Final bottle of this 2010. And what a shame! This showed extremely well! I am usually not the biggest fan of Monte Rosso, but this was magnificent. In a great spot even if still on the younger side. I like the energy and freshness, which this has fully intact. What a wine!
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Dark garnet in color with long legs. Deep fruit flavors of black cherry, plum, black raspberry, smooth mature tannins. Dusty earth, leather, wonderfully mature and yet still bright fruit. Fantastic zinfandel.
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A dark berry nose. Bright, fresh fruit, blackberries, cherries, spice. Firm tannins, great acidity, fabulous balance. Finishes long with blackberries and spice notes. Beautiful wine. Should hold at this level for at least 5 years. It may even improve some. 15.8% ABV but no heat at all.
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Consumed rather informally outside in the wind from too small stemware. Still, the quality could not be denied and this bottle still presented itself on the youthful side. Buckeye76 nails the description very well below. The 15,8% abv showed a little imho, detracting a bit from the overall pleasure. I guess Monte Rosso just needs to be 10 years old to strut its stuff. A rating og 91,4 here on ct feels exactly right with the caveat, that it might show even better with proper stemware and a ‘serious’ setting, thus rated 92
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Still young, this should go for several more years. Rich, concentrated dark fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black raspberries, plums, black cherries andh licorice with floral and herbal notes. Nice complexity, well balanced, and a medium to long finish.
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A gorgeous wine with a lot of life ahead of it. Beautiful nose of blackberry fruit. Simply lovely deep fruit, blackberry a hint of raspberry. Firm tannins and great acidity. Just beautiful balance. This wine is all about the fruit, but without being cloying at all. A long and lovely finish with just a hint of black pepper. Gosh darn, this is lovely stuff! With grilled ribeyes and roasted vegetables. No need to rush to drink this one. It will last for a few more years and probably improve.
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Man did we suck this down fast. And it didn't even seem to matter that I brought this for prime NY strips, and I ended up serving it with grilled chicken breast. How do you score this? I score this delicious.
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Decanted 2 hrs. In full bloom, larger scaled MR, very plush core, at times suggested a slight pruney character, but by in large this was thoroughly enjoyable zin. I wouldn’t push it to far in cellaring further.
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Good but alcohol level is too evident on the nose and overpowers the fruit. Hoped that the fruit would be more evident after an hour+ but no such luck.
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Out of magnum, as expected much younger profile then the last 750 I had, cherry, loads of pepper, rhubarb and a good amount of backend oak. Very good but not as good as the last 750.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of ripe raspberry, cherry, milk chocolate and spice. Red and black wild berries, chocolate, vanilla and fine tannins on the palate. Medium to long finish with good acidic balance. Full bodied. Served with baked four cheese pasta.
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Ripe raspberry dominates the nose and initial attack, full bodied, creamy mid-palate with a nice acidic and tannic finish that fills the mouth and lasts 40+ seconds. A very good wine that hides the 15.8% alcohol extremely well. Mike once again knocks it out of the park. It truly is amazing to think the vines planted for this wine were put into ground in the late 1800's, they've been around longer than any person on earth...
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Carlisle (Shari's condo): Decanted 30 minutes and tasted alongside the 2010 Bedrock Monte Rosso. This seemed to be the better wine tonight, although they were definitely cut from the same cloth. Kind of big. I understand the comparison that this is a zinfandel for cabernet drinkers, it does seem slightly cab-like, big, and a little austere. I will try to wait a couple years before drinking my last bottle.
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Getting better with time. Black fruits, bramble, spice, and mineral. Drinking well now, as the tannins are beginning to tame. I still think this will continue to improve with a few more years.
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Great bottle tonight. Triple vinturi'd as it seemed pretty tight to begin. rather opaque. Deep, brooding aromas of blackberry, bittersweet chocolate and some woodsy tannins on the finish. Beautiful old vine fruit.. something special. Young with much upside, but very enjoyable now.
Day 2 (from 375, recorked upon opening last night). Fruit a bit more predominant, lots of Blackberry and some boysenberry. I little wood and find earthy tannins on the finish, but a little less balanced than last night. still very enjoyable.
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Decanted 1 hour. Garnet in the glass. Very well-balanced with cherry and blackberry fruit. Almost cabernet like, and absolutely delicious. This was ready to rock now, but had plenty of stuffing to cellar for years.
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Zinfandels on a Saturday Afternoon (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking): Purple in color. The nose is black cherries with a whiff of alcohol. Both the black cherries and alcohol carry thru to the palate. There is a lot of stuffing here and it slowly opens up, but always seems to be reticent. I bet the leftovers showed well that night. This is shut down a bit right now, so give it some air when opening or wait a bit on it.
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Nose of black cherry fruit, subtle touch of heat, dried fruit, and dust off a hot summer dirt road, more of the same on the palate, rich tasting but not a fruit bomb, mouth filling, not quite complex, seamless and elegant, medium/big body, and long flavorful finish. Should easily age 5 years.
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Nose of dark fruit, allspice, touch of heat, and dust, more of the same on the palate, elegant, touch simple, mouth filling and tasty, medium/big body, and long flavorful finish.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, milk chocolate, blueberry, spice and cedar. Blackberry jam combines with cocoa, spice and fine tannins on the palate and leads to a medium to long, soft, dry finish. Full bodied with a dense, rich texture. Another outstanding Carlisle Zin. Paired with pizza.
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Seems like a hypothetical blend of two of my favorite Carlisle vineyards; the muscular strength of Papera and floral driven charms of the Montafi. Add in a structured vintage that still lends itself to early drinking and you have a winner. Yet again.
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Very restrained and elegant for zin. With hour air berry and spice more clearly identified as zin, but still more old world frame. Holds or conceals it's high alcohol well at this stage.
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Pop and Pour. This wine is just singing right now. Dark red, but not opaque. Excellent mixed-fruit nose, minimal heat there. Darker fruit on the palate. Silky tannins, nice acidity. Much less punch than many Zins, including most Carlisles. Borderline claret-style zin. Moderate finish. Delicious. A.
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This has really smoothed out compared to a bottle earlier this year. Concentrated polished red and blue fruits with a bit of bramble. Fine tannins and silky finish. Showing much less heat than prior. Quite nice.
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Purple red color. Nose of zin fruit; black cherry, raspberry, and slight herbs. Darker in character, with more cocoa and tannin in the finish compared to the RRV bottlings from Carlisle. Ought to last several more years, probably showing more earthy or soil character over that time.
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This classic single vineyard Zin from Carlisle hit's all the high notes… It's not going to blow everyone away, but if you're a Calif Zin lover, it's going to check all the boxes. It's got strong jammy fruit, baking spice, and fragrant wood notes of cedar box. The finish is noticeable, with so much more depth and character than the normal store bought Zin. That's where these Carlisle bottlings shine… offering a well balanced fruit experience, with depth and character that's noticeable from each single vineyard with it's own style. Thank you Mike Officer!
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I opened this alongside a '10 Bedrock Monte Rosso Zin in the Battle of the Zins at Thanksgiving. I slow oxed this for 2 hours before tasting. Some fruit. A little harsh. At 3 hours this was smoothing out. FYI, my notes on the Bedrock and Carlisle are very close. Both wines didn't taste the way I was expecting them to taste.
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This wine was quite shy immediately after opening, which surprised me because I've had it on a number of other occasions and found it quite expressive. It took over an hour to come out of its shell but then it sure did - bright, expressive red fruits, iron, and orange zest, very layered and long finish. Excellent!
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Vinituried into glass. Nose: Complex nose of juicy red fruits with moss, sage, and other assorted spices, cassis, cedar, with tar and tobacco hints. Palate: Spicy and red fruited with firm yet balanced tannins, cracked pepper and a medium long finish. Very cool Zin that is old school and impeccably balanced. Went great with fresh Porterhouse steak on the Weber charcoal grill. Life is good! Super solid Zin and will wait 1-2 years before cracking my last bottle of this.
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Spicy raspberry/blackberry fruit mix. Intense in the mouth, goes on and on with layers upon layers. Did I mention how intense...a little tannic driven at the moment, but in a good way. It's wonderful now and will continue to age well.
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P&P. Inviting, round nose of bright red fruit rollups, blue berrries, and spices. While there is certainly a dark core, there is a coolness about this wine. Rather focused on the palate, but yet many layers of goodness. The red fruit profiles dominates, with good acidity,and a bunch of stems and spices showing through. The finish showd a dash of wood, and lingering finish. I would say 2-3 more years before the next bottle
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Couldn't wait - dark garnet color with cherry and smoke aromas. Medium bodied with a supple texture. Good red-fruit flavors. Consider holding for a while but drinking well now.
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Black currant and earth on the nose, with cherry and leather underneath, and some pepper at the end. Rich and juicy on the palate, with earth and dark fruit, some pepper on the mid-palate, and a nice cherry finish.
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Deep, rich color. Nose of toasted cedar box & fresh violets. Blackberry & bilberry, layered fruit with lengthy finish of 10 + seconds. Hint of cracked pepper & raw cocoa. Rich yet elegant.
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Nearly opaque purple color with black fruit, bittersweet chocolate, earth, and slight roast meat aromas. On the palate, it's full-bodied, but the mouthwatering acidity keeps it deftly balanced. It shows blackberry blueberry, black raspberry, mineral and a hint of bittersweet chocolate and a long finish 96% Zinfandel; 4% Grand Noir 15.8% alcohol; 410 cases produced
It was a bit hot on the nose on day 1, but not so much on day 2. Additionally, I made sure it was served at the appropriate temperature on day 2, and the heat went wasn't there. Perhaps a not so gentle reminder to serve reds at the appropriate temperature, especially as the weather warms up!
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a bit young, but very nice mouth feel with a rich glycerin / oily texture. Yes there is some heat, but I guess I expected it, so I did not find it unpleasant. I did find the fruit to be well balanced with the other large scaled notes, some smoke and wood.
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I should have waited to drink this. It's pretty monolithic and primary right now. Even so, you can see the upside in its future. There's an amazing amount going on, it just needs some time to find its way.
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I had a hard time getting past the heat, but once I did, this was a nice Zin. Clearly showing the '10 vintage and while this pushes the style away from my palate, I generally enjoy the Carlisle Zin's quite a bit, but less so in '10. Some heat on the nose, with dark berry and a typical briary spicy profile and bit of vanilla. Palate is quite concentrated, with dark fruit that has a dried/pruney edge but there is a pleasant creamy mouthfeel. Some heat, but nice tension and life despite a hint of heat. Finish is a little clipped, wit chewy tannins. Sweet, concentrated, with good complexity. One of the better'10's for me. 90-91
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Berry aromas follow by more woodsy/earthy overtones. Cooler vintage characteristics with some rustic tannins. Seems to have closed down compared to the previous bottle. May want to hold for 12 months or so.
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Very dark crimson color. Nose reticent nose at first, then oak and berry aromas. Fairly rich texture well balanced by nice acidity. Dark fruit with a little oakiness. Really didn't seem like 15.8% ABV. Surprisingly elegant for a wine of this size. OK to drink now but consider holding a bottle for a few years.
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Popped and poured. Aroma is a bit jammy with blackberry and a bit of graphite and tar. Taste has prominent blackberry, but doesn't come through as jammy like the nose. Still seems pretty hot, so I think this is best left for at least one year, probably two.
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Pours like a big Syrah dark and oily. The nose is enormous with all kinds of berries and spices. The palate has more of the typical zin raspberry and black pepper but other riper flavors sneak in as well. Long and powerful, give it some time should be great.
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7/11/2022 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Final bottle of this 2010. And what a shame! This showed extremely well! I am usually not the biggest fan of Monte Rosso, but this was magnificent. In a great spot even if still on the younger side. I like the energy and freshness, which this has fully intact. What a wine!
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3/19/2022 - sma Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark garnet in color with long legs. Deep fruit flavors of black cherry, plum, black raspberry, smooth mature tannins. Dusty earth, leather, wonderfully mature and yet still bright fruit. Fantastic zinfandel.
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8/14/2021 - Ed B Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as before.
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2/26/2021 - rldixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing bottle: dark cherries, unsweetened dark chocolate, red pepper, silken tannins, significant but not-heavy mouthfeel, long finish.
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10/8/2020 - Ed B Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. No detailed notes. Full, smooth, but not overpowering. Very nice wine. In a great place, but time left.
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7/19/2020 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 94 Points
A dark berry nose. Bright, fresh fruit, blackberries, cherries, spice. Firm tannins, great acidity, fabulous balance. Finishes long with blackberries and spice notes. Beautiful wine. Should hold at this level for at least 5 years. It may even improve some. 15.8% ABV but no heat at all.
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7/19/2020 - SineQuaNon wrote: 92 Points
Consumed rather informally outside in the wind from too small stemware. Still, the quality could not be denied and this bottle still presented itself on the youthful side. Buckeye76 nails the description very well below. The 15,8% abv showed a little imho, detracting a bit from the overall pleasure. I guess Monte Rosso just needs to be 10 years old to strut its stuff. A rating og 91,4 here on ct feels exactly right with the caveat, that it might show even better with proper stemware and a ‘serious’ setting, thus rated 92
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9/25/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young, this should go for several more years. Rich, concentrated dark fruits in the nose and flavor. Blackberries, black raspberries, plums, black cherries andh licorice with floral and herbal notes. Nice complexity, well balanced, and a medium to long finish.
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4/28/2019 - texaswinelover wrote:
Big, full as expected, no etoh heat, tasty. Not as complex as I’d like. Not as briary as I prefer.
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11/28/2018 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 95 Points
At its peak. Delicious!
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10/17/2018 - apspr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another Carlisle gem - fruit is of amazing quality and intensity and yet the restraint and balance is equally evident. How does he do it?
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8/19/2018 - Charlie C Likes this wine: 94 Points
A gorgeous wine with a lot of life ahead of it. Beautiful nose of blackberry fruit. Simply lovely deep fruit, blackberry a hint of raspberry. Firm tannins and great acidity. Just beautiful balance. This wine is all about the fruit, but without being cloying at all. A long and lovely finish with just a hint of black pepper. Gosh darn, this is lovely stuff! With grilled ribeyes and roasted vegetables. No need to rush to drink this one. It will last for a few more years and probably improve.
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7/8/2018 - dougie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Hit stride after 3 hours. Many years to go.
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6/17/2018 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Man did we suck this down fast. And it didn't even seem to matter that I brought this for prime NY strips, and I ended up serving it with grilled chicken breast. How do you score this? I score this delicious.
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5/20/2018 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. In full bloom, larger scaled MR, very plush core, at times suggested a slight pruney character, but by in large this was thoroughly enjoyable zin. I wouldn’t push it to far in cellaring further.
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5/11/2018 - snarfglk Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pretty good day 1, but seemed flat and prune-like day 2.
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4/3/2018 - sawira wrote: 93 Points
Superb wine. Great acidity. Wish I had more, this will last another decade, no joke.
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1/2/2018 - snarfglk wrote: 89 Points
Big, solid zin with high alcohol of 15.8%. Did not hide alcohol we'll day 1 (and I felt it, too). Better day 2 but not exuberant or jammy either day.
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12/22/2017 - jpmo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good but alcohol level is too evident on the nose and overpowers the fruit. Hoped that the fruit would be more evident after an hour+ but no such luck.
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11/25/2017 - Barzan wrote:
.
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4/4/2017 - sawira wrote: 91 Points
Plummy. Delicious, ready now.
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12/27/2016 - djpo wrote: 93 Points
Lush, redolent. Beautiful.
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9/11/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Out of magnum, as expected much younger profile then the last 750 I had, cherry, loads of pepper, rhubarb and a good amount of backend oak. Very good but not as good as the last 750.
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8/19/2016 - hoservin wrote: 91 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of ripe raspberry, cherry, milk chocolate and spice. Red and black wild berries, chocolate, vanilla and fine tannins on the palate. Medium to long finish with good acidic balance. Full bodied. Served with baked four cheese pasta.
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7/27/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe raspberry dominates the nose and initial attack, full bodied, creamy mid-palate with a nice acidic and tannic finish that fills the mouth and lasts 40+ seconds. A very good wine that hides the 15.8% alcohol extremely well. Mike once again knocks it out of the park. It truly is amazing to think the vines planted for this wine were put into ground in the late 1800's, they've been around longer than any person on earth...
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5/22/2016 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Carlisle (Shari's condo): Decanted 30 minutes and tasted alongside the 2010 Bedrock Monte Rosso. This seemed to be the better wine tonight, although they were definitely cut from the same cloth. Kind of big. I understand the comparison that this is a zinfandel for cabernet drinkers, it does seem slightly cab-like, big, and a little austere. I will try to wait a couple years before drinking my last bottle.
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5/21/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Carlisle Tasting (Shari's, Mpls, MN): Tasting pour. Nice ripe berries, raspberry; on the palate raspberry, blackberry liqueur, spice, pepper, nice texture, resonant, long. My and group #2 WOTN. 92+pts
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2/26/2016 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooooooooth!!!!
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1/16/2016 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rustic. Not a fruit bomb.
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7/15/2015 - haldolugr wrote: 91 Points
Pretty consistent with previous notes. Its tannins mellowed a little with the age but still time to go, so no rush. Enjoy!
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6/17/2015 - wineduggery Likes this wine: 92 Points
Getting better with time. Black fruits, bramble, spice, and mineral. Drinking well now, as the tannins are beginning to tame. I still think this will continue to improve with a few more years.
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3/31/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very solid Zin, tons of structure, although a tad one dimensional. Still has loads of tannins so if hold for 3-4 years easy.
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3/9/2015 - burgbob wrote: 91 Points
a deep and restrained, for a big zin, wine. Plums minerals and a creamy texture, from the extremely old vines. Drinking well now.
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3/8/2015 - gzim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bottle tonight.
Triple vinturi'd as it seemed pretty tight to begin.
rather opaque. Deep, brooding aromas of blackberry, bittersweet chocolate and some woodsy tannins on the finish. Beautiful old vine fruit.. something special.
Young with much upside, but very enjoyable now.
Day 2 (from 375, recorked upon opening last night). Fruit a bit more predominant, lots of Blackberry and some boysenberry. I little wood and find earthy tannins on the finish, but a little less balanced than last night. still very enjoyable.
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2/23/2015 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby red in color and incredibly soft and expressive red fruit profile. Really a nice zin drinking great right now.
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2/20/2015 - Hoopin365 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Garnet in the glass. Very well-balanced with cherry and blackberry fruit. Almost cabernet like, and absolutely delicious. This was ready to rock now, but had plenty of stuffing to cellar for years.
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2/15/2015 - slywka7 wrote: flawed
Unfortunately the bottle was corked but emailed the winery and had a credit for it in 10 minutes. Amazing!
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2/8/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Zinfandels on a Saturday Afternoon (Loretta Paganini School of Cooking): Purple in color. The nose is black cherries with a whiff of alcohol. Both the black cherries and alcohol carry thru to the palate. There is a lot of stuffing here and it slowly opens up, but always seems to be reticent. I bet the leftovers showed well that night. This is shut down a bit right now, so give it some air when opening or wait a bit on it.
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1/30/2015 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 91 Points
Not too big, and an outstanding zinfandel. A lot of the 2010 zinfandels have been out of balance, but not this one. Probably opened years too early.
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1/25/2015 - Matt T Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs more time.
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1/16/2015 - Mattshank wrote: 93 Points
Very similar notes to last ones on 11/12/13. Not much has changed in about 1 1/4 years. Still a very solid Zin.
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1/6/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of black cherry fruit, subtle touch of heat, dried fruit, and dust off a hot summer dirt road, more of the same on the palate, rich tasting but not a fruit bomb, mouth filling, not quite complex, seamless and elegant, medium/big body, and long flavorful finish. Should easily age 5 years.
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1/6/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of dark fruit, allspice, touch of heat, and dust, more of the same on the palate, elegant, touch simple, mouth filling and tasty, medium/big body, and long flavorful finish.
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10/26/2014 - ravbik wrote: 90 Points
Still very young with acids and bold depth of Zinfandels.
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9/19/2014 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Nose of blackberry, milk chocolate, blueberry, spice and cedar. Blackberry jam combines with cocoa, spice and fine tannins on the palate and leads to a medium to long, soft, dry finish. Full bodied with a dense, rich texture. Another outstanding Carlisle Zin. Paired with pizza.
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8/3/2014 - Outplaying wrote:
A big zin with noticeable alc., black fruit, some spice. Pretty good acid, but just too big and ripe for me.
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5/18/2014 - Amerique wrote: 93 Points
Rich, delicious, full-bodied mixed berry fruit with earthy, floral, and spicy flavors, creamy texture, excellent structure, long finish
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5/5/2014 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Seems like a hypothetical blend of two of my favorite Carlisle vineyards; the muscular strength of Papera and floral driven charms of the Montafi. Add in a structured vintage that still lends itself to early drinking and you have a winner. Yet again.
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4/16/2014 - burgbob wrote: 92 Points
Very restrained and elegant for zin. With hour air berry and spice more clearly identified as zin, but still more old world frame. Holds or conceals it's high alcohol well at this stage.
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4/9/2014 - Brady D Likes this wine:
Pop and Pour. This wine is just singing right now.
Dark red, but not opaque. Excellent mixed-fruit nose, minimal heat there. Darker fruit on the palate. Silky tannins, nice acidity. Much less punch than many Zins, including most Carlisles. Borderline claret-style zin. Moderate finish. Delicious. A.
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4/5/2014 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with my prior notes. This performs better with a 2-4 hr decant.
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1/21/2014 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has really smoothed out compared to a bottle earlier this year. Concentrated polished red and blue fruits with a bit of bramble. Fine tannins and silky finish. Showing much less heat than prior. Quite nice.
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1/15/2014 - scott w wrote: 92 Points
Black fruit red zin fruit, big spice on the nose, good acid and tannin. Just a delicious drink!
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1/12/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Seems to be a bit "dumb" right now with lots of old vine depth, but no spice. It almost struck us as a really nice white wine with lots of minerality.
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1/3/2014 - Acohen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rich, luxurious with pure blackberry, blueberry and slight spice on the long balanced finish
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12/25/2013 - nectar14 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purple red color. Nose of zin fruit; black cherry, raspberry, and slight herbs. Darker in character, with more cocoa and tannin in the finish compared to the RRV bottlings from Carlisle. Ought to last several more years, probably showing more earthy or soil character over that time.
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12/24/2013 - mpricher wrote: 92 Points
This classic single vineyard Zin from Carlisle hit's all the high notes… It's not going to blow everyone away, but if you're a Calif Zin lover, it's going to check all the boxes. It's got strong jammy fruit, baking spice, and fragrant wood notes of cedar box. The finish is noticeable, with so much more depth and character than the normal store bought Zin. That's where these Carlisle bottlings shine… offering a well balanced fruit experience, with depth and character that's noticeable from each single vineyard with it's own style. Thank you Mike Officer!
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12/22/2013 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
This wine is coming into its own, in a delicious spot now. Much more integrated and so tasty......
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11/30/2013 - Silveradoup wrote: 92 Points
Brooding wine, still has some tannins to resolve. This will be delicious in a couple years!
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11/30/2013 - dhammer53 wrote: 89 Points
I opened this alongside a '10 Bedrock Monte Rosso Zin in the Battle of the Zins at Thanksgiving. I slow oxed this for 2 hours before tasting. Some fruit. A little harsh. At 3 hours this was smoothing out. FYI, my notes on the Bedrock and Carlisle are very close. Both wines didn't taste the way I was expecting them to taste.
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11/29/2013 - haldolugr wrote: 90 Points
Very consistent with previous note, did not mean to open this 2nd bottle so close to the first. A great wine.
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11/18/2013 - MotoMannequin Likes this wine:
This wine was quite shy immediately after opening, which surprised me because I've had it on a number of other occasions and found it quite expressive. It took over an hour to come out of its shell but then it sure did - bright, expressive red fruits, iron, and orange zest, very layered and long finish. Excellent!
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11/12/2013 - Mattshank wrote: 93 Points
Vinituried into glass. Nose: Complex nose of juicy red fruits with moss, sage, and other assorted spices, cassis, cedar, with tar and tobacco hints. Palate: Spicy and red fruited with firm yet balanced tannins, cracked pepper and a medium long finish. Very cool Zin that is old school and impeccably balanced. Went great with fresh Porterhouse steak on the Weber charcoal grill. Life is good! Super solid Zin and will wait 1-2 years before cracking my last bottle of this.
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11/10/2013 - Brsed wrote: 90 Points
Very powerful and masculine wine with brooding red fruits. I will try to keep hands off for a few years before revisiting.
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10/10/2013 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Love this Zin. Seems to be a great spot right now. Big and brambly with good red cherry fruit. Delicious.
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9/22/2013 - haldolugr wrote: 90 Points
Spicy raspberry/blackberry fruit mix. Intense in the mouth, goes on and on with layers upon layers. Did I mention how intense...a little tannic driven at the moment, but in a good way. It's wonderful now and will continue to age well.
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9/15/2013 - DavidDay Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blueberries, black raspberries, cherries, pepper in the nose, much more polished and refined on the palate than your typical zinfandel.
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8/30/2013 - jdabrowski1027 wrote: 91 Points
P&P. Inviting, round nose of bright red fruit rollups, blue berrries, and spices. While there is certainly a dark core, there is a coolness about this wine. Rather focused on the palate, but yet many layers of goodness. The red fruit profiles dominates, with good acidity,and a bunch of stems and spices showing through. The finish showd a dash of wood, and lingering finish. I would say 2-3 more years before the next bottle
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8/11/2013 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Couldn't wait - dark garnet color with cherry and smoke aromas. Medium bodied with a supple texture. Good red-fruit flavors. Consider holding for a while but drinking well now.
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7/13/2013 - mmurry Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black currant and earth on the nose, with cherry and leather underneath, and some pepper at the end. Rich and juicy on the palate, with earth and dark fruit, some pepper on the mid-palate, and a nice cherry finish.
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7/11/2013 - raydawgone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, rich color. Nose of toasted cedar box & fresh violets. Blackberry & bilberry, layered fruit with lengthy finish of 10 + seconds. Hint of cracked pepper & raw cocoa. Rich yet elegant.
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7/3/2013 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nearly opaque purple color with black fruit, bittersweet chocolate, earth, and slight roast meat aromas. On the palate, it's full-bodied, but the mouthwatering acidity keeps it deftly balanced. It shows blackberry blueberry, black raspberry, mineral and a hint of bittersweet chocolate and a long finish 96% Zinfandel; 4% Grand Noir 15.8% alcohol; 410 cases produced
It was a bit hot on the nose on day 1, but not so much on day 2. Additionally, I made sure it was served at the appropriate temperature on day 2, and the heat went wasn't there. Perhaps a not so gentle reminder to serve reds at the appropriate temperature, especially as the weather warms up!
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6/16/2013 - gzim Likes this wine:
a bit young, but very nice mouth feel with a rich glycerin / oily texture. Yes there is some heat, but I guess I expected it, so I did not find it unpleasant. I did find the fruit to be well balanced with the other large scaled notes, some smoke and wood.
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5/25/2013 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs a year or two. A bit of heat.
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4/18/2013 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Smoke, raspberry and a mineral component on the nose. A touch of heat in the mouth, but matched with
a pleasing spiciness and bursting with flavor.
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4/18/2013 - The Vinsider wrote: 91 Points
I should have waited to drink this. It's pretty monolithic and primary right now. Even so, you can see the upside in its future. There's an amazing amount going on, it just needs some time to find its way.
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4/6/2013 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
I had a hard time getting past the heat, but once I did, this was a nice Zin. Clearly showing the '10 vintage and while this pushes the style away from my palate, I generally enjoy the Carlisle Zin's quite a bit, but less so in '10. Some heat on the nose, with dark berry and a typical briary spicy profile and bit of vanilla. Palate is quite concentrated, with dark fruit that has a dried/pruney edge but there is a pleasant creamy mouthfeel. Some heat, but nice tension and life despite a hint of heat. Finish is a little clipped, wit chewy tannins. Sweet, concentrated, with good complexity. One of the better'10's for me. 90-91
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4/2/2013 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stunning!
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3/15/2013 - oeno1820 wrote: 89 Points
Good overall Zin flavor, but not nearly as magical as other Monte Rosso zins.
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3/4/2013 - Acohen wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry, blueberry and gobs of fresh fruit with slight spice and almost kir on the long finish
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1/12/2013 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Berry aromas follow by more woodsy/earthy overtones. Cooler vintage characteristics with some rustic tannins. Seems to have closed down compared to the previous bottle. May want to hold for 12 months or so.
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12/5/2012 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark crimson color. Nose reticent nose at first, then oak and berry aromas. Fairly rich texture well balanced by nice acidity. Dark fruit with a little oakiness. Really didn't seem like 15.8% ABV. Surprisingly elegant for a wine of this size. OK to drink now but consider holding a bottle for a few years.
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12/1/2012 - Wine Sparty wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Aroma is a bit jammy with blackberry and a bit of graphite and tar. Taste has prominent blackberry, but doesn't come through as jammy like the nose. Still seems pretty hot, so I think this is best left for at least one year, probably two.
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11/24/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Pours like a big Syrah dark and oily. The nose is enormous with all kinds of berries and spices. The palate has more of the typical zin raspberry and black pepper but other riper flavors sneak in as well. Long and powerful, give it some time should be great.
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