Back                                                                                                                                  Jan 15, 2011        

CA Reds: Some Old, Some New & Carignane Too

Rafik Samuel and I tasted through six California reds, including two Cabernets, a Zinfandel, a Syrah and two very nice surprises. The six came from three of our favorite wineries in CA. Here are the mostly good results.

The Old Ones - flight of 3

88  1991  Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon  (Dry Creek)  $30

  % alcohol not given on the label
Overall: In fine shape for its age, showing excellent structure and secondary nuances of mushrooms, cedar and gray clay (St. Julien-like) with decent cassis fruit underneath. Has the structure to get even more interesting in the next 2-3 years, but probably doesn't have the fruit, so drink up. I really enjoy sniffing this, but the fruit is somewhat faded in the flavor and finish, suggesting that I probably would have prefered to drink it a few years earlier.

90  1994  Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains  Cabernet  $24

  81% CS, 11% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot   12.8%alc
Overall: Excellent minerals and acidity support very good cassis fruit (could have more) and an interesting mocha nuance. Was better a couple of years ago, but should hold for a couple more years. Very consistent from start to finish, making it very enjoyable.

93  1999  Ridge Lytton Springs   $28

  70% Zin, 17% PetiteSirah, 10% Carignane, 3% Mataro   14.5%alc
Overall: Concentrated blackberries with briar, clove and menthol spice, even a little game. A little more mature than I expected, probably because I bought this bottle from a wine shop just 2 years ago, so storage was probably less than perfect. I was expecting a little more stucture and the fruit to be a little fresher. In spite of this, its still, rich, balanced, interesting, delicious and ready to be drunk now.

The Young'ins - flight of 3

91+  2008  Carlisle   Three Birds  (Sonoma County)  $29

  78% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre, 6% Syrah   14.9%alc   160 cases
Overall: Shows interesting herbs, mint, game, balsamic vinegar and milk chocolate complexity combined with vibrant purple grape juice and blueberry fruit, uplifted by excellent minerality. Its acidity-based structure should enable it to improve in the next 5 years. Decant for 2 hours for now drinking.

90  2008  Carlisle   Syrah  (Sonoma County)  $25

  14.9%alc   230 cases
Overall: Rich, dense Syrah with black plum and cassis fruit, which is intense, but simple compared to the Three Birds. A heavyweight with big, but smooth, tannins. Shows a little heat and bitterness in the flavor and finish. Needs some time to mellow, 4-6 years, but still balanced enough to drink now.

94  2007  Carlisle   Papera Ranch  Carignane  (Russian River)  $23

  mostly Carignane with just "a splash" of Zinfandel  14.1%alc   150 cases
Overall: The combination of rich, silky raspberry and fresh cranberry sauce fruit combined with dark coffee and cocoa is absolutely intoxicating. It also has great elegance and musky old vines complexity on a solid middleweight frame. This is an amazing wine, tastes like Musigny meets Carignane. Delicious and quite drinkable now, but may become even more complex in the next 2-5 years.

Final Thoughts: The Cabernets were fine, but probably at their best at 10-12 years old. The Lytton Springs was the clear winner of the first flight. The Three Birds has a lot of potential, particularly for a Sonoma County bottling, the Syrah is big, but simple in comparison. The Carignane easily won this flight, not surprising coming from a great vineyard.

 

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