Carol Shelton Winery
Santa Rosa, CA
Tasted Friday, October 25, 2013 by isaacjamesbaker with 546 views
Introduction
I'd never been to Carol Shelton before, and I hadn't even tasted their wines. But after a morning surf session at Dillon Beach, I thought... why not give their wines a try? Carol focuses on bold and fruity Zins from different vineyards from Sonoma and beyond. I'm not the biggest Zin fan, but it was great to taste a lot of different Zins at the same time. The winery is located in an industrial park not far from Siduri. If you're a Zin fan looking for a tasting spot in Santa Rosa, you could do a whole lot worse.
2011 Carol Shelton Wines Coquille Blanc 86 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
Interesting nose of green pears and wildflowers. Like nectar on the palate, with peach and plump citrus fruit, buttressed by crisp acid. A mix of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Marsanne. Fun stuff.
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2012 Carol Shelton Wines Rendezvous Rosé 87 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
A fun rose with some significant complexity and weight. Aromas of rose hips, wild cherries, strawberries and some lavender. Crisp acid, medium body, some light tannins. Flavors of watermelon, white cherries and rose hips. Full, but elegant, I think this wine would please most palates. A blend of 90% Carignane, mixed with equal parts Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon.
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2011 Carol Shelton Wines Pinot Noir Larson Vineyard Carneros 86 Points
USA, California, Napa / Sonoma, Carneros
Smells really jammy and bold, with black cherries, red currants, some caramel and toast as well. Full-bodied and jammy on the palate, a bit uncharacteristic of 2011 Sonoma Pinots perhaps. I do like the velvety texture and the rich black cherry flavors. Some toast and mocha as well. You know that Old World lover who always makes fun of California Pinots tasting like Petite Sirah? Well, this one actually has 5% Petite Sirah, and even though it's only 5%, I think it shows. A pinot noir for Zinfandel lovers.
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2010 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Wild Thing 86 Points
USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino County
Pure blackberries, boysenberries and red licorice on the nose. Big and bold with dark cherries, caramel and sweet flowers. Jammy, jammy, jammy, but tasty stuff. Sure seems like a crowd-pleaser.
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2010 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Monga Zin® Lopez Vineyard 84 Points
USA, California, South Coast, Cucamonga Valley
This Zinfandel proudly displays its California sunshine. Smells like prunes, cherry pie filling and mocha. So ripe, almost like the fruit's been toasted. Prunes, fig paste and sweet berry compote, along with some caramel and roasted coffee. Tasty, unique, but not my favorite style of Zinfandel.
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2009 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Karma Zin Bastoni 90 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley
Candied aromas, with berry compote, caramel and sweet flowers. Dense but silky on the palate with black cherry, cherry liqueur, spice and dark chocolate. Impressive stuff, and highly delicious.
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2009 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Rocky Reserve Florence Vineyard 91 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Rockpile
What a gorgeous Rockpile Zin. Aromas of boysenberry, plump blackberries, cola and earth. Full on the palate, with firm tannins and fresh acid. Blackberries, boysenberries, vanilla, mocha, earth and nutty flavors. Very complex and pure, this could use a decant or a year or two to show its full potential. A dangerously delicious Zin.
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2009 Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Treborce 89 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley
On the nose, smoke, plums and mixed nuts. Silky and plush on the palate, with plums, prunes, smoke and iron. A distinct cocoa powder element, along with some peppery spicy and lavender. Yum.
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2009 Carol Shelton Wines Petite Sirah Rockpile Reserve Rockpile Vineyard 88 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Rockpile
Inky on the nose with magic marker, deep violets and perfume. Dense and plummy on the palate, with flavors of raisins, figs, smoke, cedar and toasty, vanilla notes. Big and bold, but not quite overdone. A delicious teeth-stainer.
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NV Carol Shelton Wines Zinfandel Black Magic Late Harvest 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County
Not a bad way to end the tasting. Aromas of plum cake and caramel sauce. Sweet raisins on the palate, with caramel, chocolate, plums and mocha. This went really well with dark chocolate.
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