/fc9709a841aa9379fd892a9cf0b535b05f473b86.gif "[welldone.gif]"){kind=small}
Well on the “other board” Mike Officer did say it contained some Papa’s Block, Steiner and some other “noteworthy” fruit so maybe those only need to go to 103!
This runs against the current a bit, but I’ll say that it does reinforce the fact that WS critics taste wines blind and are not influenced by the label or price tag in giving out scores, and I think that’s commendable even if it can produce some outlying results here and there.
We see all the time how that can happen in blind tastings, like EWS and GJE, where a $30 wine bests a bunch of $100+ wines with a big pedigree.
The bummer for me is that my time on the Carlisle waiting list (thus far about 2 years) probably only gets longer the more critical praise comes along in the meantime.
Just a side note, everything thing I tried from Carlisle in 2009 was at least excellent and many better than that. Mike told me before we started he thought the 2009 Zins were the best he ever made (and he NEVER says that and is very modest), and I would agree. The Montafi, Martinelli and Monte Rosso were off the charts good.
Should we go ahead and label this one wine of the year, or should we wait until WS does?
I’ve never been lucky enough to try any Carlisle, but I would guess the waiting list is about to be one of the longest ones out there…
Exactly. Blind takes out the bias for label and price. And in this case, I can absolutely see how this wine could have been judged as it was. Tasted it at the pickup event last month, and it definitely caught my attention, with plenty of beautiful dark, reserved, fruit, excellent structure, meaty and brooding. I was immediately sorry I hadn’t bought any, but consoled by the fact that the vineyard wines are yet to be released.
At least a lock to be in the Top 10.
You raise a great point.
That was my first thought, but then I remembered that a California 97 point syrah was the WOTY last year, and when you add in the fact that syrah is highly unpopular with the wine buying public these days, I can’t see it. Should be an easy top 10, though.
I am happy for Mike, he deserves every accolade he gets.
Is it me, or has WS scores creeped up (on average) ever so much?
They probably see the coming void and want to capitalize.