2008 Yorkville Highlands PS is just delicious. I have 3 bottles so I figured why not, so enjoyable already. Deep purple color (think Made in Japan if you are a fan) and expressive dark fruit nose with faint whiffs of leather and/or commercial garage. Palate dominated by powdery tannins and delivers very even-handed fruit. You try to find the heat and you almost can but ultimately fail, finish medium length from Zalto Burgs.
Wine was decanted an hour and then gone in another. We had this with tagine NY strips Mel made in a North African style. Robust indeed!
Popped the '12 Papera two nights ago. Only drank one glass on night one as it seemed very closed, not showing fruit. Last night it was singing. Still atypical for Papera in that it shows lots of spices and dark fruits. I’ll wait another two years before hoping one.
Glenn, I need to pop some of my PS from Carlisle, thinking '06 Yorkville or maybe '07.
'12 Kirschenmann. Such an interesting Zin, showing almost PN-like as it is distinctly elegant and medium bodied, ends with lingering tangy orange peel flavors.
Very long day at work made tolerable by the thought that I would be treated to a Coravin Carlisle tasting when I finally returned home.
2008 Carlisle Dry Creek Valley and 2008 Dry Creek Valley Goldmine. (Zinfandel)
I often find Carlisle wines need time to open up but these were both open for business at first pour. No heat, no prune, not much sign of age other than the wonderful balance. The gold mine was a little more complex but both were fantastic!
Dry Creek - raspberry, strawberry, lingering finish, great mouth-feel. Gold mine - more complex with pepper, black cherry and an even longer finish.
Drank half of a '13 Bedrock, Zin last night. I’ve now been through the vintages 10, 11, 12, 13 within the last two months. They are all very good and also quite different. The '13 version is probably my favorite. Showing lots of spice and red fruits. It appears to me to be more refined and elegant than earlier versions.
I need to compare this to my sole Bedrock Zin from Limerick Lane this week.
I posted this note in another thread, but I might be more likely to find a greater population of my fellow Carlisle fanboys here. I’ve only been on the list for a couple years so my experience doesn’t go back as far as many others does so I’m really looking for a frame of reference or general opinions.
Carlisle Syrah Sonoma Country 2014
I tried my first of these last night and I have to say that I found it a bit lacking compared to the '13. What I don’t know is which factor is contributing to my perceived difference in this years version of the wine and I would love others opinions who have tried both. My suspicion is that the reason I found the '13 to have more depth was because that vintage also had the Papa’s Block Syrah combined into it. Having also tried the 100% Papa’s Block Syrah from a couple different vintages I think that wines general profile was more aligned with the '13 SC Syrah. The only other things I could come up with that could cause the perceived variance are: age of the wine in bottle (although I drank all 6 bottles of the '13 within the first few months), vintage variation, or possibly bottling under screwcap vs. cork (that one is a stretch). In any case it’s still a great wine at an amazing price, I just wish I would have bought all of '13 Mike had and I should have listened when he said “given its price, surely one of the greatest wine values you’ll ever find.”
'11 Montafi is drinking extremely well now. Has the classic cherry aromas but with much more of an acid spine almost like an orange peel after taste.
'11 produced some really good wine in my book.
2012 Montafi Zin: rated 90 points: Decanted for three hours or so, and then consumed over the same period. Initial impression is of baked plums, blueberry, and vanilla. Agree with the notion that is a big Montafi and comes across almost as a late harvest zinfandel. With some good air time in the glass, things settled down a bit, a nice earthy, loamy quality worked as a balancing agent, the fruit became a little more defined, and very enjoyable with my SW styled burger. Lags behind the terrific 2011 and my favorite Carlisle of all time, the 2007 Montafi. Drink sooner on this one.
The 2012 Rich. Upon a little more reflection along with some posts on the last two pages, I think 2011 is really turning into a terrific vintage for Mikes Zin’s. Everytime I go back to one I am surprised at how well they are developing. I remember the 11 Montafi having great potential for future development.