TN: 2007 Carlisle and Novy syrahs, 2001 d'Armailhac

WINE TALK
1

2007 Novy Page-Nord Syrah, Napa Valley
I have not had a lot of Adam’s syrahs, but I’ve tried several vintages of the Page-Nord, and I’ve liked them all. Upon opening, this reminded me more of a more toned-down version of an Aussie shiraz. I would guess this saw some American oak, as there were some pronounced vanilla/blueberry/violet notes I associate with these barrels, but by day 2, this had integrated quite well, and the wine seemed much more in balance. Drank over 3 days, and actually, somewhat surprisingly, seemed to be at its best on day 3. Notes of licorice and eucalyptus on the nose, to match the blueberry/blackberry fruit profile with some cinnamon spice. Medium- to full-bodied, good finish, overall well-balanced. Definitely a more fruit-forward style, which is not what I reach for on most days, but this delivered in spades. 91 pts.

2007 Carlisle Syrah, Russian River Valley
Dark, almost opaque purple, with a more vibrant ruby color than the Novy. Rich, fruity, smoky nose, with hints of bacon fat. Initially a bit disjointed, showing some clunky fruit stewed fruit, but became much better balanced with about a half hour of air. Medium to full-bodied, showing off the smokier side of syrah, but also with a nice floral lift, sort of like what you might get if a bit of viognier were mixed in (though I don’t think it is). Decent acidity, and like the Novy, delivering excellent bang for the buck. I have one more bottle left and will probably revisit in a few years. 90 pts.

2001 Chateau d’Armailhac, Pauillac
I hadn’t had a bottle if this in quite a few years, and the last time I tried it, I remembered it coming across as pretty lean and unyielding. Well this was a completely different animal, and I would say this is now drinking at its prime. Really lovely primal smoky, olive tapenade, cassis, lead pencil nose. Similar flavors on the palate, with a long and smooth finish, and caressing/resolved tannins. So very well balanced and showing extremely well for what some consider an “off”-vintage. I actually preferred this to the 2000 I had recently. Truly outstanding QPR for about $22.

cheers,
scott

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Scott, it’s been a while since I did the Novy Page-Nord bottling, as I used to like it but I simply prefer Adam’s hand in the SLH syrahs so I stay focused there. As for that Carisle 07 RRV, I last had one several months ago, per the note I posted below. This wine is impressive for me, as Mike sold this thing for 19 bucks and change and it competes well with CA syrah far more expensive. And the wine to me has room to grow further. Thanks for the notes, Scott.

  • 2007 Carlisle Syrah Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (8/27/2011)
    Open about a day, details for this note are with the wine at room temp. Still pretty tight the next day, although there is enough mid-palate stuffing to reflect the weight but the wine is a bit short on the finish. Gardenia blossom aromatic, with a good core of spicy, blue and black fruit, some herb/garrigue notes add that bit of zesty edge to the fruit. With the zesty finish, comes some chocolate and anise. Not ready to drink yet and while not full of big tannin, there is enough zesty structure here to suggest the wine can sit another 12-18 months and then drink 2012-2015.

Posted from CellarTracker

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I just never seem to reach for a d’Armailhac, so thanx for the reminder. But you waaay overpaid at $22. I got mine for $20!! [cheers.gif]

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+1. I love Adam’s syrahs, but haven’t gotten the Page-Nord in a few years, buying instead a lot of Rosella’s Garys’ and Susan’s Hill.

I haven’t opened any of my 2007 Carlisle RRV yet, but it sounds like it’s worth holidng on to them a while longer.