2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Sonoma County

2005 Meritxell Palleja Priorat Nita

2008 Carlisle Three Birds

2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Sonoma County – $16.14

Novy Wines is the non Pinot Noir wing of Adam Lee’s winery empire. I think Novy is much underrated as a Syrah producer. Generally Novy Syrahs lean more towards the savory side of the spectrum, which to me, is where most of the better Syrahs reside. Novy’s single vineyard offerings are generally very good to outstanding. The appellation wines like this one are generally very good and offer outstanding value.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a fairly dark ruby to maroon color. The very nice nose has blackberries, smoked meat, black pepper, baking spices, charcoal, vanilla, forest floor, and a touch of stems. This has medium body, moderate tannins, and good acidity. On the palate the spicy, peppery berries hit first followed by smoked meat and vanilla. The finish has good length but does show a touch of stems that sticks out a touch too prominently. This would merit a higher score if the stems didn’t leave a lingering greenish note. (88 pts)

2005 Meritxell Palleja Priorat Nita – $16.74

I’m a pretty big fan of wines from the Priorat region in Spain. These wines are generally, like the region, on the rugged and rustic side. You will just about never hear one of these wines described as smooth and subtle.

This is a blend of 45% Garnacha, 35% Carinena, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a deep, dark ruby color, almost purple. The very nice nose is full of minerals, cherries, blackberries, dried herbs, dried earth, well worn leather, vanilla, black pepper, licorice, and wild flowers. This has medium body, fairly solid tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate the cherries and minerals hit first, followed by dried herbs, crushed berries, and black pepper. On the back end and finish dried earth elements emerge and take center stage, especially on the fairly long finish. This is drinking very nicely, but should last for at least a few more years in the cellar. (92 pts)

2008 Carlisle Three Birds – $23.00

This wine is Mike Officer’s “homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape”. This is a blend of 78% Grenache, 16% Mourvèdre and 6% Syrah, with most of the fruit coming from the Rossi Ranch in the Sonoma Valley.

My Tasting Note

The wine is a nice ruby red color. The very interesting and inviting nose had cherries, kirsch, minerals, black pepper, dry earth, underbrush, violets, and baking spices. This has medium body, moderate tannins, and very good acidity. On the palate the spicy cherries and minerals hit first, quickly followed by black pepper and a nice earthy edge. The wine has a fairly long finish leaning on the spices and minerals with the fruit providing some background sweetness. Not a big and rich wine like most of the Carlisle offerings, this has very little excess weight. This tastes outstanding today and should and potentially improve over the next several years. (91 pts)

Connect with me

You can follow me on Twitter for more wine info, potential food pairings, and an occasional recipe or two. Be warned, I’m also a sports fan and there are occasional Pittsburgh Penguins, Steelers, and Pirates tweets. I attended the University of South Carolina, so during football season, there will also be some Gamecock posts.

If you like this post, consider joining Cliffs Wine Picks Wine Blog on Facebook and giving me a Like.

Cheers!

* Shameless Self Promotion *

Here is a link to a YouTube video of me getting “coal” from Santa for being named the “Nicest Person in Social Media” in 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOvQTeGR3-c

Breaking news from Klout:

Remember to support your local wine store!

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes – I use the “official” Cellar Tracker name for the wines. I use Cellar Tracker to help manage and organize my cellar. I highly recommend checking it out at www.cellartracker.com. Loading you existing cellar is a lot less intimidating than it would first appear. There is a good chance 99% of your wine is already in the system, so you generally only need to enter part of the wine’s name and the system will find it for you.

Prices noted are the prices I paid at the time of purchase. I don’t shop around to find the best prices, but my local store is usually VERY competitive. I generally get case discounts, and since I work there part time, I get a 5% discount. Wines purchased direct from a winery do not include any shipping charges. None of the prices include the sales tax.

All wines that were sent to me free of charge to sample will be noted and I will show suggested prices when available.