2001 Carlisle Zinfandel Gum Tree Ranch

Community Tasting Notes

Community Tasting Notes (20) Avg Score: 92.5 points

  • This was ok, but basically all eucalyptus and not much fruit. Bottle was leaking a bit so let's chalk it up to poor storage. One left and fingers crossed it hits the high of the bottle a couple years ago

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  • This is one of my all time favorite Carlisle's so when I saw one pop up at auction, I was all in. I expected this might be a little long in the tooth, but man was I wrong ! Its been a good 5 years since I Iast opened one, and honestly it tastes almost exactly like I remember it. Black cherry fruit, pepper, plenty of acidity, and a VERY distinct eucalyptus note that I absolutley love, and that has probably become more prominent with age. Mike is a zin master and this is one of his finest. Damn shame the vineyard was ripped out and that this was the last vintage made. Pouring a little out for Gum Tree Ranch!

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  • Opened for our 11th wedding anniversary - carried to a restaurant where it was popped-n-poured. Gorgeous translucent dark ruby color. Nose shows the characteristic eucalyptus along with some briar and raspberry. First taste this shows actually quite young with strong raspberry forward and lots of spice. This faded quickly, leaving the wine more savory on entry with eucalyptus, forest floor, and pepper, then a more subtle crushed cherry which I note often on aged zin, reverberates through the finish This wine is fading into its sunset years with these secondary notes but by no means tired

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  • Good, smooth eucalyptus like the other notes, smooth soft berries aged well. drink now

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  • I drank this on the night with a 2001 Hartford and this was slightly the lesser wine, but still delicious. The fruit had faded somewhat with time but the alcohol has also integrated better allowing the wine to come in better balance with good acidity. Red fruits, some earthy notes. Didn't scream zin to me (which is good and bad) but did scream tasty (and rapidly disappearing) wine.

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  • Tasted with Mike Officer, Morgan Twain-Peterson and Tegan Passalacqua at The Girl and the Fig, Sonoma. This 9-year old was still young and vibrant - to the eye, the nose and the palate! Medium dark ruby red. Complex and expressive aromas and flavors of cherries, blackberries and spice. Rich mouthfeel and a lingering aftertaste. What elevated this wine beyond that of other great, well aged zinfandels was the distinctive eucaplitis aromas, flavors and oily essence that permeated this incredible wine. According to Mike O., this magnificent vineyard no longer exists. Simply stated, we are doing the Heritage Vineyard Project to deter the further loss of treasures like the late, great "Gum Tree Ranch Vineyard."

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  • Dinner with Brian and Karen (The Scotts): Unbelievable Eucalyptus nose with mint, floral and cola notes. Not as thick and heavy in the mouth as i would have expected - more medium bodied. A lttle hot - the 16.2% alcohol is a little noticable. Nice fruit but a little one dimensional. If you like eucalyptus notes this wine is for you. Not my favorite Carlisle, but good.

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  • Eucalyptus, mint, and dark berries. Sooo delicious. I love this wine. My favorite Zin.

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  • Whoa nelly! I actually preferred this over the Carlisle vineyard bottle. The wine is so unique with its eucalyptus/mint taste along with the strong backbone of dark fruits. This is drinking really well now and is an awesome bottle of Zin. I can see this thing aging for much longer but why wait? The fruits still there and tannins are well integrated. Where can I get more of these?

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  • I just can't imagine this wine getting any better. Lush, spicy intense black fruit aroma of that brambly/zinny resin that the some of the best zinfandels have. Just a wonderfull example of what great zinfandel shoud be.

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  • Wow! This is really drinking well now. The color was really intense red almost black with no signs of aging. Lush and powerfull just dripping with fruit. Sure the alcohol is high at 16+ but there's no heat - just a superbly balanced wine. I've only one left I'm afraid.

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  • A beautiful meritage of zin, petite, and alicante bouschet. The Gum Tree is always a distinctive blend that I love. Seems to be at it prime drinking window now but should drink well for several years. Glad I've got a couple of bottles left in my cellar. An incredible qpr at $25. Kudos Mike for making such a great wine.

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  • Intense jammy, spicy zinberry and creamy black cherry aromas with a hint of vanilla and minerals. Creamy vanilla laden dark fruits on the palate with a crisp, focused finish. No evidence of the 16% alcohol. Another beauty from Mike. Ready now.

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  • Brilliant dark ruby red bordering on purple haze. Plums jump from the rim of this beastly 16.2% alc, 140 case, Zinfandel. The alcohol never even raises a hand to me; instead I am hit with perfectly integrated creamy oak flavors like vanilla and mocha. The fruit is ripe and loaded to the gills like succulent cherries and those delicious plums mom brought to the beach in the summer. The legs dangle from the side glass slowly hanging down like glass of port would. The finish is smooth and clean. I am very thankful that Alan Rath was kind enough to give me a bottle of this limited, no longer produced wine so I could experience its beauty. Thanks Alan - you are one of the great ones.

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  • Goodbye to an old friend. This was my last bottle and it delivered as much pleasure as the first. This wine continues to be all about balance, lush rich creamy fruit, and a seamless finish. I still cannot believe this vineyard was plowed under for a housing development. At least I was able to take my last sip as the clock wound down on Vandy's win over Indiana (at Indiana no less) in the NIT tournament. Go Dores!!!

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  • ($28) WOW! Nose. Just screams out, "Look at me! Eucalyptus!" I love smelling this wine. Rich red and black berry fruits with a ton of richness and no hard edges. The alcohol (16%+) is not apparent at all. Lovely, luscious stuff. I can't believe this vineyard was torn up. I think this is my last bottle…

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  • Deep dark purple in color with no fading along the rim. The nose is full of dark berry fruit. The mid-palate follows the nose with rich creamy dark berry fruit, mostly raspberry, blackberry, and a touch of cherry. There is also some subtle eucalyptus and a hint of chocolate. The finish is long with a continuation of the creamy zinberry and pretty spiciness. This wine is all about rich fruit and seamless balance which makes this wine a joy to drink. I saved half the bottle in a 375ml air tight carafe overnight in the fridge and it was drinking just as well as day 1. I do not see this wine improving from here so if you have some I would enjoy them this winter. There is a simple reason why Mike's wines make up the largest percentage of my cellar. Bravo Mr. Officer!!!!

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  • C - Translucent ruby.

    N - Beautiful rich zinberry.

    MP - Eucalyptus, mint, clean and pure blackberry/raspberry fruit.

    F - Long, smooth, balanced, spicey zinberry with a touch of mint. With air subtle dark chocolate becomes present. Not a trace of heat which, as usual with Mike's wines, is amazing given it's 16% abv.

    Stunning zinfandel and the best Gum Tree Mike has made and certainly one of his top three zins to date. The purity of fruit is what makes this wine stand out. The '01 Carlisle Vineyard will surpass the Gum Tree with another 6-12 months of bottle age and will certainly last longer, but right now the Gum Tree is simply awesome. Drink these while waiting on the Carlisle. I am still in mourning over the fact this vineyard was destroyed to build some type of residential or commercial development.

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  • ($30) 16.2% alcohol…a big spicy Zinfandel with eucalyptus, clove, and other baking spices. Sweet smell of alcohol and loads of blackberry fruit. Slightly hot, but with sweet zinberry fruit that is well-delineated across the palate. The last wine to be made from this vineyard before it was plowed under for housing.

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  • ($27) 16.1% alcohol. Yummy wine. We had intended to enjoy this with homemade hamburgers, but alas, the meat didn't make it home from the store with us. Mona was livid. The wine however, was wonderful. Lots of Eucalyptus on the nose with molasses, briar fruit. The alcohol is fairly well hidden, in that the wine doesn't burn, but it does lend sweetness to it. Jazzy red fruits. Nicely done Mike.

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