2004 Carlisle Syrah Judge Family Vineyard Bennett Valley - USA, California, Sonoma County, Bennett Valley (12/31/2008)
And now a PSA: DO NOT POP AND POUR THIS WINE. Starting off very closed on the nose and tight on the palate with some dark sweet fruits and glycerin. And did I mention dark as molasses? Definite heat on the back end. I let it sit in the bottle for about 2 hrs. It slowly opened to reveal more fruit concentration, more sweetness, a touch of tarry asphalt. The structure is somewhat hidden under all the fruit and leaves me puzzled as to this wines longevity. The heat has subsided somewhat. The finish is long and lingering. I occasionally enjoy these big wines on their own and was looking to do that with this wine before dinner. I must say that food improved the wines performance and helped. All said, I enjoyed the wine tonight, but it was very far from a N. Rhone experience for me. It is what it is. I have half the bottle saved for day 2 which I will enjoy as PENN ST. crushes USC. Happy New Year!
P.S. Oh well so I was wrong about the Rose Bowl. Otherwise, the TN stands as is.
DAY 3: After revisiting this, the wine settled down considerably with the heat all but a memory. Well balanced, but no complexity or developement. We will see how the final bottle does in about 2-4 years.