11/6/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Great place right now.

8/9/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Reminds me why I love Carlisle. Delicious fruit hits you right off the bat but without the overpowering alcohol. Sorry I only had one of these but at least I had that.

8/6/2016 - gr8r84u wrote:

Tasting from Coravin deciding what to open for dinner: expressive nose right out of the gate but very tight. This needs a little more time to open up than I have to work with. Don't want to waste it so will open when I have a few hours to decant.

8/6/2016 - gr8r84u wrote:

Sublime. This wine is in a great place right now.

7/30/2016 - gr8r84u wrote:

Pop and pour from magnum. Asked the waiter to pour a little for everyone to make sure they liked it before taking a full glass. One by one I head "Wow, pass that bottle down here." Everyone at the table was moaning. It was so delicious. Perfect balance of fruit, acidity and soft tannins. Hard to imagine there is much room for improvement here. Drink 'em if you got 'em!!

7/3/2016 - gr8r84u wrote:

Sublime

6/22/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Being a snobish drinker of big heavy (usually expensive) reds I was hesitant to try rose because it reminded me of the white zinfandel plonk my parents used to drink but I wanted something light and easy to drink while grilling on a hot Sunday evening. This stuff is a PERFECT match for the hot summer weather.

6/19/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Love this stuff. Perfect for hot summer eve.

6/3/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Had this at a tasting a few weeks ago and bought a few bottles at the wife's insistence. This is a highly extracted and delicious BEAST with beautiful nose and loads of juicy fruit. Nothing subtle about it at this stage but highly enjoyable nonetheless. Look forward to seeing how it develops over time.

5/24/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

WOTN. This is still singing. Delicious juice.

5/24/2016 - gr8r84u wrote:

Drank with an 05 and an '11 Carlisle. The others dispappeared quickly and this was barely touched. So disappointing. What a difference a year makes.

5/18/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Pop and pour, so good. Might be better if decanted but who cares.

5/4/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

After a long day there is no question I can just grab any bottle of Carlisle and it will take me to another place. Delicious juice! Thanks Mike!

3/19/2016 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Beautiful aromas flowing from the bottle once I managed to magically extract the bottom portion of the crumbling cork. Oh... this is going to be good!

Wife: "Will I like that?" Me: "I hope not" Poured into decanter... another whiff... mmmmmmm.

Decanted about an hour. Beautiful floral nose and tons of juicy delicious fruit on the palate. This was everything I hoped it would be... sublime. You could wait, but why?

12/22/2015 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

While I never met a Carlisle I didn't like, this one I love. So enjoyable to drink, it is why I like wine. Getting better with age. Sublime.

7/20/2015 - gr8r84u wrote:

Let me start by saying that I am a red wine snob and don't like white or rose wines. Saw this at the store with the 90pt WA hang tag and a very low price tag so I thought I'd give it a try. Pop and pour... tasted good... nice and cold made it better on a hot summer night. Sat down at my computer to do some work... looked up and the bottle was almost gone. That is a sign that I liked it... a lot. Ok, I get it... a nice dry rose is great when it is too hot for a heavy red. I'm hooked... back to the store to stock up. Hope it stays hot out!

5/2/2015 - gr8r84u wrote:

Took to dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday last week. Don't recall the specific flavor profile but it was singing right out of the bottle. Been holding on to my QC's for a long time for them to come around and after seeing some recent comments here decided it was time to uncork one. Was not disappointed.

4/8/2015 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Excellent.

2/20/2015 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Wanted something really good to cap off a long day. This did not disappoint.

1/18/2015 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Not cheap but not too bad considering what you get here. Been a while since I actually consumed but remember it was excellent and the juice in the bottle very quickly disappeared. No aging necessary... drink up.

12/24/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

Pretty enjoyable and easy to drink. Great value at this price.

12/3/2014 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Easy drinking and delicious.

11/15/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

No detailed notes on this one... but it was fantastic with our crock pot roast. Had one glass then watched disappointingly as one of my guests at the other end of the table drained the bottle. Lesson learned... will drink faster next time.

7/24/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

This is in a great place right now. Drink up and enjoy!

7/2/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

Amazing! Reminds me why I started drinking and collecting wine. Singing right now.

5/10/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

Perfectly paired with a Chuck roast which had been in the slow cooker for 12hrs in a BBQ, red wine, garlic mixture and was falling apart tender. Moaned through much of the meal as my taste buds exploded. Great bottle of wine as to be expected from the Zin master Mike Officer. For taste and simplicity, the roast gets a 95.

5/4/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

Not sure if it will get any better with addl age... and don't care. Shafer rarely disappoints, this is no exception. Sublime!

3/17/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

Very enjoyable

1/21/2014 - gr8r84u wrote:

Sad this was my last bottle. Classic Carlisle Zin goes perfectly with a foot of snow. I'm not great with the descriptions but I can tell you it has a nice nose and tastes like more. The true measure of how good the wine is how much is left at the end of the night... If the bottle is empty it was good... This was really good!

12/29/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

If the amount I consumed is any indication, It was excellent. Not the kind of wine you want to discuss... the kind you want to drink. Wish I had more.

12/23/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Consistent with others notes. Tapped with Coravin directly into glass. Thick syrupy and delicious. Tastes like more.

11/27/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Good but needs more time to show its potential. If you are going to drink now give it plenty of time to air out.

11/26/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Typical delicious Saxum.

8/1/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Fantastic! Sorry this is my last one.

6/21/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Needs an hour or so but then...

5/25/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Haven't opened one of these in a long time but didn't take long to remember why I bought it. A one hour decant left us with delicious fruit with a hint of spiciness. Glad I have a few more. Thanks Merrill!

5/12/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Excellent. Drink now.

4/17/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

This has mellowed quite a bit from its youth, far from any type of "punisher" or for that matter amy Biale wine I have had in the past. Nose is flat. Dark fruits are evident but this is fading. Drink 'em if you got 'em.

4/12/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Pulled this as something that has been very reliable over the years but this was not as good as the last few. Pop and pour. Maybe needed some more air.

3/31/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Easy to drink, great fruit flavors and cheap. What else do you need? Crowd pleaser. Excellent QPR.

2/19/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Something not right with this bottle. Don't know quite how to describe it but definitely not drinkable. My first bad bottle of Carlisle ever. Next.

2/14/2013 - gr8r84u wrote:

Right up my alley. Fantastic balance and not overly anything except good.

1/1/2013 - gr8r84u Likes this wine:

Highly extracted packed with flavors. Found it to be a tad harsh right out of the bottle but mellowed out in the hour or so it sat in the decanter. Food was definitely a compliment to this wine and added balance. Not the best Saxum I've had but very good.

10/20/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

Pop and pour. Surprised not to see any sediment. Went too fast to make any notes but it was excellent.

10/18/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

Much better second day. Not my favorite carlisle but a very solid showing. If only it wasn't a weeknight.

10/12/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

Not as impressive as other vintages. Did improve with time.

3/23/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

Opened up after an hour. Very good.

3/17/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

Past it's prime. Overripe fruit punch.

3/15/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

Pulled this one for my Birthday dinner after reading Jeff Leve's comments. This wine was singing right out of the bottle and continued to get better until it was gone. The only flaw I detected was the lack of a second bottle. A few more years could make it better but it is delicious right now.

3/11/2012 - gr8r84u wrote:

You can talk all you want about the flavor profile of a wine but the real test is if without realizing you drink it all which is what i just did. This is just plain delicious wine.
The fact that is is such a good value is part of what defines Mike as a winemaker. There is absolutely nothing fancy or pretentious about any Carlisle wine. Just consistent quality far above what any sane human would expect at this (or any) price point. Thanks Mike for another winner.