2009 Carlisle Zinfandel Martinelli Road Vineyard
Community Tasting Note
CMN Likes this wine:
93 Points
Tuesday, December 22, 2015 - Pours an inky dark purple. Nose of blackberries, plums, white pepper and a violet note lingering in the background.
This is a massive wine with dense flavors of black and blue fruits. The palate is predominantly blackberry with a wonderful peppery note. This is a much bigger wine than I usually drink, but it never felt ponderous or heavy, and despite the 15.8%abv there is no heat whatsoever. The medium acidity allowed it to go well with prime New York strip. Tannins are fairly soft and well integrated at this point in the wine's development.
A delicious, crowd pleasing wine that has years of life still. This is not in my normal wheelhouse, but for the style, among the best I've ever consumed.
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2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,460 views)
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (1,460 views)
Comment posted by Night Train:
12/23/2015 1:14:00 PM - Good notes. I was conflicted by this wine, but still gave it a 90. It would have been right in my wheelhouse 15 years ago, when I was having people killed for their Turley allocations, but I'm no longer a fan of this style. I'm hoping that another couple years and some REALLY rich food to accompany it will do the trick.
Comment posted by CMN:
12/23/2015 1:21:00 PM - Thanks for your comment. I opened it a bit on a whim and I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed the wine, seeing as I generally drink thinner, more red-fruited wines (lots of Pinot Noir). It's definitely a crowd pleaser -- I think Carlisle, generally, is appreciated by those who are a little less sophisticated about wine, but there's enough complexity to keep geeks happy. If you have a few, you can certainly check in now without feeling like its too soon.