Opened, poured and let sit about 45 min. Then: Darkish fruit on the nose. Taste is reddish-darkish fruit; definitely ripe fruit, but not necessarily over-ripe or over-extracted; acidity OK; tannins OK. Decent balance to start, except for the sense of "warmth" that arrives quickly, maybe due to 15+% alc. With a little time in the glass the mouthfeel becomes much heavier and the fruit becomes more muddled. At this point no resemblance to zinfandel. Still very drinkable, but also disappointing.
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Opened, poured and lt sit about 30 min: Then: reddish-darkish fruit on the nose. Taste is more reddish fruit, spice, with some warmth on the finish. Tannin not an issue; acidity OK. After about 1/2 hr from first sip, this has turned to dark fruit with little, if any, spice; heavier mouth-feel; more Bordeaux-like (not a positive). For the first half-hour, you could guess this was zin; fter that, no resemblance. This probably could go longer, but I think it would lose even more varietal character.
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Bigger, richer than expected. I like the DCV bottling for the inclusion of rust and dust notes, but this veered more into purple fruit country. Firm, better with some air and not that forthcoming on the aromatics. Has the structure to cellar a bit longer.
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Opened, poured and let sit 30 min: Reddish fruit nose on opening. Reddish fruit taste, but pretty one-dimensional. Stays that way through the finish. Not much else going on, not much zin taste, and something of a disappointment. Nothing wrong with it, but not interesting either.
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Fairly bold for a medium bodied wine. cherries, raspberries and a bit of plum on the palate. Fairly well balanced with some pepper on the finish. Although not as multidimensional as other Carlisle Zins, this was nevertheless enjoyable.
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Consumed my last bottle of this vintage. Continues to drink beautifully. Tough to beat a great zin like this with rotisserie ribs - a match made in heaven! Concentrated dark fruit with nice balance and long finish.
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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. Always good every year. www.winelx.com
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A really nice Zin with waves of dark fruit, earth and cedar with long finish. Paired perfectly with rotisserie BBQ ribs. Carlisle continues to produce some of the best value wines available.
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Give this a little time to open up in the glass. Dry Creek for me is always a more restrained delicate Zinfandel. Tannins are super smooth and this drinks very easily. Everything in it's right place.
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From opening to an hour later this just kept improving. It feels elegant and sophisticated, yet approachable and drinkable. Full of cherry and blueberry fruit and a balanced, long peppery finish, this was great!
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Loads of brambly spice coming to the front. Good acidity, dark berry fruit, subdued tannins, medium to full body. Drinking very nicely at this stage but it will go several more years.
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Consumed over 2 days. Jam and black pepper primary. PetS never really came thru for me leaving the red fruit out there on its own. Feels like a drinker, prefer the single vineyard Carlisle expressions for a few extra bucks.
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What a difference from our prior bottle in March. At that point we said "The first taste was thin and astringent. With time it opened, but was still tannic. Not as fruity or soft as I expected. Tight, acidic with cranberry, plum, pepper and bay leaf."
At this point, from the pop of the cork there were ripe fruits, including dark cherry, as well as vanilla. The wine was still slightly thin in body, but way more open, soft, and round. Still had some decent structure to give balance, but was fruit forward and quite good. Had more meat on the bones that a run of the mill dry creek zin, and reminds me why Carlisle is one of the best producers out there in terms of QPR.
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A bit tight initially, opens up after a couple hours and is amazing, lush red fruit, sweet spices, vanilla, white pepper, clove and licorice with some salty sea shells. Great stuff!
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Dark wine, but not black. PnP knowing it would be young. Interestingly the first taste was thin and astringent. With time it opened, but was still tannic. Not as fruity or soft as I expected. Tight, acidic with cranberry, plum, pepper and bay leaf. Definitely not a fruit bomb, not as ripe as some. I expect it will come into it's own in a year via being more accessible, but I don't see the fruit to hold up very long. Fun drink.
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Initially smooth and balanced with some nice Zin spice but really expanded with some air time. Still very young with lots of life. Likely needs more time to show its best. (15.5% alc) Day 2: Great concentration of fruit and flavors. I would give this another 2 or 3 years before opening again.
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For the first twenty minutes I was a bit worried I had opened this too soon or that this was going to be overextracted and unbalanced. After a bit of air, this came together really well with good structure and acid. This still is fruit forward, but in a pleasant, slightly hedonistic way that toes the line. Definitely one that can be opened now or held for a few years.
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Another excellent vintage of Carlisle's DCZ. Ripe bing cherry and plum with finish reminiscent of licorice. Nicely balanced acidity. The healthy dose of petite sirah (15%) provides a bit of firm structure and tannins. Holds up well after 48 hours on air. Should age well but why wait?
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Fruity perfume and medicine on nose with a bitter edge. Excellent substance and very good energy. Tannin is medium or less. Acidity is higher than tannin. Alcohol is really spiking right now even with a chilled glass (and I'm a big red collector-I'm not overly sensitive to alcohol) Try putting this bottle in the fridge an hour before opening to see if it helps. Maybe it will settle down with time. Not a whole lot of complexity or nuance at this point. Better to hold this for 2-3 years.
Lots of blue makes the color more purple than red. Interesting. This one is a mouthful. Very chewy, almost, not quite, jammy on the tongue. Strong tannin. I’m pretty sure this not my favorite DCV Zin. It’s not bad, but it just seems overripe, to me.
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Beautiful dark plum in colour; nose of fresh blueberries drizzled with cream; palate follows nose with a hint of white pepper; bold, integrated tannins; terrific balance and structure; blend of 2 blocks that also contain petite Syrah; we liked it better than the Bedrock Vineyard and at a lower price point; fabulous wine
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Decanted for an hour. This is also more of a noir version, with blackberry, black pepper, black cherry, lava rock and pottery. Lavishly long and layered, with such an attractive aftertaste of dark fruit, which sails into the sunset. Decant or wait at least a year. Drink 2019 - 2030.
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3/23/2024 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bit of a fruit bomb, tannins gone, a few years past prime but still enjoyable. Aged Zin < current release in general
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9/14/2023 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pretty dark red, big by, really nicely put together and balanced, not heavy, pretty red and dark fruits, with cherry juice finish
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3/14/2023 - Quiller wrote: 87 Points
Opened, poured and let sit about 45 min. Then: Darkish fruit on the nose. Taste is reddish-darkish fruit; definitely ripe fruit, but not necessarily over-ripe or over-extracted; acidity OK; tannins OK. Decent balance to start, except for the sense of "warmth" that arrives quickly, maybe due to 15+% alc. With a little time in the glass the mouthfeel becomes much heavier and the fruit becomes more muddled. At this point no resemblance to zinfandel. Still very drinkable, but also disappointing.
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2/13/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well, very nice.
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2/7/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was super delicious - not sure why. Great drinking window, great integrated fruit.
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1/3/2023 - Quiller wrote: 88 Points
Opened, poured and lt sit about 30 min: Then: reddish-darkish fruit on the nose. Taste is more reddish fruit, spice, with some warmth on the finish. Tannin not an issue; acidity OK. After about 1/2 hr from first sip, this has turned to dark fruit with little, if any, spice; heavier mouth-feel; more Bordeaux-like (not a positive). For the first half-hour, you could guess this was zin; fter that, no resemblance. This probably could go longer, but I think it would lose even more varietal character.
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12/20/2021 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious. Great drinking window. Full bodied, very pleasant and complex fruit. Primarily blue/purple. Great finish. Crazy QPR.
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11/24/2021 - btock wrote: 90 Points
Bigger, richer than expected. I like the DCV bottling for the inclusion of rust and dust notes, but this veered more into purple fruit country. Firm, better with some air and not that forthcoming on the aromatics. Has the structure to cellar a bit longer.
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6/19/2021 - Quiller wrote: 89 Points
Opened, poured and let sit 30 min: Reddish fruit nose on opening. Reddish fruit taste, but pretty one-dimensional. Stays that way through the finish. Not much else going on, not much zin taste, and something of a disappointment. Nothing wrong with it, but not interesting either.
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12/29/2020 - mdahar wrote: 90 Points
PnP a good wine that paired with chicken wings. can be held or drank has a bigger mouth fell because of the PS
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12/17/2020 - BHRH Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fairly bold for a medium bodied wine. cherries, raspberries and a bit of plum on the palate. Fairly well balanced with some pepper on the finish. Although not as multidimensional as other Carlisle Zins, this was nevertheless enjoyable.
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8/4/2020 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP and good -- a rarity for a Carlisle.
Red fruited, cherry, brambly spice, vanilla.
Paired well with homemade pizza.
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7/28/2020 - MRichman wrote:
Very good. Lots of perfume, complex. Drink or hold.
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7/25/2020 - joet626 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very much a zin but not that characteristic Dry Creek flavor. Liked itm not loved it
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5/31/2020 - spendergast Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consumed my last bottle of this vintage. Continues to drink beautifully. Tough to beat a great zin like this with rotisserie ribs - a match made in heaven! Concentrated dark fruit with nice balance and long finish.
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5/24/2020 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 92 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. Always good every year. www.winelx.com
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4/23/2020 - Geoff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very well made zin with bright berry nose and taste. Balanced and restrained but full bodied. Long finish. Very pleasing wine.
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4/21/2020 - spendergast Likes this wine: 94 Points
A really nice Zin with waves of dark fruit, earth and cedar with long finish. Paired perfectly with rotisserie BBQ ribs. Carlisle continues to produce some of the best value wines available.
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4/7/2020 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Rich, delicious mixed berry fruit with thick viscosity, slightly pruney, excellent structure, ample finish
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3/1/2020 - Brhouts Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another great zin from carlisle
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1/16/2020 - khmark7 wrote: 91 Points
Give this a little time to open up in the glass. Dry Creek for me is always a more restrained delicate Zinfandel. Tannins are super smooth and this drinks very easily. Everything in it's right place.
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12/19/2019 - Brockster303 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Has gotten better with two years of aging. Nice, balanced, not too fruity, but fruity enough to enjoy with BBQ.
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11/5/2019 - jeginmt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep purple, full bodied, concentrated and rich dark fruit flavors, long peppery finish. Outstanding.
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10/26/2019 - Chefcar Likes this wine: 95 Points
From opening to an hour later this just kept improving. It feels elegant and sophisticated, yet approachable and drinkable. Full of cherry and blueberry fruit and a balanced, long peppery finish, this was great!
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1/6/2019 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Loads of brambly spice coming to the front. Good acidity, dark berry fruit, subdued tannins, medium to full body. Drinking very nicely at this stage but it will go several more years.
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11/23/2018 - Jarndyce wrote: 92 Points
Really tight on PNP for first glass... decanted and it really opened up at about the 2 hour mark. Fantastic!
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10/26/2018 - RobbieC Likes this wine:
Excellent. CT average score of 92.4 is low end of range. Can drink now with decant. Thumbs up!
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9/6/2018 - JKelly05 wrote:
Consumed over 2 days.
Jam and black pepper primary.
PetS never really came thru for me leaving the red fruit out there on its own.
Feels like a drinker, prefer the single vineyard Carlisle expressions for a few extra bucks.
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7/13/2018 - DougSamuel wrote: 91 Points
What a difference from our prior bottle in March. At that point we said "The first taste was thin and astringent. With time it opened, but was still tannic. Not as fruity or soft as I expected. Tight, acidic with cranberry, plum, pepper and bay leaf."
At this point, from the pop of the cork there were ripe fruits, including dark cherry, as well as vanilla. The wine was still slightly thin in body, but way more open, soft, and round. Still had some decent structure to give balance, but was fruit forward and quite good. Had more meat on the bones that a run of the mill dry creek zin, and reminds me why Carlisle is one of the best producers out there in terms of QPR.
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7/8/2018 - pakabear Likes this wine: 94 Points
A bit tight initially, opens up after a couple hours and is amazing, lush red fruit, sweet spices, vanilla, white pepper, clove and licorice with some salty sea shells. Great stuff!
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5/28/2018 - Matt T wrote: flawed
Corked. All vinegar on the nose, but I could tell there was a great wine underneath. Unfortunately, not salvageable.
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5/10/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasting at the winery. Not as deep and lush as the Papera, but still nicely done. Moderate intensity . Impeccable balance. Lovely finish.
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3/21/2018 - DougSamuel Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark wine, but not black. PnP knowing it would be young. Interestingly the first taste was thin and astringent. With time it opened, but was still tannic. Not as fruity or soft as I expected. Tight, acidic with cranberry, plum, pepper and bay leaf. Definitely not a fruit bomb, not as ripe as some. I expect it will come into it's own in a year via being more accessible, but I don't see the fruit to hold up very long. Fun drink.
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3/20/2018 - BoulderWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially smooth and balanced with some nice Zin spice but really expanded with some air time. Still very young with lots of life. Likely needs more time to show its best. (15.5% alc) Day 2: Great concentration of fruit and flavors. I would give this another 2 or 3 years before opening again.
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1/11/2018 - Matt T wrote: 92 Points
For the first twenty minutes I was a bit worried I had opened this too soon or that this was going to be overextracted and unbalanced. After a bit of air, this came together really well with good structure and acid. This still is fruit forward, but in a pleasant, slightly hedonistic way that toes the line. Definitely one that can be opened now or held for a few years.
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12/19/2017 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another excellent vintage of Carlisle's DCZ. Ripe bing cherry and plum with finish reminiscent of licorice. Nicely balanced acidity. The healthy dose of petite sirah (15%) provides a bit of firm structure and tannins. Holds up well after 48 hours on air. Should age well but why wait?
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11/8/2017 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent pepper and spice with a strong nose of deep red fruit
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7/21/2017 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Love the "Dollop of Petite Sirah", this inky fruit forward effort is great for full-bodied summer fun
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7/8/2017 - Tsliwinski Likes this wine: 95 Points
Whew the added petite sirah packs a harmonious punch for this fruity, flowery, inky brute. A little young still.
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7/6/2017 - ephorn wrote: 87 Points
Fruity perfume and medicine on nose with a bitter edge. Excellent substance and very good energy. Tannin is medium or less. Acidity is higher than tannin. Alcohol is really spiking right now even with a chilled glass (and I'm a big red collector-I'm not overly sensitive to alcohol) Try putting this bottle in the fridge an hour before opening to see if it helps. Maybe it will settle down with time. Not a whole lot of complexity or nuance at this point. Better to hold this for 2-3 years.
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5/24/2017 - EMark wrote:
Lots of blue makes the color more purple than red. Interesting. This one is a mouthful. Very chewy, almost, not quite, jammy on the tongue. Strong tannin. I’m pretty sure this not my favorite DCV Zin. It’s not bad, but it just seems overripe, to me.
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5/22/2017 - Brent25 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful dark plum in colour; nose of fresh blueberries drizzled with cream; palate follows nose with a hint of white pepper; bold, integrated tannins; terrific balance and structure; blend of 2 blocks that also contain petite Syrah; we liked it better than the Bedrock Vineyard and at a lower price point; fabulous wine
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4/9/2017 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour. This is also more of a noir version, with blackberry, black pepper, black cherry, lava rock and pottery. Lavishly long and layered, with such an attractive aftertaste of dark fruit, which sails into the sunset. Decant or wait at least a year. Drink 2019 - 2030.
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