A nice showing for this Cab which is drinking well but may yet improve. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is dusty with nice cassis fruit and some baking spice. On the palate, it presents as black cherry candy. Delicious. Medium tannins. Nice finish. This should drink well for the next ten to twelve years. A nice wine with chili.
Great showing for this wine that has taken quite some time to finally open and come around. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis with slight baking spice. Full bodied. On the palate, this is initially tight, but unwinds in the glass. Juicy cassis fruit. It seems still youthful although approaching maturity. There is depth and intensity and energy to this wine. Nice finish. Drinking great now but a little air helps. It should drink well for ten to twelve more years. Nice on its own, it would work well with a steak.
This is another take on fruit from this vineyard by a quality producer. It is a bit lower in ripeness and alcohol than the other producers I have tried but just as good. Deep ruby in color with some purple swirls. On the nose there is cherries, slight sour cherries, still a bit of bramble and a hint of gravel. Full bodied. On the palate, this is concentrated with nice energy. Cherry and black cherry fruit over minerality. Some depth and complexity. Delicious. Juicy acidity. Nice finish. This is drinking quite well and is at the point of turning more claret in style. Whether you
This is this excellent Zinfandel producer's basic wine. It is a very nice value. In terms of style, it is middle of the road between a fruit bomb and a claret styled Zin. Purple in color with some ruby swirls. The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, slight char and bramble. On the palate, the cherries come thru. This drinks easy with a slight complexity. Some cough syrupy notes on the finish. This probably should be consumed over the next three to five years. Nice on its own, this will work well with burgers or ribs off the grill.
This is a pretty classic RRV Pinot Noir. It skirts the line between elegance and brawn nicely. A nice value for a Pinot Noir of this quality. Ruby in color, clear and bright. The nose has sour cherries, slight root beer, and baking spices. Really a great texture. Creamy but with some cut to it. It dances on the palate which has plenty of cherry fruit and sunshine. Slight char note underlying the fruit. Nice finish. This is young and needs some cellaring or air. It unwinds a bit in the glass but gives the impression of more to come. It should be cellared for three to five more ye
This was the winner of a recent tasting of California Chardonnays. Very impressive showing and much better than expected. I have always like their reds, but I believe this was the first Chardonnay I have tried from them. Green gold in color. The nose is really interesting with ginger ale notes along with nice minerality and slight pears. On the palate, this is clean with great minerality. Just a slight kiss of vanilla. Deep with a nice complexity. This didn't change much over night two. It should make great drinking over the next five to seven years but likely longer if well stored
This is my favorite wine from all of the Carlisle offerings. And, it seems that Mike Officer really seems to excel in "off" vintages such as 2011 or 2017. While still very young, this is a beautiful wine. Deep purple in color, a thin ruby rim. The nose has black cherries, plums, slight cedar/bramble and just a hint of roasted herbs. On the palate, the texture is the thing. Almost seamless. Of course, it is also delicious, if still young. Firmer tannins for a Zin. It takes about an hour or two to open. This went great with some homemade pizza. It should continue to improve for the
What a great showing for this wine. Gorgeous. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, char, bramble and baking spices. Full bodied. Lush and luxurious texture. Lots of energy though. It drinks (too) easily. Delicious but also has a depth and complexity. Lots of black cherries, black raspberries and black pepper on the palate. Long finish. This should continue to drink well for ten years at least but it will lose its vibrancy and be replaced with more complexity. It would be a shame to miss it now. It will work great with grille
This is one of the best Syrah's out of Sonoma County. It is built for the long haul so make sure to let it rest in the cellar or give it plenty of air. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, roasted meats and slight root beer note which was interesting. Full bodied. On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit starting to layer with a charred earthiness and slight bacon notes. This still has medium tannins. Great balance and energy. Long finish. This may yet improve, but is more likely about as good as it will get. No hurry, this
Nice to revisit this wine. It was quite rambunctious on release and while still more of a brawny Zin it has started the evolution to more claret in style. Purple in color with ruby swirls. The nose has raspberries, black cherries, some spice and black pepper. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Plenty of raspberries and cherries with some dry charred earthiness. There is some warmth on the finish but not enough to be a concern. There does seem to be enough fruit to last, so the question is what you are looking for in a Zinfandel. If you want big and bold drink now, but if claret s
