Expert articles and wine tasting videos profiling wines from California, California wine regions, Napa Valley, Sonoma County, & more.
This bottle had been stood and was decanted about an hour before serving. We enjoyed it over the next couple of hours. Blind, I would have guessed a not too old Bordeaux, maybe say 2000. Bright purple in color, magenta at the rim.
Light golden in color. The nose is great with a creamy lemon vanilla quality to it. Maybe some peach as well as it warms. On the palate, this has a lush creamy texture. Lemons, vanilla, and with air some pineapple. This is still young but has rounded out a bit. Layers of depth with lemon and pineapple intertwined with a dry candied quality if that makes sense. This seems like it will age quite well. There is still some oak but it is almost seamless instead of over bearing. Long finish. Great wine.
Light to medium golden in color. Cloudy. The nose is very pretty with pineapple, and minerals and just the slightest notes of grass. Revisiting this also has some hay. On the palate, this is delicious. A creamy texture. A perception of sweetness from the ripe tropical fruit notes. Also crisp enough served cold. Long finish. Worked well with food. One of the truly great Sauvignon Blancs from California. While it seems like it will age fine, it is so fresh and lively now, I am not sure it gets better, just different, I would (and I did), drink these sooner than later.
Another Carlisle wine, another great wine. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. On the nose, black raspberries, spice, and some vanilla. On the palate, a great lush but juicy texture. Great energy. Flavors of black raspberry, some char and pepper. Long finish. Works well with food or on its own.
Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, coffee and spice. On the palate, there is nice dark cherry fruit, some cassis, and spice. Medium tannins. I wouldn't wait on this too long as I am not sure there is enough fruit to outlast the tannins in the long run. That said, it is drinking well now with some nice fruit. A bit of complexity as well.
Purple in color. The nose has cassis, dark chocolate, vanilla, sandalwood and slight blueberries. On the palate, there is a fair amount of oak on this. Spice and some burn from fresh cut lumber. But, also some excellent fruit showing as cassis and blueberries. Medium tannins. Long finish. Right now it is a good wine especially for those who don't mind a bit of oak. I would hold these as there is plenty of fruit to integrate with the oak over the next five years.
Light golden in color. The nose has lemons, vanilla, fresh cut lumber, slight tropical fruits and butter. On the palate, this has a fair amount of oak showing. Perhaps with some age it sheds some of it. There is plenty of lemon fruit and it is a bit buttery. Decent acidity. It presents a style of Napa Chardonnay that seems people either love or hate. It is a well made wine and if you like a more buttery and oaked Chard, add a few points.
Purple in color. The nose is great with cassis, spice, cedar, dark chocolate and a bit of cedar. On the palate, this is intense fruit. The wine itself gives an impression of being broad and easy, but the fruit is piercing. This still needs some time to develop and unwind. Give it some air. Flavors of cassis and dark chocolate with firm tannins. Drunk over two days, this was markedly better on day 2. Long finish.
Light gold in color. The nose has lemon chiffon and vanilla and a bit of spice. Wonderful mouth feel. Creamy texture. Lemon chiffon with some vanilla. Good acidity. Deep. This drinks well now but should age for a decade or more depending on how you like older Chardonnays. Delicious wine.
Looking for a new winery to follow. If you like American Rhone wines, this is one to check out. Purple in color, deep and inky. On the nose, black raspberries, black pepper, roasted meat and spice/vanilla. On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit. Deep. Medium tannins. Good balance. This is a big wine. It is delicious now but if your prefer a little more restraint, I think this has the stuffing to age for another decade, perhaps two.
