Community Tasting Note

• jeagle Does not like this wine:

  April 4, 2014 - Decanted 8 hours prior to tasting. Pleasant zinfandel nose, but the immediate palate impression is assertive acid creating lemon-like red fruits. This follows through to a substantial bite at back palate. At this point, it presents itself as difficult to approach unless one favors high acid reds.

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5 Comments

• Frank Murray III commented:

  4/4/14, 7:37 AM - Thanks for your note, which dissents to a good degree from the other TNs that preceded yours. I do favor higher acid reds and I have this wine set to be in a broader Carlisle lineup/dinner in a few weeks so I'm eager to see what's there.

• Mootsie commented:

  4/4/14, 8:03 AM - I agree. It is a very acidic wine. Different from most other Carlisle's I've had.

• jeagle commented:

  4/4/14, 8:12 AM - Thank you for the comments. It is difficult to go against the tide, especially when it is a highly reputable winery with an avid following. This is my fourth 2011 Carlisle, and I believe it was a very problematic vintage for them. They were not alone.

• PIntag commented:

  4/4/14, 12:54 PM - I don't know if I'd call 2011 a "problem vintage" based on Carlisle Zins. I tried 7 different ones thus far, and I find them to be great, though I prefer them to lusher and riper vintages. This Carlisle Vineyard is pretty edgy though, I agree, but I think (hoping, anyway) it is going to age very well and be even better down the road.

• silton commented:

  4/4/14, 5:24 PM - The Carlisle 2011s I've tasted so far have been balanced and showing a lighter touch, but none of them have wowed like the best of 07-10 (08 and 10 also being more variable IMO). I'm beginning to think that they will not improve with age, however, as the acids will integrate slower than the fruit will fade, making them leaner over the medium term, and generally harder to find the age/aeration sweet spot. I'd like to be wrong, but at this point I'm targeting the 11s as pop and pours or short decants before returning to my remaining 07-10s or any 12s.
  
  I really hope the Hayne Vineyard is the exception to this trend (and being in Napa, may very well have had more favorable ripening conditions compared to Sonoma).
  
  Carlisle is one of my favorite wineries but I too tire of the cultish aspect and the name-dropping. Thanks for the honest note.

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