We tried tonight (1/23/19) Carlisle/Bedrock Syrahs:
1. Bedrock Syrah NorthCoast (14.5%; 14 brls; 33%-50% WholeCluster for 3 sites; Hudson/Weill/KickRanch
vnyds; 60% WholeCluster) 2013
: Dark color; strong very spicy/blackberry/Syrah/bit pepperystrong roasted/
Rhonish/w-c slight earthy bit c-c/black pepper fairly complex nose; lightly tart strong spicy/Syrah/blackberry
some w-c/Rhonish/roasted lovely flavor w/ light smooth tannins; long slightly tart strong w-c/Rhonish/pungent
strong blackberry/Syrah bit pencilly/oak some complex finish w/ light tannins; seems to be moving right
along and a bit more mature than I expected, so drink up fairly soon; great value at $21.00
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2. Bedrock Syrah Coast to Foothills Calif (14.1%; ShakeRidgeRanch + Hudson/Griffin'sLair/AlderSprings/Weill
vnyds; 20%-80% w-c; + Viog) 2017
: Very dark color; lighter w-c/Rhonish/smokey/roasted stronger blackberry/
Syrah/very spicy/bit floral quite lovely nose; bit softer/richer strong blackberry/Syrah/fairly spicy slight
metallic/tangy some w-c/Rhonish/roasted flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very long lightly tart strong
blackberry/spicy/Syrah light w-c/Rhonish/pungent bit complex finish w/ modest tannins; lot more forward
fruit and needs a few yrs; bit light compared to the following Bedrock Syrahs but a great value at $20.00
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3. Bedrock Syrah Weill a Way Vnyd/SonomaVlly/SonomaCnty (14.8%; Syrah + Viog; 50% w-c; Aged: 25% new oak)
2015
: Very dark color; strong SonomaVlly/earthy/dusty strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/very spicy light
pencilly/oak bit w-c/Rhonish/peppery lovely bit complex nose; bit soft rather rich/lush very strong blackberry/
Syrah/quite spicy some w-c/Rhonish bit earthy/SonomaVlly/dusty complex flavor w/ modest fairly smooth tannins;
very long/lingering some w-c/Rhonish/peppery very strong blackberry/Syrah/very spicy slight pencilly/oak
complex finish w/ modest smooth tannins; speaks a lot of dusty/SonomaVlly character and reminds some of the
OldHillVnyd Zins, but w/ nice w-c/Rhonish character. $48.00
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4. Bedrock Syrah HudsonVnyd/T'n'S Blocks/Carneros (14.4%; 50% w-c; Drk: 2020-2035: MTP) 2016: Dark color; strong
c-c Syrah/black olive tapenade/Carneros strong blackberry/blueberry/Syrah bit black pepper slight appley lovely
complex nose; lightly tart some blackberry/blueberry/Syrah/rather spicy light w-c/Rhonish some black olive
tapenade/Carneros Syrah complex flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very long/lingering some w-c/Rhonish strong
blackberry/blueberry/Syrah bit CarnerosSyrah/black olive tapenade structured complex finish w/ modest tannins;
speaks of CarnerosSyrah/black olive but not as strongly as some from LasMadres vnyd; a beautiful complex
Carneros Syrah at a very reasonable price. $45.00
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5. Bedrock Syrah BienNacidoVnyd/X-Block/SantaMariaVlly (12.5%; Plntd to own-rooted Riesling in 1973 & grafted to
EstrellaRiverSyrah in 1987; Aged: 500 l used Stockinger brls; Drk: 2019-2030: MTP) 2017
: Med.dark color; slight
herbal/thyme fairly strong black cherry/blackberry/Syrah/spicy light roasted/Rhonish/w-c/pungent some c-c/black
pepper fairly spicy bit dusty/OV light toasty/oak rather complex nose; lightly tart some toasty/oak light
herbal/thyme strong blackberry/black cherry/BN Syrah light c-c/black pepper some w-c/Rhonish/roasted structured/
balanced fairly complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering fairly strong blackberry/black cherry/
Syrah/very spicy some w-c/Rhonish light c-c/black pepper light toasty/oak structured finish w/ modest smooth
tannins; a beautiful expression of the black cherry character you get in BienNacido Syrah but not quite as
intense as I was expecting; a beautiful Syrah that may just be Morgan's best Syrah yet; very reasonable price
at $48.00.
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6. Onward Syrah LedgewoodVnyd/SuisunVlly (13.3%; 2 brls) 2016: Med.color; light Syrah/blackberry/blueberry/plummy
light earthy/mushroomy pleasant nose; bit soft light blackberry/plummy/blueberry/quiet/Syrah bit earthy/loamy
light toasty/oak pleasant flavor w/ light gentle tannins; med.long plummy/blackberry/Syrah light earthy/loamy
finish w/ light tannins; an understated and not particularly distinctive Syrah; quite pleasant/drinkable but
just that; lost in the noise of these other Syrahs. $34.00
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7. Carlisle Syrah SierraMarVnyd/SantaLuciaHighlands (14.9%; 230 cs; SaH: 25.8 Brix; Alban BabyBlock & Alban #1;
1/3'rd whole cluster; U/U) 2011
: Very dark/black color; beautiful fragrant pungent strong herbal/thyme/rosemary
intense blackberry/Syrah/bit licorice some toasty/oak very aromatic complex nose; soft strong toasty/oak very
pungent/herbal/thyme/rosemary licorice/Syrah/blackberry/boysenberry bit complex flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe
tannins; very long/lingering intense blackberry/Syrah/slight peppery rather herbal/thyme/rosemary some toasty/
oak complex finish w/ some ripe/smooth tannins; plenty of toasty/oak and speaks stongly of herbal/pungent
SLH Syrah; more of the old-time Carlisles because of the intensity; my favorite of the Carlisles. $40.00
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8. Carlisle Syrah SierraMarVnyd/SantaLuciaHighlands (SaH: 26.0 Brix; cold soaked 5 days; 15.8%; U/U; 200 cs)
2012
: Very dark color; less herbal/SLH/thyme/pungent strong blackberry/licorice/Syrah very light toasty/oak
complex nose; bit tarter alcoholic some herbal/SLH/blackberry/Syrah/licorice very light toasty/oak some complex
flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins; very long/lingering strong SLH/herbal/blackberry/Syrah light toasty/oak
slight alcoholic bit complex finish w/ modest smooth tannins; starting to dry out a bit on the palate but
still in great shape; not nearly as intense and much less oak than the '11 but the alcohol shows a bit. $42.00
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9. Carlisle Syrah SierraMarVnyd/SantaLuciaHighlands (15.7%; 220 cs; 30% Whole-Cluster; U/U) 2013: Dark color; light
toasty/oak light herbal/thyme/SLH Syrah slight alcoholic strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy bit peppery slight
Rhonish/w-c rather perfumed nose; soft some w-c/Rhonish light herbal/thyme some blackberry/Syrah/spicy flavor
w/ light smooth tannins; very long lightly herbal strong blackberry/Syrah finish w/ light tannins; somewhat
less SLH/herbal character but quite a nice Syrah. $41.00
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10. Carlisle Syrah SierraMarVnyd/SantaLuciaHighlands (14.9%; 325 cs) 2014: Very dark color; very slight herbal/SLH
Syrah very strong spicy/blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah some perfumed more like RRV Syrah than SLH Syrah bit quieter
nose; bit soft little SLH/herbal strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah/spicy flavor w/ modest tangy tannins; very
long strong blackberry/boysenberry/Syrah very light SLH/herbal finish w/ some tangy tannins; speaks very quietly
of SLH Syrah and more like a RRV Syrah but still a lovely Syrah. $39.50
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11. Carlisle Syrah SierraMarVnyd/SantaLuciaHighlands (15.1%; 135 cs) 2015: Very dark color; fairly strong SLH Syrah/
herbal/bit thyme strong very spicy/blackberry/Syrah/slight peppery lovely perfumed nose; lightly tart rather rich/
lush some herbal/thyme/SLH Syrah strong blackberry/Syrah/very spicy/bit peppery flavor w/ modest smooth/ripe tannins;
very long/lingering some SLH Syrah/herbal very strong blackberry/Syrah/very spicy finish w/ some smooth tannins;
speaks strongly of SLH Syrah w/ loads of blackberry Syrah fruit. $44.10
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12. Carlisle Syrah SierraMarVnyd/SantaLuciaHighlands (15.3%; 210 cs; 25% w-c; 28% new Fr.oak; Drink: 2020-2032;
U/U) 2016
: Very dark color; much stronger herbal/thyme/rosemary very strong blackberry/Syrah/very spicy/bit licorice
quite lovely fragrant nose; bit soft strong SLH Syrah/herbal/thyme/pungent rather rich/lush very strong blackberry/
Syrah/very spicy balanced/smooth flavor w/ modest ripe tannins; very long/lingering strong herbal/SLH Syrah very
strong blackberry/Syrah/licorice/very spicy finish w/ some smooth/ripe tannins; probably the most balanced &
richest of the last 4 Syrahs and very strong blackberry fruit and strong SLH/herbal; a beautiful expression of
SLH Syrah. $38.00
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13. Harrington Syrah McEvoyRanch/MarinCnty (13.2%) 2017: Very dark color; very black olive tapenade/c-c Syrah strong
cracked black pepper slight herbal very strong w-c/Rhonish/smokey very strong blackberry/Syrah/peppery/blueberry
rather complex beautiful perfumed nose; very strong w-c/Rhonish/smokey/pungent fairly c-c/black pepper qute tart
very strong blackberry/Syrah/spicy/black olive tapenade complex flavor w/ ample hard tannins; very long/lingering
complex very tart strong w-c/Rhonish black olive tapenade c-c/black pepper finish w/ ample hard/chewey tannins;
needs some 4-8 yrs of age; a classic c-c/w-c complex Syrah at a very good price. $35.00
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More flitterhite from TheBloodyPulpit:
1. Bedrock: Like Carlisle, because they're not a Rhone specialist, Morgan doesn't get a whole lot of recognition
for the outstanding Syrahs he produces.
For a number of yrs, he has produced a basic NorthCoast Syrah from a blend of mostly leftover lots of
Griffin'sLair/AlderSprings, and Hudson Syrah. Always a very value priced wine and a QPR champ. With the '17
vintage, he added Syrah from AnnKraemer's ShakeRidgeVny up in the SierraFoothills, at a high elevation South
of the ShenandoahVlly. So the name was changed to reflect this addition. But it still remains a QPR champ.
Don't quite understand the Weill a Way Vnyd. Most of Morgan's wines from this vnyd are primarily Syrah.
But he also makes a mixed-black from WaW as well. Don't know much about how old this vnyd is.
Hudson is a great vnyd for cold-climate Calif Syrah, much like those from the nearby LasMadresVnyd. This
is where the w3onderful Neyers CuveeHonore Syrahs came from. This Bedrock expresses the black olive tapenade
character of Carneros Syrah but not as strongly as some I've had.
This is the first time Morgan has made a Syrah from the legendary X-Block at BienNacido, to my knowledge.
This is the 2'nd oldest Syrah planting of Syrah in SBCnty. The grapes mostly go to BobLindquist for his X-Block
Syrah and to RandalGrahm for his BN Syrah. Sometimes there are some unspoken X-Block Syrah that go to other
winemakers. Glad that Morgan had a chance to work with these grapes.
The barrels from FranzStockinger, used on the X-Block, are regarded as the Rolls-Royce of barrels. He makes
his barrels in Northern Austria from a selection of oaks. When you look at a Stockinger barrel, you know you
are in the presence of greatness. Morgan was able to obtain some Stockinger oak thru, I believe, RajPaar.
I assume these Stockingers are the ones he used in previous vintages for his SauvBlanc.
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2. Carlisle: A very interesting tableau of Carlisle Syrahs. The '11 was the real outlier...much more intense in
character and very intense herbal aromatics...more like the Carlisle style of old. Some thought the oak was
excessive, but I thought the intensity of fruit was there to carry all the oak. The remaining 5 SM Syrahs were
remarkably consistent in style, with varying degrees of herbal character and intensity of fruit. After the '11,
the '16 was probably my (slight) favorite of the remaining 5 Syrahs.
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3. Harrington: This is an unreleased Syrah from Bryan but is available. One of the best c-c Syrahs I've had in
some time.
Tom