94 2010 Carlisle Papa's Block Syrah (Russina River Valley) 9/8/17 ($45)
95% Syrah, 4% Mourvedre, 1% Viognier 15.5% alc
Color: Veep deep black garnet. (3.5) Bouquet: Crushed blackberry and black cherry with elegant herbs in the background. Very racy, concentrated and pretty. (4.0) Body: Heavyweight with outstanding fruit, acidity and balance. Viscous mouthfeel, but not heavy on the palate. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but a little dusty and not quite as expressive. (3.0) Finish: Parallels flavor. Very long, but again could become more expressive with time. (3.0)
Overall: Delicious CA Syrah character with ripe fruit and impressive concentration. At the same time it reflects the elegance and restraint of the best Russian River reds. The crushed blackberry and black cherry fruit is very distinctive. The minerality and subtle herbs make it racy on the palate and very interesting. There are other CA-style Syrah that interest me, but this one may interest me the most. Drinking balanced and beautiful now, but the flavor and finish could become more expressive with 2-3 more years bottle age. (17)
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