2008 Carlisle Syrah James Berry Vineyard

($48) Opaque violet. Stunning bouquet displays dark berry liqueur, incense, dried violet and smoked meat. Tight on entry, then expansive and sweet in the middle, with noteworthy pliancy and sweetness to the dark fruit, violet pastille, apricot, mineral and spice flavors. Lots going on here-and highly expressive today, even if the firm, dusty tannins call for patience.

Author: Josh Raynolds

Issue: May/June 2010

From a two block parcel, the 2008 Syrah James Berry Vineyard was produced from yields of 0.7 tons of fruit per acre. It is aged in French oak (33% new), and will be bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine boasts an inky/purple color to the rim along with extraordinary floral, blueberry and blackberry liqueur characteristics, a chalky minerality, full-bodied power, elegance, and an ethereal lightness due, no doubt, to the limestone soils. This amazing 2008 should put on weight, and drink beautifully for a decade or more.

Drink Dates: 2010 - 2020

Author: Robert Parker