Really a great wine. Just starting to show some maturity if you're interested in those characteristics. It's softened up, in a good way, and drinks beautifully all by itself.
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Violet color with black and red fruit, smoke, leather, spice and a bit of violet aromas. On the palate it's medium-bodied and fruit forward with a lush texture but its acidity and dusty tannins keep it on the rails. It shows black raspberry, black cherry, baking spice with hints of peppery spice with a long sweet finish. Blend of fruit from throughout Sonoma sourced form vineyards planted between 1895 and 1934 (except for the 2% Petite Sirah) 15% abv 672 cases. $25 SRP. Great QPR
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Nose of red cherry, black cberry, pepper, allspice, and dusty road, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, as good the second night as the first, can hold for 3 years but terrific tasting now, long, flavorful finish, photo uploaded.
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Seriously - this may be the best sub $20 wine I've had to drink. Smooth, with some fruit still left. I'll likely be drinking my remaining bottles over the remainder of this year.
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Black pepper, boysenberry and spice on the nose, and a port-like surmaturité (despite the low-ish 14.5% ABV). This has been open for three days now and is starting to decline, showing its best on day 1. Surprisingly restrained and balanced, peppery and vibrant, showing brown sugar and cherry tart flavors, finishing with citrus flowers and river rock. While I think some Carlisles can tend to be a bit overblown for my taste, I don't think there is a better zin out there for under $20.
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Pnp on snow day in TX. Disagree about being on the downhill slide. Beautifully balanced ripe raspberry meets orange spice & pepper. Alcohol is there. Long lingering red fruit finish. But lovely bottle and I have one remaining I hope to let age another few years to see what’s to come.
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Not as vibrant as we remember, and as our previous notes describe. This wine is definitely on the downhill side. That said, it is still drinking well; it is smooth drinking with tasty juicy red and blue fruit and subtle brown baking spices. Went quite well with our grilled hamburgers topped with mushrooms and cheese. Drink up.
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Typical concentrated Carlisle zin perfume - blackberry liquor, violets, and a bit of incense. On the palate, it’s showing a bit of age... with the high alcohol and riper black fruit is starting to show a bit top heavy. Still a good drink but perhaps not as vibrant as it was a few years ago, and a bit outclassed by the Tercero Cinsault tonight.
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Clear, dark ruby with brick rim, med+ tears with med staining. Clean nose with brambly blackberry, fresh raspberry, and dark cherry. Notes of bacon fat, lavender, mocha, and potting soil. The palate showed intense baked blackberry and raspberry, lavender, sage, and bacon fat. Med+ acid, Med tannin, Med+ EtoH. Relatively refined for the big bold new world zin style with a nice balance. Quite good for the price.
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Very bright bouquet, raspberry, sweet dark cherry, cedar and sweet vanilla. Powerful attack on the palate, very primary: ripe raspberry, plum and dark cherry, kirsch and hints of tapenade and olives. Juicy clean finish with well resolved tannins. This is in a nice place, and very drinkable. Lacks the complexity, depth and breadth of the single vineyard offerings but very good overall. Drink now.
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Opened and poured while girls on spring vacation. Dark, humid and jammy. Very solid, with hints of classic zin character. Would enjoy throttling this back a bit to let the brambly classic zin qualities prevail over the pure blast of octane fueled jam.
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Glad to see other CTers are having success with this bottle, but for me it had lost zest and vibrancy and seemed a bit tired. I think I prefer the SC wine young - just had a '15 that was smoking!
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Drinking beautifully at the moment - probably just entering its prime drinking window. I drank my other bottles way too early it seems, as I wasn't that impressed with them (last one was about two years ago). This is fairly large scaled, but not jammy or overblown, with great Zin expression. This should continue to drink well for a few more years at least.
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I tasted this after the Montafi and Pagani. I must say I prefer the County blend, as I find it more interesting and more multi dimensional. Amazing Zinfandel for the price. Perhaps the best. Single vineyard = singularity? Multi vineyard = complexity? Yet the single vineyards command a higher price? Perhaps this will change in the future if the wine drinkers of the world insist on complexity through diversity and blending.
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Drank at a picnic with modest stemware. Nose was subdued but gave off black fruits and secondary notes were all pleasing. The body was round with more dark fruits, great acid backbone and soft tannins. Good finish. Drinking well.
This wine really surprised us! Really nice bottle, drank with a barbeque chicken and couscous dinner. Without any decanting, it grabbed us. Deep black fruit and spice aromas. When I drank it, I let it sit on my tongue for 15-20 seconds, and mouth filling texture and amazing flavors emerged. Black pepper, blackberry, and anise. My wife tasted a hint of a flower (rose hips?), I tasted some blueberry, to complement the other flavors. A deep, earthy, complex wine that really is harmonious. Sad to say I don't have any more of this!
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Nice red fruit core, juicy acidity that gave the wine length and had it still drinking nicely on night 2. Really nice match at the end of the meal with a bar of chili infused chocolate. Garnet coloring, lighter mouthfeel despite full flavor. Not the best vintage for the County version, IMO, but still a go to in this house. Was my last bottle, on to the '13s!
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Another great appellation wine from Carlisle; their appellation wines give serious competition to their single vineyard versions for about half the price (or less).
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Bit more straight forward than expected. Fine zin, but not as dynamic and other vintages of this. Bottle had been in the car for a while then in a fridge so maybe was handled a bit rough. But still, zin should pop more than this did. Red fruit core, pretty smooth. Will hope remaining bottles perform better on this QPR fav.
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A nose of bold sweet black cherry and spice, dark garnet in color. A full bodied Zin, with black cherry and smoky peppery flavors, jammy with a long finish. A classic Zinfandel, a great value. www.winelx.com
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Carlisle (Shari's condo): Pop and pour. Ripe red soft fruit. It is not jammy, but it is fruity. Oak is definitely there. This is a nice QPR, but I'll take 1 bottle of their single vineyards for 2 bottles of this anytime.
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A year since the last bottle I tasted - this has definitely evolved and come together. Unlike those previous bottles, this was ready to go from the pop 'n pour and not showing tight 'n tart. This was lush, dark, and ripe from the get go and showed good depth and weight on the palate from attack to finish. Perhaps could have used a touch more acidity for my palate, but I'm nit-picking here.
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Decanted 2 hours. Unfortunately, drank after a Sans Liege Rhone blend. Found it quite restrained offering up only modest amounts of darker fruit. Finish is lacking. Could be in a dull time frame right now. I'll wait at least 6 months before popping another and be sure not to drink immediately after a fruit forward wine.
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Great QPR as usual for this bottling, popped and poured, nose of pepper, dark fruit, cherry, rhubarb and spices. Palate is rich, dark cherry, pepper and chewy tannins. Over the night it got really well balanced and came together nicely.
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Blackberry, black pepper, and a touch of heat on the nose. Black cherry, silky sweet tannins, and juicy finish. Left the unfinished bottle corked in the fridge overnight. Day 2 results were sub par.
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Lots of boom on the open. It started off with a huge, spicy splash of bright red fruits. It had just a hair of cloying burnt tar which I don't prefer. Absolutely no alcohol could be perceived. For $20 this is a great buy. I'm excited to try my other '12 zins from Carlisle.
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Well integrated berry pie with the crust a bit burnt and a hint of lipstick. Long clean finish. Good, but left me wishing for a single vineyard upgrade
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Got a couple of glasses on 2nd night of being opened. Dark, fruit driven with spicy oak nose and brambly, chocolate, dark red fruit on the palate. Tannins are evident on the finish. Alcohol (14.8 on the label) does not really show itself. Big wine, would be a perfect match with brisket.
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Deep coloured. Tight nose of boysenberry. Not expansive and the palate is equally tense. feels like a coiled spring--all about structure at present but there is fruit waiting to burst out. I expect that this will be very good in 3 years time.
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Lighter in color than I would have expected. Call it light crimson. 14.8% ABV. Red fruits, blood orange and pepper on the nose. Medium body with perfect acidity. Raspberries, cherries and boysenberries on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Drink over the next year or two while you let the single vineyard wines settle down. One of the very best values in California wine at a little over $20 per bottle.
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very light on the aromatics. Tried a few different glasses. The subtle aromas were nice, I just wish the volume was turned up. On the second night the nose woke up a bit with fruit and spice. Tasting note is, "delicious". Full throttle without being overbearing. Black cherries and citrus works well with the oak. Great stuff.
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Brought to a friends who had Salt Lick BBQ flown in. The ribs were very spicy, and this paired perfectly. Round and glycerol, long, gobs of dark fruit (but not overly ripe). Very nice BBQ wine. Killer QPR
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Decanted 2 hours, really beautiful wine. Black fruit, well balanced, long finish. At 14.8%, really inviting and not hot or jammy (which is appreciated). Great buy itself and also with hearty food (had with Iowa Chops & roasted potatoes). Glad have more left.
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Popped and pored a glass while it dexanted. Expressive nose of dark berries and brambles, with some vanilla right off the bat. Really pretty and smooth with luscious mouthfeel. Amaretto, berries, and currant. More open, complex and tannic after an hour in the decanter. Just beginning to come into its own. I'd wait another 6-12 months.
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1 hr decant could of used more. Expressive nose of brambly fruit, licorice, and spice. Medium body black and red raspberry, black pepper, smoke and tea.
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Drinking beautifully, this pairs undeniable varietal character with true elegance. If manages to be both big, balanced and restrained. Wonderful stuff and great value.
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Absolutely delicious, rich yet perfectly balanced and smooth. Thoroughly enjoyed with Super Bowl fare of Hot Wings and Chili. Toss up between this and Bedrock's Old Vine as my favorite Zins of 2012 so far. Need to find more and stock up. Excellent QPR
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Nice combination of a fresh fruit compote and an older jammier style of Zin. It has the succulence of the former and the weight of the latter. Bing cherries with some resiny, pine/cedar like notes and a Rhone like garrigue. With two to 3 hours of air it's a very yummy and smooth Zin. Day two reveals a changing profile with notes of smoke, cranberry, and the aforementioned garrigue herbals, such that I could mistake it for a very good southern Rhone.
Between this and the Bedrock Sonoma county, consumers have an excellent selection of $20 Zins. The Carlisle seems a little bit more finely balanced and polished, the Bedrock spicier and more exuberant, but I am exaggerating the distinction.
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Am I missing something? I've gone through four bottles of this since release, and each one has been less than impressive. Disjointed and angular, with a bitter/alcoholic edge and little varietal character. Overall, a real disappointment.
In this bottle is the workings of a true zin masters conjured fermented spell. It's rare that your palate is inundated with force of fruit but also exposed to the intricacies of enlightenment. Damn this is good.
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I'm writing this a few days after the fact, but this was a pop and pour and drank beautifully...open for business on the first night and the next night even better.
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Made with a dash of Petit Sirah and Alicante Bouschet. Cherry red in colour. Jammy dark berry fruits and kirsch on the nose. Full flavoured palate of sweet cherry, white pepper and spice. Fine grained tannins. Lovely.
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Some toasty oak apparent on the pop 'n pour. Tended towards lean (relatively) as well, so vacuvin'd and left overnight. This did the trick - gained some weight and filled out the mid-palate with nice zin flavors. Oak subsided as well.
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2 hour decant (mag decanter) and consumed over the next two hours. Nose: Very floral like the last bottle but without the gamey aspects. Palate: Soft styled dark fruits just like the last bottle (notes on 6/1/14) but more integrated with the big decant and 6 months sideways. I like this wine but still feel the 2011 is better. Now 90 points. Will be interesting to see how the last 2 bottles of this are over time. As always, a great QPR from Carlisle.
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Rich and smooth, inviting as a pop and pour. A little tart, but not in an overpowering way. Light purple and reds and a little pepper and spice. Wonderful at its price point.
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Ann opened this yesterday and it sat under cork in the refrigerator overnight. Poured a glass for myself tonight and let it warm up just a bit. Today the wine is smooth and shows ripe berry fruits and just hint of spice. Good acid but slightly sweet on the finish. Not complex but this is good value if you like this style of wine.
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Drank with family, 3rd bottle of night. Unfortunately I have a cold and didn't really appreciate this bottle much. However, from the comments of others this appeared to open up flat, but evolved nicely over the course of an hour in the decanter.
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Jammy fruit that is wonderfully smooth for it's youth. A awesome QPR from a great producer. Drinks well on the 2nd day, but I liked it better on day 1.
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A few more months in the bottle has helped to bring this one together. Medium weigh and not too heavy but round and full with depth of zin dark fruit and a hint of spice. This is my third bottle from my Carlisle 2012 stash. I must say that they did quite well. It will be hard to keep my hands off of these. No reason not to drink now but these will also hold for 10 to 20 years.
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Really lovely Zinfandel. Best on the second night. Well balanced and just the right amount of rich berry-ness. Served with gilled lamb chops. Good PQR.
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Drank some on night 1 but no formal notes taken. Probably would have been a 89. Night 2 is another story. Aromas of blackberry, flowers, and currant. Little more complex and showing a little more than night 1. Palate is really a different story. Notes of blackberry, raspberry, wild cherry and black pepper. The hard edges really smoothed out and the wine really came around. Finish is very nice, long and lingering. Probably needs a little time based on this result.
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austere, light-weighted acidic herbal zinfandel. I was expecting much more from Mr. Officer. This disappointed in quality compared to previous vintages. Maybe opened too soon.
Big blackberry jam and spice nose. Palate is bright and richly fruited with loads of pepper and blackberry. Good juicy acidity provides lift and structure. Long blackberry finish. Very pure and delicious, if a bit simple. Glad to have a few more bottles for less contemplative summer-time consumption.
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Much less subtle than the abundantly quaffable 2011. There's no questioning this is great Zin. Most definitely the style I would have died for back in my ZAP days. Deep, dark purple - likely from the help of the Petite & Alicante (note: my dream Zin of past, had me blending with these two "mixed blacks"). Great fruit dominant entry with unctuous though not overtly hot or sappy. Enjoyed by all...even me! :)
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A pleasure to drink now but glad that we have more to enjoy over the next couple of years - it will evolve with more time. All Carlisle wines are great values, but this it at the top of the value list.
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Day two tasting Peppery nose with dark fruits, alcohol still present but not distracting. Initial Flavors of cherry, raspberry give way layers of flavor including pepper and spice with a longer than expected finish from a wine of this price. Quality bottle all the way that one can afford to pour every day.
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Will rewrite your conceptions of what you can expect from a sub-$20 Zin. Classic brambly raspberry-blackberry flavors, a bit jammy but in a happy and not offensive way (i.e. still has a backbone). Really remarkable complexity and depth for a wine at this price range. The alcohol pokes out a bit and it's just a touch rough on the finish, but that is to be expected for a powerful Cali wine like this.
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A wonderful zin. An initial vanilla nose followed with notes of berries and a lush raspberry taste. Much improved from my late bottle tasted 6 weeks ago
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Huge nose of pure fruit (but no heat) that suggests a massive palate. What follows is actually a picture of restraint and elegance. The wine is hardly light in style, but it's so well framed by acidity it feels that way. Brilliantly made, and a killer value. 91+.
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Decanted approx. 1 hour ... Dark and dusky, without being heavy or oaky. Rich, but not overpowering. Lush dark fruit with hints of cocoa to open, quickly balanced by tart cranberry and black pepper spice on the mid, through to a taut but not intrusive tannic backbone to finish. A killer QPR and year-in-year-out top Zin. Perfect for warm summer nights on the patio and able to compliment the spiciest barbecue or saltiest grilled steak with ease.
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Pretty good now but will probably reward some cellar time. Well balanced. Slightly lighter in weight than the color suggests. Dark fruit flavors. Mild tannins. Finish alternates between subtle long and short depending on consumption with food. Only lacks that extra zip or level of sophistication to score higher. Overall, very nice and solid QPR.
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Firm, dense, solid with dark fruit, but also a pretty side. Dark finish with a bit of bitterness and smoke. Wonderfully restrained. A great zin style. B
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Ripe fruit framed nicely by chalky oak. Dark berries, spice, and red fruit. Went well with brownies and fun to sip on its own. I will never have enough Carlisle in the cellar. Just a fun gulpable wine.
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Pushing close to the jammy side but still retains great freshness. The nose has a great char, smoked meat type element happening. Nice vanillin and extract on the palate. Density and nice seamless structure.
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Much nicer than last time. Brambly, red fruits, nicely balanced, no heat at 14.9%. Love the acidity. Always lacking in Zins in this price range. As good a QPR as exists.
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Another great experience. On popping the cork, this was a bit disjointed. After about 20 minutes, it settled down and by the last glass around two hours later, this was singing. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has bramble, red fruits, and a bit of leather and camphor. Some initial heat, but it smoothed out quickly. Great, great texture. Nice red fruits. Balanced. A great value!
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Consumed over two nights. Rich, deep purple. Youthfully fruity nose. Black fruit with some sour cherry on the finish; medium body and finish. Quite young but highly enjoyable already; bodes well for single vineyard designations.
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Pop and poured into Zalto bdx glasses and thoroughly enjoyed with smoked meatloaf lightly sprinkled with bbq sauce. Big, rich, yet not overdone red and blue fruits. A background of mild tannins and a slight hint of oak. The oak was footnote not a theme. Great with food and on its own. No heat! Nicely balanced with a medium finish. With warm weather so far this summer...the bbq on a lot...Carlisle is going to disappear quickly.
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Vinituried into glass. Nose: Some smokey, gamey and floral hints with black fruits at the forefront. Palate: Soft black fruits with spicy undertones. As always a very solid value from Carlisle. 89+ points.
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I usually like Carlisle wines, but this one was very blah. It seemed plain, with no attack and a very meek mid palate. Not memorable at all. It's structured, does not have a strong alcohol bite, but has no personality. I hope this is an aberration, as I do like their wines.
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A big hit of vanilla and sweetness from the alcohol. Well balanced and quite smooth. Dark fruits. I would like to see the oak integrate a bit and some of the fruit baby fat to be replaced by zin spice. A great effort and value.
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ABV 14.8; lovely open knit cherry and wild raspberry; some earth; not quite integrated black tea that predominates on the finish; goes well with the fahncy cheeses and pizza; has some upside for short term cellaring.
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Opened, decanted, and poured back into the bottle. Served about three hours later. Served with food (hamburgers, grilled sausage, lasagna, although all not at once). Followed intermittently over about two hours - with tastes of other wines in between. Dark purple color; nose shows spice and black fruits. Up front, the initial impression is white pepper. Nice bite to the wine, with the black fruits coming in after the spice. This is a big wine; shows a little bit of heat which may be tempered at a slightly cooler serving temperature.
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very impressive general cuvee - full blackberry jam fruits, nicely integrated tannins and a zesty spice finish. Possibly the best qpr wine I've had so far this year. Great vintage indeed for Carlisle.
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This is probably the best 2012 Zin I've had so far (though I should note, I haven't opened Ridge yet). Carlisle never disappoints. While initially skeptical of its youthfulness, I found it to be smoother and more balanced than I expected. Detected strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Had a nice finish, as expected from Carlisle. A tasty young wine.
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Tasted over 2 days. The first day this seemed too oaky to me with vanilla being very prominent. By the second day the oak had subsided and black raspberry was the thing that stood out to me. Both days the pour exhibited a nice balance with no real sense of alcohol. Will try to not revisit my other bottles for at least 6 months.
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I liked this wine better early, so my suggestion is to pop, pour, and drink. As it opened up, it came unhinged a bit with the sweet, jammy fruit destroying the balance that the wine had initially.
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Pop and pour. Camphor and raspberry on the nose; raspberry, strawberry, vanilla oak, and hints of cocoa and dark fruit on the palate. Not having had Carlisle Zinfandel before, I can definitely see the attraction. This leans toward the fruit bomb style, but it has enough complexity to make it interesting, and the moderate acidity holds its own against the fruit. I am looking forward to trying the single-vineyard versions. An excellent value at $24. Edit: This was smoother and better integrated on the second day. It's good now, but it will improve with a bit of time.
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I liked this wine for what it is, but really missed what it is not. For me it was too much of a disjointed fruit bomb, lacking the linearity and finesse that, to my taste, characterize the best zins. (It is becoming pretty difficult to find that style of zinfandel anymore.) Others will, legitimately, enjoy this wine more than I did.
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How many bottles of really nice wine do you have for that "special occasion?" If you're like me, probably too many when you calculate out how many "special occasions" we have compared to the bottles we have stashed away. This Carlisle is one of those bottles you can drink relatively guilt free with most of the fare we all concoct on a barbeque. And that makes this a special wine. This is a great wine when you consider price, its utilitarian food appeal, and quality. Day one showed lots of the bright red fruits you might expect, and it tamed down in day two to reveal more of the dark, earthy, red fruits that a really nice zinfandel can exhibit.
My first Carlisle and it was everything I could hope for. Packed with fruit and flavor but nothing I would consider overdone. Great balance on the palate and a long finish.
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Decanted for one hour. Even with, this wine was very wound up. Has nice acidity but wasn't intergrated (yet) with the other wine components. Nice red fruits and cool florals. My sense is that this needs at least 6 months to come around, but will have a long live ahead of it. 88 now based on enjoyment. 90+ on potential
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Classic new world Zin, this drinks just amazingly well right now, it doesn't have the structure, acidity and tannins to last much more then 3-5 years but it is just so enjoyable right now so who cares. Drink now and for the next several years. A great value!
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Drank with dinner over 2 nights PnV and consumed over 2 hours on 1st night. Nose was a little muted at first and needed some air time to coax a bouquet, which turned out pleasantly with aromas of dark fruit, spice, leather, carmelized red apple, and mocha. On the palate, this was a delightful knockout with notes of dark berries & fruit, leather, baking spice, and caramel toffee. Picked up a note of plum on 2nd day. Very approachable at this time with a rich, round mouthfeel framed by sweet tannin, medium acidity and ending on fairly moderate finish. Held up very well on 2nd day, but was best on 1st day. (91+)
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Wow. It does not get much better than this at this price point. Smooth and rich with notes of cocoa, coffee, and blackberry. Good acid, moderate complexity. Drank just as well on night three as night one.
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Basically cracked this off the UPS truck! What I love about Carlisle is how it borders on hedonistic but never crosses the line for me. The 1st sniff revealed fresh vanilla, caramelized brown sugar and mint followed by black and blue fruits and maybe some huckleberry. Finishing with the hallmark zin brableyness and slight stems. Great with food and on its own.
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These just came. Pnp. Deep purple, some ruby at the rim. The nose is great. Deep with black raspberries, bramble and some leather. Great texture. Delicious black raspberry fruit. Juicy. So easy to drink. Long finish. I always drink these way too fast.
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This bottle didn't show quite as well as the last couple, but it was still quite good. Did not seem to open up fully, even after leaving overnight (Vinturi'd).
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First night opened and poured... Very nice yet definitely tight. Second night, wow! Delicious, nice darker berries, some minerals and good acid on the finish. Very food friendly and balanced. Not over the top or hot like many CA Zins. Reminded me of Knotts Berry Farm blackberry syrup I used to love as a kid with a saline Carmel note. Don't get me wrong though, this is a dry clean wine. One great value too! I can't think of a red wine under $20 that brings this much to the table and is just plain fun to drink. I've got 5 more in the cellar plus a bunch of the single vineyard Zins too. Kudos to Mike O at Carlisle as these wines never let me down.
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I love the darker flavor profile and texture of this wine. Needed a little air to really open up and show its best - short decant recommended. I bought ten bottles of this, but I think they'll be almost gone before summer is even here!
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Just had to pop one of these (I bought 10) after delivery. Yet another good vintage of this perennial QPR play. Nose a little tight, but showing some bramble and savory notes. On the palate, nice weight, ripe but not overripe, good depth, no overt oakiness, nice brambly flavors with a primary character to it, good acidity, and generally a vibrant and interesting wine. Love this stuff.
The UPS guy just dropped this off 2 1/2 minutes ago. Pobega! Pop n pour. Served at "truck temperature". Very dark color with a purple glimmer. Good aromas of dark berries, maybe even a touch of sweetness. Wow, lots of acid and mineral elements dominate the palate. The body is light/medium. The wine has linear texture very high acidity. Berry Razzles fruit flavor but not sweet and the finish is very warming.
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Wow. Killed this bottle way too early. Needs time to integrate. I honestly can't critique this wine as I have little experience with something this young. Day 3 - more integrated. Wildness shows. Improved.
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2/19/2024 - malvasia8796 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking well
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8/31/2023 - JoeDwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
With Chicago Style Pizza….
Much like my last review in May.
In a good place.
Drink by 2025
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5/20/2023 - brigcampbell wrote:
Really a great wine. Just starting to show some maturity if you're interested in those characteristics. It's softened up, in a good way, and drinks beautifully all by itself.
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5/11/2023 - JoeDwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
With Burgers…:
Solid lots of fruit mainly Blue and spice potpourri with a little floral bouquet. Very good for the entry level Zin.
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7/8/2022 - JayAAllen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Seriously good juice! Sorry mine is gone. Drinking very well.
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10/25/2021 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good -- medium fruit -- starting to mellow a bit with age -- still lots of life left.
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9/18/2021 - Martin Redmond wrote: 90 Points
Violet color with black and red fruit, smoke, leather, spice and a bit of violet aromas. On the palate it's medium-bodied and fruit forward with a lush texture but its acidity and dusty tannins keep it on the rails. It shows black raspberry, black cherry, baking spice with hints of peppery spice with a long sweet finish. Blend of fruit from throughout Sonoma sourced form vineyards planted between 1895 and 1934 (except for the 2% Petite Sirah) 15% abv 672 cases. $25 SRP. Great QPR
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9/4/2021 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of red cherry, black cberry, pepper, allspice, and dusty road, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, mouth filling fruit, rich fruit, as good the second night as the first, can hold for 3 years but terrific tasting now, long, flavorful finish, photo uploaded.
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6/12/2021 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle still drinking well.
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3/22/2021 - JayAAllen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Seriously - this may be the best sub $20 wine I've had to drink. Smooth, with some fruit still left. I'll likely be drinking my remaining bottles over the remainder of this year.
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1/25/2021 - Sonoma-W Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great fruit 8+ years in. Vines planted from 1881 - 1926
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1/21/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 90 Points
Black pepper, boysenberry and spice on the nose, and a port-like surmaturité (despite the low-ish 14.5% ABV). This has been open for three days now and is starting to decline, showing its best on day 1. Surprisingly restrained and balanced, peppery and vibrant, showing brown sugar and cherry tart flavors, finishing with citrus flowers and river rock. While I think some Carlisles can tend to be a bit overblown for my taste, I don't think there is a better zin out there for under $20.
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1/10/2021 - BillyOsh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pnp on snow day in TX. Disagree about being on the downhill slide. Beautifully balanced ripe raspberry meets orange spice & pepper. Alcohol is there. Long lingering red fruit finish. But lovely bottle and I have one remaining I hope to let age another few years to see what’s to come.
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1/2/2021 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 89 Points
Not as vibrant as we remember, and as our previous notes describe. This wine is definitely on the downhill side. That said, it is still drinking well; it is smooth drinking with tasty juicy red and blue fruit and subtle brown baking spices. Went quite well with our grilled hamburgers topped with mushrooms and cheese. Drink up.
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12/1/2019 - ohne_musik wrote: 88 Points
Typical concentrated Carlisle zin perfume - blackberry liquor, violets, and a bit of incense. On the palate, it’s showing a bit of age... with the high alcohol and riper black fruit is starting to show a bit top heavy. Still a good drink but perhaps not as vibrant as it was a few years ago, and a bit outclassed by the Tercero Cinsault tonight.
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12/26/2018 - Yankee Clipper Likes this wine: 91 Points
drinking well will full fruit forward flavor
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11/21/2018 - joet626 Likes this wine: 91 Points
very good. Smooth with nice fruit. Liked it a lot
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11/17/2018 - knorthrip Likes this wine: 90 Points
Clear, dark ruby with brick rim, med+ tears with med staining.
Clean nose with brambly blackberry, fresh raspberry, and dark cherry. Notes of bacon fat, lavender, mocha, and potting soil.
The palate showed intense baked blackberry and raspberry, lavender, sage, and bacon fat. Med+ acid, Med tannin, Med+ EtoH. Relatively refined for the big bold new world zin style with a nice balance. Quite good for the price.
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9/4/2018 - oenophilemoose wrote: 91 Points
PNP...stunning wine. No notes taken.
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8/12/2018 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very bright bouquet, raspberry, sweet dark cherry, cedar and sweet vanilla. Powerful attack on the palate, very primary: ripe raspberry, plum and dark cherry, kirsch and hints of tapenade and olives. Juicy clean finish with well resolved tannins. This is in a nice place, and very drinkable. Lacks the complexity, depth and breadth of the single vineyard offerings but very good overall. Drink now.
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7/23/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Incredible QPR!!
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7/11/2018 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Such a dependable label... and so reasonably priced too. Loved this wine with stuffed peppers.
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4/23/2018 - rama Likes this wine:
Smoky nose with a kiss of floral. Sweet and smooth blackberry. Dunno if its the vintage or the bottle age, but this is very quaffable.
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4/16/2018 - Senso-beak wrote: 88 Points
Opened and poured while girls on spring vacation. Dark, humid and jammy. Very solid, with hints of classic zin character. Would enjoy throttling this back a bit to let the brambly classic zin qualities prevail over the pure blast of octane fueled jam.
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2/24/2018 - 2loyal wrote: 89 Points
Still a great QPR, but time to drink up.
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2/22/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Luscious red fruit. Long finish.
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2/8/2018 - pgb67 wrote: 88 Points
Glad to see other CTers are having success with this bottle, but for me it had lost zest and vibrancy and seemed a bit tired. I think I prefer the SC wine young - just had a '15 that was smoking!
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1/12/2018 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great QPR!!
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12/30/2017 - PIntag wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully at the moment - probably just entering its prime drinking window. I drank my other bottles way too early it seems, as I wasn't that impressed with them (last one was about two years ago). This is fairly large scaled, but not jammy or overblown, with great Zin expression. This should continue to drink well for a few more years at least.
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12/26/2017 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Yummy.
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11/18/2017 - dlduchon Likes this wine: 93 Points
I tasted this after the Montafi and Pagani. I must say I prefer the County blend, as I find it more interesting and more multi dimensional. Amazing Zinfandel for the price. Perhaps the best. Single vineyard = singularity? Multi vineyard = complexity? Yet the single vineyards command a higher price? Perhaps this will change in the future if the wine drinkers of the world insist on complexity through diversity and blending.
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10/31/2017 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Last of four. Blackberry, black cherry, blueberry some pepper, deep and drinking well. Excellent QPR
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7/4/2017 - joet626 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really good. Nice fruit. Nice balance. Delicious
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6/26/2017 - DesMarteau Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had to not like any Carlisle zin product....deep blue fruit, cherries, kiwi, electric current!
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6/9/2017 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at a picnic with modest stemware. Nose was subdued but gave off black fruits and secondary notes were all pleasing. The body was round with more dark fruits, great acid backbone and soft tannins. Good finish. Drinking well.
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4/6/2017 - knorthrip Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice for the price. Big brambly black fruit
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3/29/2017 - sawira wrote: 91 Points
Dark, ripe, brambly berries, good oak treatment. Smooth and deep. Ready now.
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2/25/2017 - Hover low 64 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine really surprised us! Really nice bottle, drank with a barbeque chicken and couscous dinner. Without any decanting, it grabbed us. Deep black fruit and spice aromas. When I drank it, I let it sit on my tongue for 15-20 seconds, and mouth filling texture and amazing flavors emerged. Black pepper, blackberry, and anise. My wife tasted a hint of a flower (rose hips?), I tasted some blueberry, to complement the other flavors. A deep, earthy, complex wine that really is harmonious. Sad to say I don't have any more of this!
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2/19/2017 - btock wrote: 89 Points
Nice red fruit core, juicy acidity that gave the wine length and had it still drinking nicely on night 2. Really nice match at the end of the meal with a bar of chili infused chocolate. Garnet coloring, lighter mouthfeel despite full flavor. Not the best vintage for the County version, IMO, but still a go to in this house. Was my last bottle, on to the '13s!
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2/19/2017 - btock wrote: flawed
corked
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1/21/2017 - EMTAME wrote: 89 Points
Not as good as the SVDs, but very nice for the price.
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1/19/2017 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
Another great appellation wine from Carlisle; their appellation wines give serious competition to their single vineyard versions for about half the price (or less).
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1/14/2017 - btock wrote: 88 Points
Bit more straight forward than expected. Fine zin, but not as dynamic and other vintages of this. Bottle had been in the car for a while then in a fridge so maybe was handled a bit rough. But still, zin should pop more than this did. Red fruit core, pretty smooth. Will hope remaining bottles perform better on this QPR fav.
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12/17/2016 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
Great brambly fruit day 1, still solid day 2.
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11/16/2016 - burgbob wrote: 90 Points
Fully ready to drink in a plush and forward style with good concentration.
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10/16/2016 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to last note, a classic Zin. www.winelx.com
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10/8/2016 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Great representation of CA Zin and a great value to boot. Black cherry, blueberry, pepper, spicy, hint of wood at this point.
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9/3/2016 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
another excellent bottle
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8/24/2016 - sawira wrote:
Delicious. Still some structure, but drinking well now.
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8/13/2016 - snarfglk wrote: 91 Points
Great zin, maybe better than a single vineyard zin?
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7/25/2016 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice ruby-garnet color. Spot on Carlisle Zin character with a great QPR. Wish I had a few more.
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7/19/2016 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 91 Points
A nose of bold sweet black cherry and spice, dark garnet in color. A full bodied Zin, with black cherry and smoky peppery flavors, jammy with a long finish. A classic Zinfandel, a great value. www.winelx.com
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7/13/2016 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Has gotten a bit more rustic.
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5/22/2016 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Carlisle (Shari's condo): Pop and pour. Ripe red soft fruit. It is not jammy, but it is fruity. Oak is definitely there. This is a nice QPR, but I'll take 1 bottle of their single vineyards for 2 bottles of this anytime.
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5/21/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 88 Points
Carlisle Tasting (Shari's, Mpls, MN): Tasting pour. Red fruits, pepper, spice; on the palate wood, spice, vanilla, red fruit. A bit too angular.
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5/16/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Cali Zin flavors, bright red fruits, spices, pepper, toasted oak really good balance. Great Zin and an incredible QPR.
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5/1/2016 - khmark7 wrote: 91 Points
Good grip, structure and depth of flavors. This has real refinement and class.
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4/24/2016 - Acohen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fresh bright fruit with berry, bramble, spice and nice balance
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3/28/2016 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful!
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2/1/2016 - Amerique wrote: 91 Points
Terrific QPR! Round delicious mixed berry fruit with slight raison, mushroom, and earth flavors, excellent structure, ample finish
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1/31/2016 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with my previous note. Very nice!
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1/22/2016 - denisontb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious. Nicely balanced Zin, almost medium bodied. Not a jammy fruit bomb (which is why I like it).
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1/3/2016 - The Count Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well - perhaps even better on Day #2. Mid-weight, a bit softer than earlier bottle. Excellent value.
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12/4/2015 - EhrlichDY wrote: 91 Points
Still in the zone per my note in August last year. Surprisingly light on the palate with dark fruit and zin spice. Delicious.
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11/19/2015 - djpo wrote: 90 Points
Lush, long finish.
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11/9/2015 - PIntag wrote: 89 Points
A year since the last bottle I tasted - this has definitely evolved and come together. Unlike those previous bottles, this was ready to go from the pop 'n pour and not showing tight 'n tart. This was lush, dark, and ripe from the get go and showed good depth and weight on the palate from attack to finish. Perhaps could have used a touch more acidity for my palate, but I'm nit-picking here.
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11/8/2015 - maxmanx wrote:
Nice Zin for the money.
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10/27/2015 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aging nicely, with good heft and really expressive dark fruits. Mulberry and cinnamon complement the smooth tannins. Should continue to get better.
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10/9/2015 - Tangokaren wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Unfortunately, drank after a Sans Liege Rhone blend. Found it quite restrained offering up only modest amounts of darker fruit. Finish is lacking. Could be in a dull time frame right now. I'll wait at least 6 months before popping another and be sure not to drink immediately after a fruit forward wine.
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9/21/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great QPR as usual for this bottling, popped and poured, nose of pepper, dark fruit, cherry, rhubarb and spices. Palate is rich, dark cherry, pepper and chewy tannins. Over the night it got really well balanced and came together nicely.
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9/20/2015 - rama Likes this wine:
Blackberry, black pepper, and a touch of heat on the nose. Black cherry, silky sweet tannins, and juicy finish. Left the unfinished bottle corked in the fridge overnight. Day 2 results were sub par.
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7/23/2015 - cobystilp wrote: 90 Points
Lots of boom on the open. It started off with a huge, spicy splash of bright red fruits. It had just a hair of cloying burnt tar which I don't prefer. Absolutely no alcohol could be perceived. For $20 this is a great buy. I'm excited to try my other '12 zins from Carlisle.
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7/8/2015 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Yup!
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7/2/2015 - jmw17 wrote:
Well integrated berry pie with the crust a bit burnt and a hint of lipstick. Long clean finish. Good, but left me wishing for a single vineyard upgrade
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6/22/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to previous notes
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6/16/2015 - Bellissimo wrote:
Got a couple of glasses on 2nd night of being opened. Dark, fruit driven with spicy oak nose and brambly, chocolate, dark red fruit on the palate. Tannins are evident on the finish. Alcohol (14.8 on the label) does not really show itself. Big wine, would be a perfect match with brisket.
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6/5/2015 - rwpalmer wrote: 90 Points
Deep coloured. Tight nose of boysenberry. Not expansive and the palate is equally tense. feels like a coiled spring--all about structure at present but there is fruit waiting to burst out. I expect that this will be very good in 3 years time.
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5/18/2015 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Lighter in color than I would have expected. Call it light crimson. 14.8% ABV. Red fruits, blood orange and pepper on the nose. Medium body with perfect acidity. Raspberries, cherries and boysenberries on the palate. Medium length on the finish. Drink over the next year or two while you let the single vineyard wines settle down. One of the very best values in California wine at a little over $20 per bottle.
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5/10/2015 - jasonh wrote: 92 Points
very light on the aromatics. Tried a few different glasses. The subtle aromas were nice, I just wish the volume was turned up. On the second night the nose woke up a bit with fruit and spice. Tasting note is, "delicious". Full throttle without being overbearing. Black cherries and citrus works well with the oak. Great stuff.
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5/2/2015 - gzim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought to a friends who had Salt Lick BBQ flown in. The ribs were very spicy, and this paired perfectly. Round and glycerol, long, gobs of dark fruit (but not overly ripe). Very nice BBQ wine. Killer QPR
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3/31/2015 - rama Likes this wine:
Highly approachable and tasty. Dangerous juice.
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3/22/2015 - denisontb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours, really beautiful wine. Black fruit, well balanced, long finish. At 14.8%, really inviting and not hot or jammy (which is appreciated). Great buy itself and also with hearty food (had with Iowa Chops & roasted potatoes). Glad have more left.
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3/21/2015 - golfwine wrote: flawed
I can only imagine that this is (yet another?) off bottle?..as it was tart to the point of sour. I therefore, had but a taste before abandoning it!
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3/14/2015 - Wine Sparty wrote: 91 Points
Very primary, with loads of black fruit. Definitely a bit too early, but still enjoyable.
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3/4/2015 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Each glass got better. The last glass was fantastic.
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3/3/2015 - DougSamuel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Popped and pored a glass while it dexanted. Expressive nose of dark berries and brambles, with some vanilla right off the bat. Really pretty and smooth with luscious mouthfeel. Amaretto, berries, and currant. More open, complex and tannic after an hour in the decanter. Just beginning to come into its own. I'd wait another 6-12 months.
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2/22/2015 - ravbik wrote: 89 Points
Much better this time
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2/19/2015 - bobpsi Likes this wine: 91 Points
1 hr decant could of used more. Expressive nose of brambly fruit, licorice, and spice. Medium body black and red raspberry, black pepper, smoke and tea.
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2/19/2015 - Dental Jay wrote: 89 Points
No heat on the finish which was nice, but maybe a touch to jammy for me.
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2/12/2015 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious and went perfectly with our Lamb Ragu with its dusty fruit and black pepper spice.
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2/8/2015 - zinnut wrote: 92 Points
Just an amazing, juicy, blackberry, pepper, bramble, jam, party in your mouth.
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2/5/2015 - jmull Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully, this pairs undeniable varietal character with true elegance. If manages to be both big, balanced and restrained. Wonderful stuff and great value.
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2/1/2015 - Jerel1957 wrote:
Absolutely delicious, rich yet perfectly balanced and smooth. Thoroughly enjoyed with Super Bowl fare of Hot Wings and Chili. Toss up between this and Bedrock's Old Vine as my favorite Zins of 2012 so far. Need to find more and stock up. Excellent QPR
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1/25/2015 - djpo wrote: 90 Points
Wilypod us right on. We also notice a bit of minerality. Great wine.
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1/22/2015 - wilypod Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice combination of a fresh fruit compote and an older jammier style of Zin. It has the succulence of the former and the weight of the latter. Bing cherries with some resiny, pine/cedar like notes and a Rhone like garrigue. With two to 3 hours of air it's a very yummy and smooth Zin. Day two reveals a changing profile with notes of smoke, cranberry, and the aforementioned garrigue herbals, such that I could mistake it for a very good southern Rhone.
Between this and the Bedrock Sonoma county, consumers have an excellent selection of $20 Zins. The Carlisle seems a little bit more finely balanced and polished, the Bedrock spicier and more exuberant, but I am exaggerating the distinction.
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1/19/2015 - swillpower wrote:
Am I missing something? I've gone through four bottles of this since release, and each one has been less than impressive. Disjointed and angular, with a bitter/alcoholic edge and little varietal character. Overall, a real disappointment.
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1/16/2015 - zinfomaniac Likes this wine: 92 Points
In this bottle is the workings of a true zin masters conjured fermented spell. It's rare that your palate is inundated with force of fruit but also exposed to the intricacies of enlightenment. Damn this is good.
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1/15/2015 - DeadheadKurt Likes this wine: 91 Points
What's not to like?
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12/17/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
No notes.
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12/17/2014 - Geoff Likes this wine: 89 Points
Coravined bottle. Medicinal nose, youthful, somewhat acidic. Has changed from original tasting.
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12/14/2014 - hanasowner wrote: 92 Points
I'm writing this a few days after the fact, but this was a pop and pour and drank beautifully...open for business on the first night and the next night even better.
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11/30/2014 - dclaycomb Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good bottle for the price. Might have benefited from more aging time.
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11/28/2014 - jamieirving Likes this wine: 94 Points
Made with a dash of Petit Sirah and Alicante Bouschet. Cherry red in colour. Jammy dark berry fruits and kirsch on the nose. Full flavoured palate of sweet cherry, white pepper and spice. Fine grained tannins. Lovely.
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11/21/2014 - mmoss wrote: 87 Points
Decent not great. Price a little high for quality.
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11/20/2014 - wineduggery Likes this wine: 91 Points
My favorite entry-level zin, and a great value. Drinking well now.
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11/16/2014 - wabi47 wrote: 88 Points
Very good mixed red fruit; black tea on the finish; still young
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11/3/2014 - texaswinelover wrote:
See previous a week ago.
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11/1/2014 - PIntag wrote: 89 Points
Some toasty oak apparent on the pop 'n pour. Tended towards lean (relatively) as well, so vacuvin'd and left overnight. This did the trick - gained some weight and filled out the mid-palate with nice zin flavors. Oak subsided as well.
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10/30/2014 - Mattshank wrote: 90 Points
2 hour decant (mag decanter) and consumed over the next two hours. Nose: Very floral like the last bottle but without the gamey aspects. Palate: Soft styled dark fruits just like the last bottle (notes on 6/1/14) but more integrated with the big decant and 6 months sideways. I like this wine but still feel the 2011 is better. Now 90 points. Will be interesting to see how the last 2 bottles of this are over time. As always, a great QPR from Carlisle.
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10/25/2014 - texaswinelover wrote:
Absolutely delicious. Perfectly balanced zin. Amazing qpr.
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10/22/2014 - mpricher wrote: 90 Points
Cellar Clearing.. Drank months ago. Loved it
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10/20/2014 - levinml wrote: 90 Points
Kind of ordinary. A little hot. Maybe will mellow in a year or two.
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9/27/2014 - SandNJ wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/7/2014 - awise45 wrote: 91 Points
Rich and smooth, inviting as a pop and pour. A little tart, but not in an overpowering way. Light purple and reds and a little pepper and spice. Wonderful at its price point.
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9/4/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
Ann opened this yesterday and it sat under cork in the refrigerator overnight. Poured a glass for myself tonight and let it warm up just a bit. Today the wine is smooth and shows ripe berry fruits and just hint of spice. Good acid but slightly sweet on the finish. Not complex but this is good value if you like this style of wine.
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8/30/2014 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine:
Drank with family, 3rd bottle of night. Unfortunately I have a cold and didn't really appreciate this bottle much. However, from the comments of others this appeared to open up flat, but evolved nicely over the course of an hour in the decanter.
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8/26/2014 - haldolugr wrote: 90 Points
Jammy fruit that is wonderfully smooth for it's youth. A awesome QPR from a great producer. Drinks well on the 2nd day, but I liked it better on day 1.
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8/25/2014 - burgbob wrote: 91 Points
Yum, blueberry, mocha, plush and satisfying.
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8/19/2014 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 91 Points
A few more months in the bottle has helped to bring this one together. Medium weigh and not too heavy but round and full with depth of zin dark fruit and a hint of spice. This is my third bottle from my Carlisle 2012 stash. I must say that they did quite well. It will be hard to keep my hands off of these. No reason not to drink now but these will also hold for 10 to 20 years.
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8/13/2014 - John Dunlap Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really lovely Zinfandel. Best on the second night. Well balanced and just the right amount of rich berry-ness. Served with gilled lamb chops. Good PQR.
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8/12/2014 - BHull wrote:
Great qpr
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8/10/2014 - DRS-Inc wrote: flawed
Sadly, corked.
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8/2/2014 - slywka7 wrote: 90 Points
Drank some on night 1 but no formal notes taken. Probably would have been a 89. Night 2 is another story. Aromas of blackberry, flowers, and currant. Little more complex and showing a little more than night 1. Palate is really a different story. Notes of blackberry, raspberry, wild cherry and black pepper. The hard edges really smoothed out and the wine really came around. Finish is very nice, long and lingering. Probably needs a little time based on this result.
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7/31/2014 - ravbik Does not like this wine: 85 Points
austere, light-weighted acidic herbal zinfandel. I was expecting much more from Mr. Officer. This disappointed in quality compared to previous vintages. Maybe opened too soon.
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7/30/2014 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Big blackberry jam and spice nose. Palate is bright and richly fruited with loads of pepper and blackberry. Good juicy acidity provides lift and structure. Long blackberry finish. Very pure and delicious, if a bit simple. Glad to have a few more bottles for less contemplative summer-time consumption.
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7/19/2014 - golfwine wrote: 90 Points
Much less subtle than the abundantly quaffable 2011. There's no questioning this is great Zin. Most definitely the style I would have died for back in my ZAP days. Deep, dark purple - likely from the help of the Petite & Alicante (note: my dream Zin of past, had me blending with these two "mixed blacks"). Great fruit dominant entry with unctuous though not overtly hot or sappy. Enjoyed by all...even me! :)
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7/17/2014 - jpmo Likes this wine: 90 Points
A pleasure to drink now but glad that we have more to enjoy over the next couple of years - it will evolve with more time. All Carlisle wines are great values, but this it at the top of the value list.
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7/16/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep rich and powerful. Great persistence and this drinks like a wine 2X the price.
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7/16/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple. Great QPR. Do give it some air time before drinking and it definitely improves. Absolutely lovely!
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7/15/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice. Young but delicious. Started out a little simple but opened up nicely. Well made. Good QPR. Lighter than most Carlisle wines I've had
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7/12/2014 - dutradan@msn.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Day two tasting
Peppery nose with dark fruits, alcohol still present but not distracting.
Initial Flavors of cherry, raspberry give way layers of flavor including pepper and spice with a longer than expected finish from a wine of this price. Quality bottle all the way that one can afford to pour every day.
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7/5/2014 - mdaniel wrote: 91 Points
Another delicious wine from Carlisle.
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7/4/2014 - MarcS wrote: 91 Points
Will rewrite your conceptions of what you can expect from a sub-$20 Zin. Classic brambly raspberry-blackberry flavors, a bit jammy but in a happy and not offensive way (i.e. still has a backbone). Really remarkable complexity and depth for a wine at this price range. The alcohol pokes out a bit and it's just a touch rough on the finish, but that is to be expected for a powerful Cali wine like this.
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7/2/2014 - Matt T wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with prior bottles. Big fuit and excellent balance.
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7/1/2014 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Getting used to Carlisle now as a weekday drinker. Real nice; good zin flavors, not too hot, long finish. What's not to like. Drink anytime.
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7/1/2014 - finca wrote: 91 Points
A wonderful zin. An initial vanilla nose followed with notes of berries and a lush raspberry taste. Much improved from my late bottle tasted 6 weeks ago
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6/28/2014 - jmull wrote: 91 Points
Huge nose of pure fruit (but no heat) that suggests a massive palate. What follows is actually a picture of restraint and elegance. The wine is hardly light in style, but it's so well framed by acidity it feels that way. Brilliantly made, and a killer value. 91+.
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6/23/2014 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted approx. 1 hour ... Dark and dusky, without being heavy or oaky. Rich, but not overpowering. Lush dark fruit with hints of cocoa to open, quickly balanced by tart cranberry and black pepper spice on the mid, through to a taut but not intrusive tannic backbone to finish. A killer QPR and year-in-year-out top Zin. Perfect for warm summer nights on the patio and able to compliment the spiciest barbecue or saltiest grilled steak with ease.
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6/22/2014 - PIntag wrote: 90 Points
This wine has quite a tart character to it, but there is an underlying dark and savory tone that is intriguing.
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6/22/2014 - RobbieC wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good now but will probably reward some cellar time. Well balanced. Slightly lighter in weight than the color suggests. Dark fruit flavors. Mild tannins. Finish alternates between subtle long and short depending on consumption with food. Only lacks that extra zip or level of sophistication to score higher. Overall, very nice and solid QPR.
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6/20/2014 - MRichman wrote:
Firm, dense, solid with dark fruit, but also a pretty side. Dark finish with a bit of bitterness and smoke. Wonderfully restrained. A great zin style.
B
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6/16/2014 - Vinsant wrote:
Ripe fruit framed nicely by chalky oak. Dark berries, spice, and red fruit. Went well with brownies and fun to sip on its own. I will never have enough Carlisle in the cellar. Just a fun gulpable wine.
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6/12/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pushing close to the jammy side but still retains great freshness. The nose has a great char, smoked meat type element happening. Nice vanillin and extract on the palate. Density and nice seamless structure.
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6/8/2014 - texaswinelover wrote: 91 Points
Much nicer than last time. Brambly, red fruits, nicely balanced, no heat at 14.9%. Love the acidity. Always lacking in Zins in this price range. As good a QPR as exists.
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6/8/2014 - corkcork wrote: 93 Points
DRINKING PERFECTLY RIGHT NOW, WOW!
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6/6/2014 - fredman wrote: 91 Points
I could drink this every night.
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6/4/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Another great experience. On popping the cork, this was a bit disjointed. After about 20 minutes, it settled down and by the last glass around two hours later, this was singing. Purple/ruby in color. The nose has bramble, red fruits, and a bit of leather and camphor. Some initial heat, but it smoothed out quickly. Great, great texture. Nice red fruits. Balanced. A great value!
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6/3/2014 - stoneb wrote: 89 Points
Consumed over two nights. Rich, deep purple. Youthfully fruity nose. Black fruit with some sour cherry on the finish; medium body and finish. Quite young but highly enjoyable already; bodes well for single vineyard designations.
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6/3/2014 - Vinsant Likes this wine:
Pop and poured into Zalto bdx glasses and thoroughly enjoyed with smoked meatloaf lightly sprinkled with bbq sauce. Big, rich, yet not overdone red and blue fruits. A background of mild tannins and a slight hint of oak. The oak was footnote not a theme. Great with food and on its own. No heat! Nicely balanced with a medium finish. With warm weather so far this summer...the bbq on a lot...Carlisle is going to disappear quickly.
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6/1/2014 - Mattshank wrote: 89 Points
Vinituried into glass. Nose: Some smokey, gamey and floral hints with black fruits at the forefront. Palate: Soft black fruits with spicy undertones. As always a very solid value from Carlisle. 89+ points.
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6/1/2014 - alex4wine Does not like this wine: 87 Points
I usually like Carlisle wines, but this one was very blah. It seemed plain, with no attack and a very meek mid palate. Not memorable at all. It's structured, does not have a strong alcohol bite, but has no personality. I hope this is an aberration, as I do like their wines.
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6/1/2014 - EhrlichDY wrote: 90 Points
A big hit of vanilla and sweetness from the alcohol. Well balanced and quite smooth. Dark fruits. I would like to see the oak integrate a bit and some of the fruit baby fat to be replaced by zin spice. A great effort and value.
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5/31/2014 - John Dunlap wrote: 90 Points
Nice. Perfect for casual drinking and enjoyment.
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5/31/2014 - wabi47 wrote: 88 Points
ABV 14.8; lovely open knit cherry and wild raspberry; some earth; not quite integrated black tea that predominates on the finish; goes well with the fahncy cheeses and pizza; has some upside for short term cellaring.
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5/26/2014 - gzim Likes this wine:
Great QPR, slurpable, simple, big and easy.
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5/23/2014 - finca wrote: 89 Points
Strong nose of vanilla, pleasant raspberry flavors
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5/21/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 89 Points
We are drinking this wine way too soon. It's tasty enough right now, but it still seems a little disjointed.
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5/17/2014 - t_moderne wrote: 89 Points
Opened, decanted, and poured back into the bottle. Served about three hours later. Served with food (hamburgers, grilled sausage, lasagna, although all not at once). Followed intermittently over about two hours - with tastes of other wines in between.
Dark purple color; nose shows spice and black fruits. Up front, the initial impression is white pepper. Nice bite to the wine, with the black fruits coming in after the spice. This is a big wine; shows a little bit of heat which may be tempered at a slightly cooler serving temperature.
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5/14/2014 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine: 92 Points
very impressive general cuvee - full blackberry jam fruits, nicely integrated tannins and a zesty spice finish. Possibly the best qpr wine I've had so far this year. Great vintage indeed for Carlisle.
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5/13/2014 - Satoshi Nakamoto wrote: 90 Points
This is probably the best 2012 Zin I've had so far (though I should note, I haven't opened Ridge yet). Carlisle never disappoints. While initially skeptical of its youthfulness, I found it to be smoother and more balanced than I expected. Detected strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries. Had a nice finish, as expected from Carlisle. A tasty young wine.
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5/13/2014 - Matt T wrote: 91 Points
Very well-balanced with good acid and bright cherry and raspberry with a layer of chocolate. Extremely good value.
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5/12/2014 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 90 Points
Black berries, black cherries, spice box and pepper, well balanced, drinking well
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5/8/2014 - Bellissimo wrote:
Tasted over 2 days. The first day this seemed too oaky to me with vanilla being very prominent. By the second day the oak had subsided and black raspberry was the thing that stood out to me. Both days the pour exhibited a nice balance with no real sense of alcohol. Will try to not revisit my other bottles for at least 6 months.
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5/1/2014 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet and spicy fruit immediately enjoyable on a pop and pour.
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4/30/2014 - wineduggery wrote: 89 Points
I liked this wine better early, so my suggestion is to pop, pour, and drink. As it opened up, it came unhinged a bit with the sweet, jammy fruit destroying the balance that the wine had initially.
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4/28/2014 - RichardP wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Camphor and raspberry on the nose; raspberry, strawberry, vanilla oak, and hints of cocoa and dark fruit on the palate. Not having had Carlisle Zinfandel before, I can definitely see the attraction. This leans toward the fruit bomb style, but it has enough complexity to make it interesting, and the moderate acidity holds its own against the fruit. I am looking forward to trying the single-vineyard versions. An excellent value at $24. Edit: This was smoother and better integrated on the second day. It's good now, but it will improve with a bit of time.
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4/27/2014 - Fiorano wrote: 89 Points
I liked this wine for what it is, but really missed what it is not. For me it was too much of a disjointed fruit bomb, lacking the linearity and finesse that, to my taste, characterize the best zins. (It is becoming pretty difficult to find that style of zinfandel anymore.) Others will, legitimately, enjoy this wine more than I did.
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4/27/2014 - dkhale4 wrote: 92 Points
How many bottles of really nice wine do you have for that "special occasion?" If you're like me, probably too many when you calculate out how many "special occasions" we have compared to the bottles we have stashed away. This Carlisle is one of those bottles you can drink relatively guilt free with most of the fare we all concoct on a barbeque. And that makes this a special wine. This is a great wine when you consider price, its utilitarian food appeal, and quality. Day one showed lots of the bright red fruits you might expect, and it tamed down in day two to reveal more of the dark, earthy, red fruits that a really nice zinfandel can exhibit.
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4/27/2014 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 91 Points
My first Carlisle and it was everything I could hope for. Packed with fruit and flavor but nothing I would consider overdone. Great balance on the palate and a long finish.
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4/25/2014 - rwalker82 wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for one hour. Even with, this wine was very wound up. Has nice acidity but wasn't intergrated (yet) with the other wine components. Nice red fruits and cool florals. My sense is that this needs at least 6 months to come around, but will have a long live ahead of it. 88 now based on enjoyment. 90+ on potential
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4/21/2014 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic new world Zin, this drinks just amazingly well right now, it doesn't have the structure, acidity and tannins to last much more then 3-5 years but it is just so enjoyable right now so who cares. Drink now and for the next several years. A great value!
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4/18/2014 - MillerRoad wrote:
Drank too early. Needs more time.
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4/17/2014 - DRS-Inc wrote: 91 Points
Drank with dinner over 2 nights PnV and consumed over 2 hours on 1st night. Nose was a little muted at first and needed some air time to coax a bouquet, which turned out pleasantly with aromas of dark fruit, spice, leather, carmelized red apple, and mocha. On the palate, this was a delightful knockout with notes of dark berries & fruit, leather, baking spice, and caramel toffee. Picked up a note of plum on 2nd day. Very approachable at this time with a rich, round mouthfeel framed by sweet tannin, medium acidity and ending on fairly moderate finish. Held up very well on 2nd day, but was best on 1st day. (91+)
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4/16/2014 - fredman wrote: 91 Points
P&P. Great upfront fruit. A wonderful, easy drinker.
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4/14/2014 - Matt T wrote: 91 Points
Wow. It does not get much better than this at this price point. Smooth and rich with notes of cocoa, coffee, and blackberry. Good acid, moderate complexity. Drank just as well on night three as night one.
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4/13/2014 - bajayngo wrote: 92 Points
Basically cracked this off the UPS truck! What I love about Carlisle is how it borders on hedonistic but never crosses the line for me. The 1st sniff revealed fresh vanilla, caramelized brown sugar and mint followed by black and blue fruits and maybe some huckleberry. Finishing with the hallmark zin brableyness and slight stems. Great with food and on its own.
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4/13/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
These just came. Pnp. Deep purple, some ruby at the rim. The nose is great. Deep with black raspberries, bramble and some leather. Great texture. Delicious black raspberry fruit. Juicy. So easy to drink. Long finish. I always drink these way too fast.
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4/12/2014 - PIntag wrote: 90 Points
This bottle didn't show quite as well as the last couple, but it was still quite good. Did not seem to open up fully, even after leaving overnight (Vinturi'd).
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4/4/2014 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 92 Points
First night opened and poured... Very nice yet definitely tight. Second night, wow! Delicious, nice darker berries, some minerals and good acid on the finish. Very food friendly and balanced. Not over the top or hot like many CA Zins. Reminded me of Knotts Berry Farm blackberry syrup I used to love as a kid with a saline Carmel note. Don't get me wrong though, this is a dry clean wine. One great value too! I can't think of a red wine under $20 that brings this much to the table and is just plain fun to drink. I've got 5 more in the cellar plus a bunch of the single vineyard Zins too. Kudos to Mike O at Carlisle as these wines never let me down.
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4/3/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Newer style Zin. Candy apple,cherry cola and fruit driven at this juncture. Vey young and primal fruit flavors, but not tannic.
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3/30/2014 - Backdoctor wrote: 91 Points
great Zin, fruit forward, well made. great nose. Pop and poured.
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3/29/2014 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
I love the darker flavor profile and texture of this wine. Needed a little air to really open up and show its best - short decant recommended. I bought ten bottles of this, but I think they'll be almost gone before summer is even here!
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3/20/2014 - PIntag wrote: 91 Points
Just had to pop one of these (I bought 10) after delivery. Yet another good vintage of this perennial QPR play. Nose a little tight, but showing some bramble and savory notes. On the palate, nice weight, ripe but not overripe, good depth, no overt oakiness, nice brambly flavors with a primary character to it, good acidity, and generally a vibrant and interesting wine. Love this stuff.
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3/20/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
The UPS guy just dropped this off 2 1/2 minutes ago. Pobega! Pop n pour. Served at "truck temperature". Very dark color with a purple glimmer. Good aromas of dark berries, maybe even a touch of sweetness. Wow, lots of acid and mineral elements dominate the palate. The body is light/medium. The wine has linear texture very high acidity. Berry Razzles fruit flavor but not sweet and the finish is very warming.
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3/19/2014 - fdub Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very drinkable right now. Open knit pliant texture and structure. Great primary fruits and power but with great backbone.
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3/14/2014 - SLOPPYdeCHAO wrote: 90 Points
Too young, but enjoyable now. A bit acidic at this point.
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3/13/2014 - texaswinelover wrote:
Wow. Killed this bottle way too early. Needs time to integrate. I honestly can't critique this wine as I have little experience with something this young. Day 3 - more integrated. Wildness shows. Improved.
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