 1998 Carlisle Russian River Valley Two Acres Red Wine, $32, 15.4% alc.: An "old-vine blend of Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Valdepenas, Refosco, and Alicante Bouschet," this dark garnet is still on the way up, and drinking very nicely for it. It's all about big upfront dark plum, blackberry and black raspberry fruit and a good dose of toasty oak, in the quintessential Carlisle style. As it opens, it gets creamier and creamier; with two hours of air, it's absolutely delicious. Still, if this bottle is any indication, it should continue to improve for another three to five years, but alas, it was our last. (Sniff.)
1999 Carlisle Russian River Valley Two Acres Red Wine, $27, 15.3% alc.: Another dark garnet, we opened this a few nights after the '98, and it was every bit as impressive. It exudes the big Carlisle perfume, with the sweet, toasty oak over leathery black berry and black currant, with undertones of root beer and cola. These follow through on the palate, with plenty of tannin, good acidity and a long finish. No need to rush to open one of these now, although it drinks well with a few hours of air. It has all the makings of a 10 year wine and more.
2000 Carlisle Russian River Valley Two Acres Red Wine, $27, 15.0% alc.: This purple garnet looks like ink in the glass, with asphalt and reduced black berries wafting from the bowl and following through in the big bold flavors. With just a little swirlatude, ripe leather, cola - root beer, dark chocolate and some bramble and briar become apparent, and while there's some obvious oak here, it can't contain the huge fruit. Although it opens very nicely with about forty five minutes of air, this needs a minimum of five years in the cellar to mellow its rough, chewy tannins and show at its best.
2001 Carlisle Russian River Valley Two Acres Red Wine, $27, 14.8% alc.: This dark garnet gives an immediate impression of coffee on the nose, followed up by bacon, underbrush, smoke, tar and earth, to the exclusion of any fruit. These carry over onto the palate, where lots of deep, dark plum and blackberry make themselves known. The flavors are rich and luscious, and while the somewhat burry tannins will take this to its 10th birthday with no problem, it drinks well now with as little as half an hour in a decanter. A lovely wine, and a big hit with the four tasters who sampled it.
2002 Carlisle Sonoma Three Birds, $19.50, 15.7% alc.: Mike Officer's Grenache - Syrah - Mourvedre Rhône blend gives some toast and coffee on the nose, but rather grudgingly; however, the big, fat spicy black fruit flavors explode on the palate with toast, coffee, dark plums and berries, and bramble - briar shadings. Substantial tannins are a little rough and burry at this point, but it's nothing that five years in the cellar won't cure, and this still drinks well already with some air. As it opens, some black cherry and fat raspberry emerge to add complexity, and it finishes with a long briary character. We'll check back in on this delicious wine in a few years to see how it's progressing.
 2002 Carlisle Russian River Valley Zinfandel Tom Feeney Ranch, $23, 15.4% alc.: This dark garnet zin gives plenty of tar and a little bit of heat on the nose at first, with the fruit all but hidden underneath, but with a little air, some sweet berry starts to shine through. The big rich flavors burst with spicy black raspberry and black cherry shaded with bramble, briar and some of the aforementioned tar. This is big, bad and powerful, an unbridled monster that only time can beat into submission; I'll give our other bottle two to five years in the cellar. From vines planted in 1926; interplanted petite sirah, alicante bouschet, and grand noir included for color and complexity.
2002 Carlisle Sonoma County Zinfandel, $19.50, 15.8% alc.: This deep, dark garnet shows the signature Carlisle perfume of big sweet oak, blackberry and black raspberry, with overtones of cola, chocolate, mint and menthol. The flavors echo and explode on the palate with an added earthy, brambly character, and what Kim describes as a note of lavender. This wine is delicious poured straight from the bottle, despite three to five years worth of tannins and zippy acidity. It finishes with decidedly briar - brambly, cola, root beer and rock and rye overtones, often a hallmark of Mike Officer's fine Zinfandels. Very nice indeed, and a fine example of why we buy Carlisle religiously!
2002 Carlisle Sonoma Valley Zinfandel, $23, 15.9% alc.: Decidedly dark garnet, with sweet oak, zinberry, blackberry and raspberry flavors and aromas that show accents of bramble, briar, cola - root beer and a hint of Rhône - like vegetal decay. Rich, extracted and very much in the signature Carlisle style, this gets a little creamy with air, and should improve with at least two or three years in the cellar. We should have tasted this side by side with the '01 Sonoma County bottling to compare, but didn't. We only got two of each, so we'll make a point of doing that in about three years.
1999 Carlisle Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, 15.4% alc.: Tar and earth dominate the cola - root beer and zinberry on the nose of this ruby dark garnet, but there's a lot more fruit in the flavors, with big blackberry, black raspberry and black plum, all shaded with the same cola - root beer, pepper and spice. Dense and extracted, this still has some noticeable tannins, good acidity, and it shows just a little heat. With a little air, the aromatics turn more toward the cola - root beer - rock & rye spectrum, but the tar never does fully blow off. The best days may still be ahead for this one, so another year or two shouldn't hurt it at all.
Carlisle
Winery and Vineyards
P.O. Box 556
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
(707)556-7700
(707)566-7200
Reporting
from Day-twah,
Bastardo
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