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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91.1 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 119 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Charlie C on 6/24/2023 & rated 92 points: Soft purple-red color. Lovely raspberry nose. Soft on the palate, blackberry, raspberry, hint of spice. Soft tannins but still structured. Lovely acidity and balance. Finishes long and lovely, spicy with blackberries. Lovely Zin, bright and juicy. Drinking beautifully at 13 years old. 50/50 blend of Carlisle Vineyard and Montafi Ranch. Drink next 2 to 3 years but it may go longer. (413 views) | | | Tasted by oaxaca90049 on 7/23/2022: Gorgeous nose. Another winner from Mike who never disappoints. (581 views) | | | Tasted by rldixon on 12/3/2020 & rated 92 points: Carlisle wines regularly surprise me (to the upside) and this was no exception. 2010 was a tough vintage year, this bottle was past its "best-by" date, and 15.9% -OH could be trouble without prominent fruit. Out of the fridge, pulled the cork, and immediately aware of the aroma of wildflowers and blueberries. Let it sit for an hour and blackberry and pomegranate came out, with lots of white pepper. Not a hint of the alcohol while drinking. (882 views) | | | Tasted by Tubulus on 4/30/2020: Not that different from my last note 7 years ago. Delicious and so drinkable with a lovely glycerin-y texture. (1014 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 8/26/2019 & rated 92 points: Drank this with a barbecue lunch. Delicious as usual. Last one. (1477 views) | | | Tasted by Jettoy1992 on 3/2/2019 & rated 92 points: Drink now. Very good (1401 views) | | | Tasted by bound4er on 3/31/2018 & rated 92 points: Given the vintage my expectations weren't super high going into this wine. To my surprise I really enjoyed it. Sweet and sour raspberry fruit profile with the alcohol well hidden. Tasty stuff that seems to be drinking at its peak. (1509 views) | | | Tasted by jpmo on 10/22/2017 & rated 88 points: Opened as a post-dinner, second bottle of the night so not consumed with food. For all of us, the 15.9% alcohol dominated. Probably would be better with a meal, or at least some food, but not great by itself. Not enough fruit on its own to overcome the alcohol. (1475 views) | | | Tasted by tomlee on 9/7/2017 & rated 92 points: Violet in color. A touch cloudy. 15.9% ABV. A fifty fifty blend of Carlisle Vineyard and Montafi Vineyard after both were ravaged by the heat spike in 2010. Scrumptious nose of red and black fruits, flowers and white pepper. Full bodied with exquisite acidity. The balance is noteworthy. Plush and juicy. Raspberry compote, black cherry and more pepper on the palate. Well made Zinfandel from a grueling vintage. Drink over the next few years. (1473 views) | | | Tasted by sawira on 3/12/2017: I've had bad luck with this bottling. Hot alcoholic mess, again. Very unusual for Mike's wines, so I assume this is an aberration. (1624 views) | | | Tasted by Night Train on 2/17/2017 & rated 90 points: Consistent with a bottle seven months ago. Pretty tasty stuff, but with sufficient structure. Excessive acidity noted with previous bottle wasn't noticeable, possibly because of the accompanying food and possibly because it was finished off before the acidity became more prominent. Holding up just fine. (1446 views) | | | Tasted by Ed B on 11/11/2016 & rated 91 points: PnP as second wine of the night. No detailed notes. Big, smooth; odd, mellow but powerful spices. (1311 views) | | | Tasted by Night Train on 7/3/2016 & rated 90 points: Opened about 45 minutes before tasting. Assertive nose - black and blue fruits, along with a healthy dose of vanilla. Big fruit on the palate, a rich texture, and a very good finish. Had a hint of citrus-like acidity that became more pronounced over the next 60 to 90 minutes. By the end of the bottle, the acidity had become the dominant flavor. Great with rich, fatty foods, but not that pleasant by itself. Probably has not yet reached its peak. (1355 views) | | | Tasted by Jettoy1992 on 6/3/2016 & rated 92 points: Very nice venturi into decanter 1 hr in now starting to work. Another year easily b (1282 views) | | | Tasted by Ed B on 5/11/2016 & rated 91 points: Decanted thru aerator and screen and drank after 10 minutes over the next four hours. Opaque purplish-red. Unidentifiable mixture of dark and red fruit, 2:1 dark. Enuf spice to be interesting. Full body. Long and changing finish. Very enjoyable. (1086 views) | | | Tasted by Frank Murray III on 1/30/2016: My last bottle, drinking at 65f and it's cellar cool as I opened it about 30 mins ago. The aromatic has a fruit bowl character, like a blend of ripe fruit that lifts out of the glass. No heat, though. The core of this wine is pretty large, full of boysen and cherry fruit, with a syrup note. What I mean is that the ripeness of the fruit here gives the wine a berry flavor that comes off with a sweetness. And, there is some fuel in this wine, as I had a large bowl of chili with it and I can already feel the alc hitting my body with just a few ozs, even with the food. The finish shows a zip of acidity that buffers the fruit and keeps it fresh, some light chocolate, sweet earthy cherry, blackberry, a lot of flavor. I like the flavors but the alc I can feel and I won't be able to enjoy more than say a glass or so....Day 2, same tasting context. The alcohol is now present in the aromatic, joined with the fruit. It's got a bit more of the cherry syrup feeling and it's warm. This bottle isn't doing it for me, given it's fuel and richer edges and yet I know others will like it. (1769 views) | | | Tasted by sawira on 11/1/2015 & rated 94 points: #3 of 4. Last bottle was definitely an aberration. This is brilliant - has that "grapesickle" flavor profile I adore. Huge, crisp and deep black and red fruits, a perfectly balancing dose (not insubstantial) of delicious vanillin oak, massive mid-palate and quite adequate length. No imbalance or overt etoh. Awesome. At a beautiful peak now, and for another year or two. Up there with some of Mike's best, and this from a hugely challenging vintage. I kind of like the blend of Montafi's huge black fruited brashness, with the precision, cut and clarity of the Carlisle. Killer bottle.
Next night. This seems to be cracking up a bit and shows some disjointedness and heat on the finish. Drink soon. I'd call this 94 pts at its peak, and if drunk soon. (1442 views) | | | Tasted by snarfglk on 8/27/2015 & rated 91 points: This was a fabulous zinfandel with a whopping 15.9% alcohol! Felt, rather than tasted the heat (later). A great zin. (1266 views) | | | Tasted by btock on 8/25/2015 & rated 90 points: Looking for a bottle to note a b-day and the prominent use of the word "old" in this one off bottling seemed to fit the bill. An interesting blend from the two sites. I think in the end I like the single vineyard expressions better (let the power of Montafi and purity of Carlisle stand alone) but a very nice zin. Well balanced and improved in the glass as the night went on. Core red/purple fruit, nice backbone, no rough edges! Good now, but could hold a couple years longer. (1243 views) | | | Tasted by dsimmons on 7/14/2015 & rated 94 points: First of these last night. Sweet! Open the bottle about an hour before drinking. Classic zin. (1791 views) | | | Tasted by Ridgerunner on 6/20/2015 & rated 93 points: This bottle just sort of pushes the bar a bit higher! Really everything you want from a Zinfandel. (1394 views) | | | Tasted by Loren Sonkin on 6/7/2015 & rated 91 points: This had been opened the prior evening, but Chris brought out the remaining half a bottle. Very smooth. Shows a nice complexity. No real sign of alcohol/heat. Lots of fruit. Probably stating to peak over the next five years or so (maybe more). (823 views) | | | Tasted by mrmedoes on 4/30/2015 & rated 89 points: Not my favorite Carlisle. A nice wine, and definitely enjoyable, but lacks the character of other 2010s. Bigger fruit than most, lacking the acid that most of their efforts carry (and what I believe makes them so special for the price). Definitely has some life ahead of it and I will be holding under the hope that the typical Carlisle character comes around. (1637 views) | | | Tasted by gzim on 3/22/2015 & rated 92 points: Great round mouth, with red spicy berry dark aromatics and a great finish. bummed it was my last '10 Old Vines. This wine will continue for years to come. (1290 views) | | | Tasted by dougie on 3/22/2015 & rated 92 points: Surprised how much it changed over 4 hours. Rustic to fruity to balanced. (1169 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2012, IWC Issue #162
(Carlisle Winery Zinfandel Old Vines Russian River Valley) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Carlisle Producer website
Zinfandel ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates & Producers | Varietal character (Appellation America) | Wikipedia-ZinfandelOld Vines Old Vine/Vieilles Vignes (Wikipedia)USAAmerican wine has been produced since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84% of all U.S. wine. The continent of North America is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers. With more than 1,100,000 acres (4,500 km2) under vine, the United States is the fourth-largest wine producing country in the world, after Italy, Spain, and France.California2021 vintage: "Unlike almost all other areas of the state, the Russian River Valley had higher than normal crops in 2021, which has made for a wine of greater generosity and fruit forwardness than some of its stablemates." - Morgan Twain-Peterson Sonoma CountyMendocino CountyRussian River Valley Russian River Valley Winegrowers Association | Wikipedia |
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