2005 Gérard Raphet Bourgogne Passetoutgrains - France, Burgundy, Bourgogne Passetoutgrains (5/19/2009)
Pretty and subtle aromas. This wine has a lot of acid. It really jumps to the front. Red fruit and citrus flavors. Very light pinot flavors but much about the wine tends towards Sav Blanc. On the second day it seemed even more zippy. Cranberries and ripe grapefruit. Showing plenty of tannin so I think 3-5 years will be kind to this wine. At $10 this is very nice but some others at a few more $$ could give more complexity and depth. (86 pts.)
2006 Margerum Syrah Alondra de los Prados Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley (5/18/2009)
On Derby day we drank (among many people, so only small sips) the outstanding 05 version. It was certainly one of the favorites of the day. I decided to pop the too young 06 in hopes of enjoying the fresh fruit. The nose shows big purple fruits. Some iron elements as well. The wine is full bodied but not heavy or sloppy. The texture is rich but still presents some edges. I have not idea with the oak on this is, but it seemed to be a little too heavy handed on the wood. We enjoyed this now but it will show much better in 3-5 years. (90 pts.)
2007 Carlisle Syrah Russian River Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (5/14/2009)
This very young syrah looks like boysenberry syrup. Dark and viscous. I had this over 2 days. I first smelled iron, stems, flowers and red fruit. On the second day I thought boysenberry syrup over a bed of rocks. The texture is silky with the middle being heavy, viscous and slightly hot. On the second day weight had eased up and the wine was brighter and livelier. A monster syrah that it fairly monolithic at this stage. The price leads you to think it could be an early drinker but for me this need time ... and not just a few years. If I can afford the cellar space, I'll wait at least 4 years. My hope is that this monster finds some elegance. 88-89 pts (89 pts.)
All my first syrahs were from Rhone but I have found much joy in new world syrahs too. But this is Carlisle ... they are massive wines and yet often keep enough acid and structure to make them interesting. There is a lot of WC in this wine IIRC so I think time will sort some things out. This is a 2007 so the fruit, ripe fruit, is all over right now. @ $20 I think it is a lot of bang for your buck ... but style wise ... it is Carlisle.