Tried these two last night and the end of my battle w/ tax forms:
- Carlisle Syrah DryCreekVlly (15.8%; 310 cs) SantaRosa 2003: Dark color w/ slight browning; rather blackberry/jammy/Syrah/bit overripe slight fumey/alcoholic some dusty/earthy light toasty/oak some tired/oxidized/oldRed/pencilly nose; soft bit metallic/tangy/drying out some toasty/oak bit fumey strong blackberry/very ripe/Syrah light earthy slight oxidized/tired/oldRed/pencilly/cedary flavor w/ modest bitey/drying tannins; very long some hot/alcoholic/overripe/jammy rather blackberry/jammy/boysenberry/Syrah/very ripe light toasty/oak slight oxidized/oldRed/pencilly/dried out finish w/ light drying/astringent tannins; still has plenty of Syrah fruit but drying out and cracking up on the shoals of old age and starting its downward death spiral. $29.00
- Carlisle Syrah BennettVlly (15.9%; 255 cs) 2003: Very dark color w/ little bricking; strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah fairly peppery/cold-climate slight Rhonish/roasted/smoked meats fairly complex beautiful nose; fairly tart/tangy very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/spicy fairly peppery/c-c some Rhonish/coffee/smoked meats complex light toasty/oak/smokey flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins; very long/lingering quite peppery/c-c/spicy very strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/ripe light toasty/oak rather complex some Rhonish/smoked meats fairly complex finish w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins; a lovely example of a fully mature c-c Syrah that should go another few yrs. $38.00
A wee BloodyPulpit:
- My TN’s from Dec 2005:
The difference in these two Syrahs couldn’t have been starker. Though nominally much the same wine starting out the gate, they have evolved remarkably different.
Tom