TN: 4 Carlisle Wines (and my QPR of the year so far)

WINE TALK
1

My first ever purchase off the mailing list (via another buyer.) I’ve had plenty of these over the years.

2008 Carlisle Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley, $34
Medium-bodied. Fruit forward brambly-red fruit flavors. Moderate complexity and finish. A decent wine but not as good as some previous of this. Drink over the next 3 years.
87pts

2008 Carlisle “Three Birds” Sonoma County, $28
A CdP blend of Grenache (78%,) Mouved and Syrah. Franky, I like this better than most CdP’s. Medium-full, good (but not high) ripeness. Good mouth coverage, with bright red fruit flavors, some spice and a nice tannic kick. This is excellent now, but might be at peak in about 3-5 years. Good stuff! My red wine QPR of the year so far.
92pts

2008 Carlisle “Rosella’s” Syrah Santa Lucia, $45
Simply awesome. Dense black fruit flavors with some white pepper, unctuous flavors that cover all the palate. Smooth and potent. Drink now and over the next 5-8 years. Frankly, this is the best wine off this vineyard I have probably ever had.
94pts

2007 Carlisle “Cardiac Hill” Syrah Bennett Valley $43
Moderate black-fruit flavors and intensity. Cool climate in style. A bit fore-square. Might be better in 5 years.
88pts

2

Great notes Roy, thanks.

Carlisle doesn’t punish early consumption as severly as say Rhys, so I am far less disciplined here. My experience, however, has been that a couple of years in the bottle are richly rewarded.

3

thanks for the notes roy. have you had any of the 07’s? if so how do the 08’s compare?
tia

4

I’ve had a few 07’s. In fact, the above note for the Cardiac Hill is actually the 07. I just changed it.