Takes an hour to integrate after opening ….starts with tart bramble berry ….menthol …disjointed . Becomes a jammu fruitbomb with more seemless integration after an hour or 2
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Drinking well, If a little one dimensional. On the nose, ripe red fruits with hints of licqour, cocoa and kirsch. Medium bodied, slight shallow mouthfeel. On the palate, dominant note of ripe raspberries with hints of blueberries, dark chocolate with hints of earth. Holding up well !
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PNP. Medium dark purple and slightly translucent. Nose is filled vanilla, a potpourri of spices, lavender, tar, and faint red berry.
In the mouth, the wine is quite velvety with no harsh edges. Gobs of red and blackberry fruit envelopes the flavor profile at first, with creamy vanilla oak emerging mid-palette, then a burst of acidity and more Bing cherry and faint raspberry on the medium long finish.
Oh my, this is delicious, balancing the ripe fruit so well with the acidity and oak. I usually don’t like too much vanilla in my wines, but somehow, this works.
This is drinking great right now, but I see this easily going to 2025+ no problem, zero signs of any “over the hill” qualities.
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Brought to Mom&Dad's for party. This bottle was solid and enjoyable though not up to the level of a Papera Vineyard we had recently. Last one of these, and I don't bother buying it anymore since the extra $ is worthwhile for the single vineyard zins.
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Apparently some bottle variation compared to prior bottle in January. Poured and let stand about 45 min in glass. This one had sweetish-red fruit on entry that carried through to finish. Nice balance and decent zinfandel taste. 45 min after first taste the fruit was still present on entry, but going a little darker. The finish became a bit astringent/drying, although still with some fruit. I liked it better the first half-hour or so, but still nice.
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Update on my 1/9 note: Day 2 - Poured and left 1/2 hr in glass. Entry still dark and heavy fruit, but acid lessened. Otherwise, not much change. Day 3 - Entry not much changed, but acid now well integrated and finish is noticeably red-fruited, smoother and spicier. Balance between entry and finish still a problem, but, on whole, very nice for the money.
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About 1/2 hr in open glass before tasting. Acid seems to be the most noticeable trait. Some fruit, a bit of zinfandel taste, but not distinct. Not much change over the course of 1hr.
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Fabulous classic Zin nose, with some hints of anise and spice, which carries in to the fairly rich, intense palate, deeply flavored, with nice notes of licorice, pepper, spice, excellent acidity. So tasty, drinking nicely even at this early stage inits life. Tannins are here, but overwhelmed by the fruit intensity and acidity. This should age effortlessly for a long time.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 90 minutes.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of monkey glue, currants, plums and black berries. Flavors of black raspberries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Fairly ready to go on PnP, did not need a decant. Dark fruit, pluk, currant, pepper, briar, earth. Smooth, some complexity, Good but lacks rhe umph of other Carlisle zins.
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Not sure what was going on here. First night drank after pinot and burgers and seemed highly acidic and not at all what I expected. Second night more balanced profile, but not what I expect from my big-name zins, even the lower end versions.
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Wasn’t what I was hoping for. I guess I overpaid($40) so I had high expectations, since K&L presented it as a huge bargain. I also didn’t realize it was a screw cap bottle. I little small for a Zin. On the fruity side.
A cherry scented cinnamon spiced nose, followed up with fresh cherry and candied cherries in the mouth very pure through the finish with a bit of tannic cinnamon at the edge. Really wonderful for a zin at this price point. No signs of age or decline, but I’d drink them now rather than expect some kind of improvement.
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$24? Are you kidding me? Drinks more like $35 to $45. Plums (?) on the nose, along with hints of graphite. Various red, blue, and black berries on the palate. Fairly lean, but with a rather bodacious, fruit-driven finish.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 3 hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of cocoa powder, blueberries, flowers and plums. Flavors of red raspberries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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Purple in color. 15% ABV. Brilliant nose of red fruits, peach and baking spices. Medium body with perfect acidity. Smooth and supple. Cherries, raspberries, cinnamon and pepper on the palate. The finish on the wine is exceptionally long. As always, this Zinfandel drinks well above the price point. Best over the next year or so.
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According to CT I have consumed all bottles....but here we go! Blackberries, blueberries on the nose. Some alcohol, but in a good way. More berries on the palate. Raspberries! Licorice. Dark chocolate. Alcohol may be 10 grams on the high side - but I like it. And this is supposed to be an entry level wine. Awesome. Drink now, or wait. Lots of pleasure anyway.
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Opened at the Avery's gathering. Nice focused old vine characteristics of angular purity. Glyceric, potent, fruity and zin character showing on a big frame. Very good.
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Typical zin with tobacco and fruit. The one nice feature to this wine is the wine is not gobs of sweet and rich fruit. It is a lighter more pretty version of zin
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Perfect mountain getaway wine with the easy screw top. We drank this at the double eagle lodge in June Lake. Bright, zesty and fruity right out of the gate. It got better in the glass and made me want to start drinking my carlisles younger.
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Snagged this because it felt like a Carlisle kinda night.....and it has a screwcap which was ideal since we were heading up north for the night to take the kids sledding
Delicious as always. Dark red fruits, some pepper, and way more complexity than a bottle at this price point should have. No detailed notes, but we enjoyed it .....even out of plastic hotel cups in the hot tub. Should drink well and continue to improve over the next 3 to 5 years.
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Initial flavors of tart red fruit, followed up by blackberry and creamy raspberry through the middle. Good acidity carrying the wine through the finish. Last sip was best! Good drinking here.
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This is 100% Zin from 5 different vineyards--and they are serious about "old" --one of the vineyards goes back to 1881. Sent an email to Carlisle suggesting they move to all screw caps. I based that on an observation that their screw caps wines seemed to be consistently great and age quicker (plus we don't need to worry about cork taint). They responded that from their analysis, screw caps age more consistently but slower and what I was seeing was that their less expensive wines have screw caps and that was the reason they seemed to be ready sooner. They added that they might move to all screw caps in the future but it would depend on customer acceptance. If you like screw caps let the wineries know!
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Really delicious -- intense, not heavy. Zinfandel has all these bright fresh berry flavors and an essence of those fruits. While there is hardly any residual sugar, one gets from RRV Zinfandel in a good year the sweetness and intensity of liqueurs, such as Framboise and Chambord. Puckering acidity balances the 15% alcohol. This is a mix of 1st growth Russian River Valley Zinfandel vineyards: Banfield, Carlisle, Saitone, Papera, and Montafi. 2014 was spectacular for RRV Zin. It will certainly age longer but is beautiful and impeccably balanced now.
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Starts out with sweet fruit, very pleasing texture, nice acidity. Distinct aftertaste of green stems, leaves, not so pleasing. Could be much better wine.
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Beautiful nose of fresh raspberries, which are added to fresh plums and plum jam in the mouth. A bright, elegant zin, but ample power through the finish.
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July 3rd Pool Party Cookout 2018 (Casa Shikoh): Very aromatic. Fruit forward on the palate with notes of red cherry and plum. Surprising structure. Zinfandel sourced from various Russian River Valley vineyards including Banfield, Saitone, Carlisle, Montafi, and Papera from vines planted between 1881 to 1934 with interplanted mixed blacks.
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Decanted for 40 minutes. Aromas of raspberry, blueberry, flowers and cherry. Nose a tad shy for a Carlisle. Flavors of raspberry, boysenberry, vanilla and blueberry. Ends with a finish of 25 seconds with notes of blueberry. Tad more vanilla than I expected.
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Twist and pour. Really bright red fruits, floral with underlying cinnamon and cedar. Soft tannins and lively acid. Second day darker fruits / plum and licorice.
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Potent nose of rich dark blackberries, cassis, vanilla, sweet cream. Smooth, silky, full body. Tannins already fully integrated but still providing nice structure and spine. A delicious bottle that shows better on day two. Definitely more sweet than spice on this one. www. vincrush.com
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Notes honestly spot on with last bottle. Only regret, wish I’d waited to see how acidity settles down. Much brighter (reddish) and livelier fruit and palate than typical overripe zin. Suspect this will be amazing in a few years.
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Open and ready to go on PnP. Not as complex as other Carlisle, just a solid Zinfandel. Red fruit, spice, bramble. Just hit the spot tonight. Me - 91, Wife - 92
Consumed over two days. Darker and more brooding than I remember. Tastes of black cherry, cranberry, & spice. Mild tannins. Bright and crisp. Very nice and solid QPR. Current CT score of 90.8 seems about right.
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Last of a really good thing. We'll miss this beauty of a bargain wine. Has really fine old vines Zinfandel depth and character. Lots of dark red fruit here and fine purity.
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Unscrewed and poured. Read the Carlisle tasting note and maybe I was simply influenced but I think it's spot on. Reddish fruit, redwood (I think I got that), rhubarb (ok). Clean finish and no heat despite 15% etoh. Lively acidity. With grilled grass fed burgers and hot dogs but would've been at home with classier fare.
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A few with Indian Food (Cafe Tandoor): I only had a sip or two of this one as I was working on other wines and left this for those enjoying it. Purple ruby in color. It seems to be drinking quite well. Young and powerful. It had just enough spice that seemed to work well with some medium heat Indian food.
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This is pretty consistent but at the same time, I do think there is some upside with age. Will I be able to keep my hands off though. Purple in color. The nose has dark cherries, black raspberries, slight balsamic note. On the palate, this is deep. delicious. It unwinds in the glass but the glass is emptied quickly. Great balance. Great value for this. Too bad in a way because if it was priced $20 more, i wouldn't drink them so fast.
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Dark fruit dominant, with liquorice and anise on the palate. Medium mouthfeel, with a firm finish, with a hint of spice and heat. Very primary,simple and fruit forward, this should benefit from a year or so in the cellar to gain weight. Doesn't seem as complete as the 2013 equivalent, and quality wise way off the single vineyard bottlings.
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Drank too early and still just too hot. Nicely made but palate moving away from this and for $25-30 I would go in a different direction...though this is solid choice for this style.
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Very tasty stuff. Still very young, but with some air, this one came around. Not much spice, but a deep red fruit bargain. Note that this one is packaged in a screw-top bottle.
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Rich dark berry aroma with a hint of smoke. Rich blackberry jam flavor and a rich texture that coats the inside of the mouth. Full bodied with a nice finish.
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A bit young and obstreperous at this particular point. Intense aromatics of ripe blue fruit, sweet spices and flowers. Much of the same on the palate with enough acidity to keep it interesting. Curious to see where this is with a bit of time.
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Opened unintentionally. Screwtop was bumped while moving bottles in cellar, in my 2-deep bottle storage section. Started leaking, so I threw it in the fridge overnight missing just a few drops.
Opened tonight. This note is a few hours in, after breathing in the bottle. Dark red to purple in the glass. Nose is perfumed and one dimensional. Palate is the same way. Some violets, some jagged, cutting fruit. Big and rough around the edges. Wish this didn't open itself, and I'd have been able to give it a year or two. It needs it.
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Do not let the screw cap fool, this is a serious wine! Dark plum, floral nose. Very typical zin on the palate with serious weight and viscosity. Big time wine with enough tannin to suggest aging potential. Should get better with age and last at least 7-10 more years.
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Fontenil, L'Edre, Carlisle & Bedrock (Our home): Coming after a couple of what I thought were riper French wines, this was intense and ripe. It took my palate a couple sips to adjust but adjust it did. This is delicious. A few in the crowd oohed and ahhed and I guessed they had more new world palates. Purple in color. Black raspberries, licorice, slight balsamic note and leather on the nose. Big and upfront tannins but offset by a silkiness and juicy acidity. Lots of black raspberry fruit. Long finish. Screw capped.
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Red fruit on entry—red plum—with a violet-like flowery component. A lot of “bramble” reminiscent of 1970s-80s zins. Some very serious tannins, which, by my guess will take some time to calm down. That, along with good acid content, suggests that I should have listened to common wisdom about Carlisles and let it lay on its side for several more years.
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Dark purple. Fragrant, rich dark berries, spice and alcohol nose. Deep rich fruit, pepper, classic zin flavors with strong tannins. Very good, very young. Delicious, even better in 1-2 years
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Really not much more to add to the kudos that Mike already receives and so richly deserves. A wonderful wine, ready to drink now or to hold for at least a few years. If I had to choose one winery to stock my cellar, it would be Carlisle, without question. Great stuff.
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This is such a great wine for the money! No defects or compromises with this wine and don't let the screw top fool you. Deep rich color and flavors just as deep. A bit light on the nose. Finishes well too.
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Needs time for my tastes. Strawberry and bramble fruit on the nose, echoed on the palate. A nice creamy feel, but not very expressive yet. Give it a couple years.
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Young and Jammy, with some bramble fruit. The fruit matches well with the alcohol, so this doesn't come across like a cocktail wine. While punchy this has some secondary flavors in the expresso note and baking chocolate range. Wish I had more.
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Dark and brambly with smoky oak, blackberry, tobacco, and a little black coffee. Good balance, good acid to keep it lively. Really nice and a downright steal for the money. Ready to drink now and for several years down the road, maybe 5-7.
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Drank over 2 nights - definitely better on the second. Rich fruits and spice, exactly what you would expect but well integrated and a great QPR. Very happy and when want a bottle in this style, you can't go wrong with this.
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Could use some time, as the Carlisle drinking guide recommends, but another great effort. I find that all of Mikes wines absorb the oak in time and are more pleasurable to me after a year or so, but before they lose their youthfulness.
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Grabbed the '14 instead of the '13. My mistake. A little too young. Metallic flavors with light pepper, blue fruits, brown sugar and high acidity. Let these rest. Seems like it has a good core, just needs to integrate. Try again in a year.
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T-Day wines (Becklyn, Carlisle, Lillian, RM, Bedrock): One of my favorite value wines. Period. This is really deep and to me, seemed even better than the 2013 at this young stage. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, slight balsamic vinegar, hints of leather and iodine. With air, some black raspberries come out and the leather gets stronger. On the palate, this is juicy with black raspberry fruit. Medium tannins. Plenty of depth. Showing a nice complexity at this point. Great finish that makes you want to take another sip. I probably underscored this. Quite an exciting wine actually.
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Short decant. One of our thanksgiving wines. A little unsettled and obviously youthful. Dark, plums, cherries, unctuous, good now but will improve and even out.
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P & P. I've learned to never be surprised by the readiness of Carlisle wines and this was no exception. Red raspberries and dark cranberries (if there is such a thing) highlight a smooth, balanced Zin. Drink or hold.
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15% abv. Dark ruby, expressive aromas. Cherry, black cherry, boysenberry and Zin spice. Very deep and rich with excellent length. Delicious! A wickedly good appellation Zin. Crazy value.
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got to say. was not impressed with this. dark fruit and a bit bitter. was out of balance and lacked the typical RRV Zin deliciousness. can't recommend.
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Strawberry, cranberry, sour cherry, cooking spices and background of black pepper. A bit lighter than in previous vintages, but not to say it's "light", good extraction and acidity to lift the palate. Really good value as always!
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Fruity and racy were the first things that came to mind. Evolved and mellowed slightly throughout the night. Paired well with pan Asian dishes. Wish I had more.
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No formal notes. Really good! Cherry, cranberry, spice. Mild tannins. Bright and crisp. Mild tannins for such a young wine. Excellent QPR. Drink now with a good decant.
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A beautiful colour, which is almost glowing, and garnet. Elderberry, sun-dried tarp, French onion soup, fresh cherries and granite. A long and gliding finish, with polished tannins. Everything is in the right place. Drink 2017 - 2025.
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2/4/2024 - gzim Likes this wine: 88 Points
Screw Cap. Wine still alive at almost 10 years old. on the lighter and redder side of Zins.
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10/30/2023 - jfkwines wrote:
pop n pour
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4/25/2023 - ginfizz wrote: 93 Points
Shockingly complex zinfandel: raspberry jam, plum, prune, red cherry, incense or Indian spices...very subtle. Better the next day! Hedonistic.
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3/24/2023 - DesMarteau wrote:
Takes an hour to integrate after opening ….starts with tart bramble berry ….menthol …disjointed . Becomes a jammu fruitbomb with more seemless integration after an hour or 2
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3/1/2023 - norzano Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red fruits on nose and palate. Easy drinker, with a nice rounded medium finish. Has some aging left if you want but super drinkable now.
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12/29/2022 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich and delicious.
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7/18/2022 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Nice weeknight wine with great flavors and no heavy tannin. Good drinking.
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11/7/2021 - bergkamp10 wrote: 89 Points
Drinking well, If a little one dimensional. On the nose, ripe red fruits with hints of licqour, cocoa and kirsch. Medium bodied, slight shallow mouthfeel. On the palate, dominant note of ripe raspberries with hints of blueberries, dark chocolate with hints of earth. Holding up well !
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10/8/2021 - JSolo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Surprised that it was a screwtop.
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10/1/2021 - Acohen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth and rich with dark fruit and nice finish
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9/22/2021 - SchlaepDog Likes this wine: 93 Points
PNP. Medium dark purple and slightly translucent. Nose is filled vanilla, a potpourri of spices, lavender, tar, and faint red berry.
In the mouth, the wine is quite velvety with no harsh edges. Gobs of red and blackberry fruit envelopes the flavor profile at first, with creamy vanilla oak emerging mid-palette, then a burst of acidity and more Bing cherry and faint raspberry on the medium long finish.
Oh my, this is delicious, balancing the ripe fruit so well with the acidity and oak. I usually don’t like too much vanilla in my wines, but somehow, this works.
This is drinking great right now, but I see this easily going to 2025+ no problem, zero signs of any “over the hill” qualities.
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8/18/2021 - PSUSteve wrote: 91 Points
PnP. This continues to be a smooth red-fruited Zin with a hint of spice. No bramble at all.
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7/19/2021 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought to Mom&Dad's for party. This bottle was solid and enjoyable though not up to the level of a Papera Vineyard we had recently. Last one of these, and I don't bother buying it anymore since the extra $ is worthwhile for the single vineyard zins.
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2/6/2021 - Quiller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Apparently some bottle variation compared to prior bottle in January. Poured and let stand about 45 min in glass. This one had sweetish-red fruit on entry that carried through to finish. Nice balance and decent zinfandel taste. 45 min after first taste the fruit was still present on entry, but going a little darker. The finish became a bit astringent/drying, although still with some fruit. I liked it better the first half-hour or so, but still nice.
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1/12/2021 - Quiller Likes this wine: 90 Points
Update on my 1/9 note: Day 2 - Poured and left 1/2 hr in glass. Entry still dark and heavy fruit, but acid lessened. Otherwise, not much change.
Day 3 - Entry not much changed, but acid now well integrated and finish is noticeably red-fruited, smoother and spicier. Balance between entry and finish still a problem, but, on whole, very nice for the money.
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1/9/2021 - Quiller wrote: 88 Points
About 1/2 hr in open glass before tasting. Acid seems to be the most noticeable trait. Some fruit, a bit of zinfandel taste, but not distinct. Not much change over the course of 1hr.
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12/25/2020 - alanr wrote: 92 Points
Fabulous classic Zin nose, with some hints of anise and spice, which carries in to the fairly rich, intense palate, deeply flavored, with nice notes of licorice, pepper, spice, excellent acidity. So tasty, drinking nicely even at this early stage inits life. Tannins are here, but overwhelmed by the fruit intensity and acidity. This should age effortlessly for a long time.
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11/25/2020 - JSolo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Expected this wine to be better. Needs at least 1 hour decant.
Surprised it was a screw top.
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11/18/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 90 minutes.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of monkey glue, currants, plums and black berries. Flavors of black raspberries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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9/11/2020 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fairly ready to go on PnP, did not need a decant.
Dark fruit, pluk, currant, pepper, briar, earth.
Smooth, some complexity,
Good but lacks rhe umph of other Carlisle zins.
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6/9/2020 - levinml wrote: 89 Points
Not sure what was going on here. First night drank after pinot and burgers and seemed highly acidic and not at all what I expected. Second night more balanced profile, but not what I expect from my big-name zins, even the lower end versions.
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6/3/2020 - KlinkandKlank wrote: 84 Points
Wasn’t what I was hoping for. I guess I overpaid($40) so I had high expectations, since K&L presented it as a huge bargain. I also didn’t realize it was a screw cap bottle. I little small for a Zin. On the fruity side.
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5/1/2020 - Acohen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice spicy zin with good sweet dark fruit and balance
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4/30/2020 - mdahar wrote: 90 Points
A great qpr but lacks the complexity of the single vineyard ones. Drank with bbq and great match
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4/26/2020 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well now and a good value at $24. Doesn't quite compete with the single vineyard wines, but it was enjoyable
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4/22/2020 - redz wrote: 90 Points
same rating as 9 mo ago, "fruity zin", mellowed and richer afer a couple hours decant.
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4/16/2020 - budman Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent qpr.
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3/28/2020 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Full of bright layered red fruit. Much brighter and less bramble than many old vine zins.
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3/12/2020 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
A cherry scented cinnamon spiced nose, followed up with fresh cherry and candied cherries in the mouth very pure through the finish with a bit of tannic cinnamon at the edge. Really wonderful for a zin at this price point. No signs of age or decline, but I’d drink them now rather than expect some kind of improvement.
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3/7/2020 - Night Train Likes this wine: 90 Points
$24? Are you kidding me? Drinks more like $35 to $45. Plums (?) on the nose, along with hints of graphite. Various red, blue, and black berries on the palate. Fairly lean, but with a rather bodacious, fruit-driven finish.
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2/2/2020 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about 3 hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of cocoa powder, blueberries, flowers and plums. Flavors of red raspberries, cherries and plums. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium to full bodied. Drink over the short term.
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12/13/2019 - Angle Gold Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slightly peachy on the nose, peppery and full of red fruit.
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11/10/2019 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brought to E&K's for football. No detailed notes, but this was a solid Zin that is drinking pretty well now.
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10/7/2019 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Purple in color. 15% ABV. Brilliant nose of red fruits, peach and baking spices. Medium body with perfect acidity. Smooth and supple. Cherries, raspberries, cinnamon and pepper on the palate. The finish on the wine is exceptionally long. As always, this Zinfandel drinks well above the price point. Best over the next year or so.
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9/22/2019 - redz wrote: 90 Points
fruity zin
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4/26/2019 - Glencoewine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank over two nights. Same notes as before. Great QPR.
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4/22/2019 - Neras Likes this wine: 94 Points
According to CT I have consumed all bottles....but here we go! Blackberries, blueberries on the nose. Some alcohol, but in a good way. More berries on the palate. Raspberries! Licorice. Dark chocolate. Alcohol may be 10 grams on the high side - but I like it. And this is supposed to be an entry level wine. Awesome. Drink now, or wait. Lots of pleasure anyway.
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4/15/2019 - Senso-beak wrote: 89 Points
Opened at the Avery's gathering. Nice focused old vine characteristics of angular purity. Glyceric, potent, fruity and zin character showing on a big frame. Very good.
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2/8/2019 - jfkwines wrote: 89 Points
Very young, but in a good youthful fruity and spicy spot. Drink now or hold
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2/4/2019 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Typical zin with tobacco and fruit. The one nice feature to this wine is the wine is not gobs of sweet and rich fruit. It is a lighter more pretty version of zin
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2/4/2019 - 1997cobalt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than was 1.5 yrs ago. Robust and just slightly peppery. Drank over 2 days, really good stuff
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1/30/2019 - zinfomaniac Likes this wine: 90 Points
Primo and currently punching at it's prime.
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1/29/2019 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Was spoiled by the almost perfect bottle Of this old vines I had last fall. This is a very good zin that is missing that Smokey, Spicey finish
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1/23/2019 - galaxie500 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very pleasant; just singing in the glass.
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1/21/2019 - Zvillan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Perfect mountain getaway wine with the easy screw top. We drank this at the double eagle lodge in June Lake. Bright, zesty and fruity right out of the gate. It got better in the glass and made me want to start drinking my carlisles younger.
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1/9/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Vacuvined several days ago, zesty, strawberry, raspberry, tart and floral nose. Light and crisp styled.
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1/3/2019 - TC16 wrote:
Very bright and juicy fruit, particularly for a Carlisle. Good AVA zin wine drank well and quickly.
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12/31/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid for entry level Carlisle Zin, good fruit but nothing amazing compared to their normal juice
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12/29/2018 - RichEB1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Snagged this because it felt like a Carlisle kinda night.....and it has a screwcap which was ideal since we were heading up north for the night to take the kids sledding
Delicious as always. Dark red fruits, some pepper, and way more complexity than a bottle at this price point should have. No detailed notes, but we enjoyed it .....even out of plastic hotel cups in the hot tub. Should drink well and continue to improve over the next 3 to 5 years.
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12/24/2018 - Eric.S Likes this wine:
Initial flavors of tart red fruit, followed up by blackberry and creamy raspberry through the middle. Good acidity carrying the wine through the finish. Last sip was best! Good drinking here.
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12/17/2018 - ericbinman Likes this wine:
Fruitful
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12/2/2018 - skinut Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic RRV Zin - Carlisle style.
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10/26/2018 - spicy1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is 100% Zin from 5 different vineyards--and they are serious about "old" --one of the vineyards goes back to 1881. Sent an email to Carlisle suggesting they move to all screw caps. I based that on an observation that their screw caps wines seemed to be consistently great and age quicker (plus we don't need to worry about cork taint). They responded that from their analysis, screw caps age more consistently but slower and what I was seeing was that their less expensive wines have screw caps and that was the reason they seemed to be ready sooner. They added that they might move to all screw caps in the future but it would depend on customer acceptance. If you like screw caps let the wineries know!
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10/13/2018 - wilypod Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really delicious -- intense, not heavy. Zinfandel has all these bright fresh berry flavors and an essence of those fruits. While there is hardly any residual sugar, one gets from RRV Zinfandel in a good year the sweetness and intensity of liqueurs, such as Framboise and Chambord. Puckering acidity balances the 15% alcohol. This is a mix of 1st growth Russian River Valley Zinfandel vineyards: Banfield, Carlisle, Saitone, Papera, and Montafi. 2014 was spectacular for RRV Zin. It will certainly age longer but is beautiful and impeccably balanced now.
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10/9/2018 - mwrock Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice fruit in the nose and taste, full but not too sweet. Balance is perfect, with a medium finish.
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9/2/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 90 Points
Starts out with sweet fruit, very pleasing texture, nice acidity. Distinct aftertaste of green stems, leaves, not so pleasing. Could be much better wine.
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8/25/2018 - Ceo wrote: 91 Points
Very nice
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8/24/2018 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Notes as before. Fundamental raspberry notes, with plum and zin spice.
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7/29/2018 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of fresh raspberries, which are added to fresh plums and plum jam in the mouth. A bright, elegant zin, but ample power through the finish.
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7/3/2018 - ashikoh Likes this wine: 90 Points
July 3rd Pool Party Cookout 2018 (Casa Shikoh): Very aromatic. Fruit forward on the palate with notes of red cherry and plum. Surprising structure. Zinfandel sourced from various Russian River Valley vineyards including Banfield, Saitone, Carlisle, Montafi, and Papera from vines planted between 1881 to 1934 with interplanted mixed blacks.
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5/12/2018 - yaCellar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Give this bad boy a few hours of open decant!
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4/28/2018 - slywka7 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 40 minutes. Aromas of raspberry, blueberry, flowers and cherry. Nose a tad shy for a Carlisle. Flavors of raspberry, boysenberry, vanilla and blueberry. Ends with a finish of 25 seconds with notes of blueberry. Tad more vanilla than I expected.
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4/23/2018 - Neras Likes this wine: 92 Points
So smooth and nice. Fruity with soft tannins. Really a pleasure.
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4/7/2018 - Glencoewine Likes this wine: 90 Points
No formal notes. Good QPR.
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3/10/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better on day 2. Nice fruit, aftertaste of green stems, resolved on day two. Pretty good stuff.
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2/24/2018 - jhemming wrote: 91 Points
Twist and pour. Really bright red fruits, floral with underlying cinnamon and cedar. Soft tannins and lively acid. Second day darker fruits / plum and licorice.
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1/18/2018 - DAGwine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bright, but with plentiful red fruit. Went well with the marinara sauce and with the dark chocolate I had after dinner. Just what I needed tonight.
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12/28/2017 - Jarndyce wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour, great nose,short finish, lots of plum on the palate. Just ok tonight.
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12/28/2017 - Robwild Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of cherries. Balanced and smooth, with mild tannns. Fruit forward with berries, plums and a hint of oak. PNP
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12/13/2017 - 1997cobalt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fairly basic, good but not as expressive as some of their others
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12/9/2017 - Glencoewine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great for the price. Not nearly as complex as some of their other single vineyards, but still very good and a crowd pleaser.
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12/9/2017 - LCHammer wrote: 86 Points
Lots of cherry on POP but got more complex the next day. Not really my cup of tea but well made and I can see how many rate it higher.
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12/2/2017 - VinCrush Likes this wine: 90 Points
Potent nose of rich dark blackberries, cassis, vanilla, sweet cream. Smooth, silky, full body. Tannins already fully integrated but still providing nice structure and spine. A delicious bottle that shows better on day two. Definitely more sweet than spice on this one. www. vincrush.com
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12/1/2017 - texaswinelover wrote:
Notes honestly spot on with last bottle. Only regret, wish I’d waited to see how acidity settles down. Much brighter (reddish) and livelier fruit and palate than typical overripe zin. Suspect this will be amazing in a few years.
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11/18/2017 - losososjoe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great right out of bottle.
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10/27/2017 - GoBlue2002 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Open and ready to go on PnP. Not as complex as other Carlisle, just a solid Zinfandel.
Red fruit, spice, bramble.
Just hit the spot tonight.
Me - 91, Wife - 92
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9/17/2017 - Randito Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for about an hour and served with carne Asada. Excellent Zin for $24. Dark fruit smooth finish with a slight peppery spice.
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9/8/2017 - Matt T wrote: 91 Points
Impressive showing. Dark fruit, chocolate, and oak. Really nicely balanced tannins and acid.
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9/7/2017 - hanasowner wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured...old reliable...dark fruits on the nose with some light spice/pepper...smooth finish.
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8/31/2017 - Acohen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice dark brambly fruit with blackberry, blueberry and some pepper on the finish. Not overly complicated but very tasty
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8/27/2017 - leadpencil wrote: 91 Points
Blackberry, briar
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8/13/2017 - farinas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bouquet of plums and racy blackberries with succulent tannins and fresh fruit on the palate. This Zinfandel is very well made.
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8/12/2017 - RobbieC Likes this wine:
Consumed over two days. Darker and more brooding than I remember. Tastes of black cherry, cranberry, & spice. Mild tannins. Bright and crisp. Very nice and solid QPR. Current CT score of 90.8 seems about right.
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8/8/2017 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last of a really good thing. We'll miss this beauty of a bargain wine. Has really fine old vines Zinfandel depth and character. Lots of dark red fruit here and fine purity.
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7/22/2017 - texaswinelover wrote:
Unscrewed and poured. Read the Carlisle tasting note and maybe I was simply influenced but I think it's spot on. Reddish fruit, redwood (I think I got that), rhubarb (ok). Clean finish and no heat despite 15% etoh. Lively acidity. With grilled grass fed burgers and hot dogs but would've been at home with classier fare.
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6/27/2017 - The Wine Sherpa wrote: flawed
I have been getting a number of crimes wines from Carlisle. I am likely to decrease my purchases.
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6/26/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely wine that delivers well above its price point. Screwed capped to boot!
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6/20/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote:
A few with Indian Food (Cafe Tandoor): I only had a sip or two of this one as I was working on other wines and left this for those enjoying it. Purple ruby in color. It seems to be drinking quite well. Young and powerful. It had just enough spice that seemed to work well with some medium heat Indian food.
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6/19/2017 - JKelly05 wrote:
f*** this is great for the px.
Same as previous, just a really enjoyable bottle of wine that drinks well balanced, approachable and delicious.
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6/17/2017 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
We really enjoyed this bottle and find it a terrific bargain. No specific notes after more than a week's span since we tasted it.
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5/13/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Drinking quite well. Still very young. Screw capped. A nice core intensity. Lots of fruit. Depth. Nice finish. Gone in an instant.
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5/9/2017 - TahoeRick Likes this wine: 91 Points
very good quality for cost
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5/3/2017 - BobMilton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice dark fruit with enough acidity to balance
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4/21/2017 - casport Does not like this wine:
Too fruit forward and edgy; not a fan.
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4/17/2017 - fredman wrote: 91 Points
Wonderful fruit, well-balanced, only have one bottle left :0(
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4/10/2017 - Matt T wrote: 90 Points
Very dark with blackberry and chocolate notes. Much improved on day two. Hold.
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3/24/2017 - JKelly05 Likes this wine:
What Loren said below...
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3/20/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
This is pretty consistent but at the same time, I do think there is some upside with age. Will I be able to keep my hands off though. Purple in color. The nose has dark cherries, black raspberries, slight balsamic note. On the palate, this is deep. delicious. It unwinds in the glass but the glass is emptied quickly. Great balance. Great value for this. Too bad in a way because if it was priced $20 more, i wouldn't drink them so fast.
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3/12/2017 - bergkamp10 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark fruit dominant, with liquorice and anise on the palate. Medium mouthfeel, with a firm finish, with a hint of spice and heat. Very primary,simple and fruit forward, this should benefit from a year or so in the cellar to gain weight. Doesn't seem as complete as the 2013 equivalent, and quality wise way off the single vineyard bottlings.
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3/7/2017 - cpsmith33 wrote: 89 Points
Drank too early and still just too hot.
Nicely made but palate moving away from this and for $25-30 I would go in a different direction...though this is solid choice for this style.
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2/24/2017 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very tasty stuff. Still very young, but with some air, this one came around. Not much spice, but a deep red fruit bargain. Note that this one is packaged in a screw-top bottle.
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2/23/2017 - rougeamore Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich dark berry aroma with a hint of smoke. Rich blackberry jam flavor and a rich texture that coats the inside of the mouth. Full bodied with a nice finish.
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1/30/2017 - Kfirestone Likes this wine:
A bit young and obstreperous at this particular point. Intense aromatics of ripe blue fruit, sweet spices and flowers. Much of the same on the palate with enough acidity to keep it interesting. Curious to see where this is with a bit of time.
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1/29/2017 - WineGold wrote: 89 Points
Opened unintentionally. Screwtop was bumped while moving bottles in cellar, in my 2-deep bottle storage section. Started leaking, so I threw it in the fridge overnight missing just a few drops.
Opened tonight. This note is a few hours in, after breathing in the bottle. Dark red to purple in the glass. Nose is perfumed and one dimensional. Palate is the same way. Some violets, some jagged, cutting fruit. Big and rough around the edges. Wish this didn't open itself, and I'd have been able to give it a year or two. It needs it.
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1/28/2017 - Anthonut Likes this wine: 90 Points
An almost too good for pizza wine, but still went really well with a pie!
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1/28/2017 - mklein86 wrote: 92 Points
Do not let the screw cap fool, this is a serious wine! Dark plum, floral nose. Very typical zin on the palate with serious weight and viscosity. Big time wine with enough tannin to suggest aging potential. Should get better with age and last at least 7-10 more years.
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1/26/2017 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Fontenil, L'Edre, Carlisle & Bedrock (Our home): Coming after a couple of what I thought were riper French wines, this was intense and ripe. It took my palate a couple sips to adjust but adjust it did. This is delicious. A few in the crowd oohed and ahhed and I guessed they had more new world palates. Purple in color. Black raspberries, licorice, slight balsamic note and leather on the nose. Big and upfront tannins but offset by a silkiness and juicy acidity. Lots of black raspberry fruit. Long finish. Screw capped.
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1/24/2017 - EMark Likes this wine:
Red fruit on entry—red plum—with a violet-like flowery component. A lot of “bramble” reminiscent of 1970s-80s zins. Some very serious tannins, which, by my guess will take some time to calm down. That, along with good acid content, suggests that I should have listened to common wisdom about Carlisles and let it lay on its side for several more years.
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1/22/2017 - In vino potestus est Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark purple. Fragrant, rich dark berries, spice and alcohol nose. Deep rich fruit, pepper, classic zin flavors with strong tannins. Very good, very young. Delicious, even better in 1-2 years
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1/13/2017 - fredman wrote: 92 Points
Really not much more to add to the kudos that Mike already receives and so richly deserves. A wonderful wine, ready to drink now or to hold for at least a few years. If I had to choose one winery to stock my cellar, it would be Carlisle, without question. Great stuff.
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1/11/2017 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is such a great wine for the money! No defects or compromises with this wine and don't let the screw top fool you. Deep rich color and flavors just as deep. A bit light on the nose. Finishes well too.
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1/9/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 91 Points
Similar to previous bottles, great bright red fruits, pepper, spices, good acidity and balance.
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12/30/2016 - cubswinws wrote:
Thomas
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12/28/2016 - rdf58 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby color. Bright juicy acidity with raspberry and cherry. Nice spice. Good QPR A little less compelling than the 2013?
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12/26/2016 - Eric.S wrote:
Needs time for my tastes. Strawberry and bramble fruit on the nose, echoed on the palate. A nice creamy feel, but not very expressive yet. Give it a couple years.
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12/22/2016 - mpricher wrote: 89 Points
Young and Jammy, with some bramble fruit. The fruit matches well with the alcohol, so this doesn't come across like a cocktail wine. While punchy this has some secondary flavors in the expresso note and baking chocolate range. Wish I had more.
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12/21/2016 - mdaniel wrote: 92 Points
Spicey fruit bomb with smooth balance. Yum!
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12/20/2016 - BobMilton wrote: 93 Points
Rich, dark fruits on the palate. Smooth. Drinking really well right now.
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12/19/2016 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Ripe cherry, cassis and mineral notes. Balanced and fresh in the mouth. A pleasure to drink
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12/19/2016 - MRichman wrote:
Dark and brambly with smoky oak, blackberry, tobacco, and a little black coffee. Good balance, good acid to keep it lively. Really nice and a downright steal for the money. Ready to drink now and for several years down the road, maybe 5-7.
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12/18/2016 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank over 2 nights - definitely better on the second.
Rich fruits and spice, exactly what you would expect but well integrated and a great QPR. Very happy and when want a bottle in this style, you can't go wrong with this.
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12/13/2016 - fisk15 wrote: 90 Points
Could use some time, as the Carlisle drinking guide recommends, but another great effort. I find that all of Mikes wines absorb the oak in time and are more pleasurable to me after a year or so, but before they lose their youthfulness.
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12/9/2016 - Randito Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark blackberry, blue and red fruit with a pepper finish.
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12/8/2016 - Mootsie wrote: 90 Points
Grabbed the '14 instead of the '13. My mistake. A little too young. Metallic flavors with light pepper, blue fruits, brown sugar and high acidity. Let these rest. Seems like it has a good core, just needs to integrate. Try again in a year.
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12/5/2016 - pakabear wrote: 91 Points
Consistent as always, great qpr
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11/25/2016 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
T-Day wines (Becklyn, Carlisle, Lillian, RM, Bedrock): One of my favorite value wines. Period. This is really deep and to me, seemed even better than the 2013 at this young stage. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, slight balsamic vinegar, hints of leather and iodine. With air, some black raspberries come out and the leather gets stronger. On the palate, this is juicy with black raspberry fruit. Medium tannins. Plenty of depth. Showing a nice complexity at this point. Great finish that makes you want to take another sip. I probably underscored this. Quite an exciting wine actually.
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11/24/2016 - WineGold wrote: 90 Points
Short decant. One of our thanksgiving wines. A little unsettled and obviously youthful. Dark, plums, cherries, unctuous, good now but will improve and even out.
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11/18/2016 - EstimatedEyes Likes this wine: 90 Points
cherries and plums, tannins at the back. dark garnet and a long finish. paint it black.
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11/18/2016 - fredman wrote: 91 Points
P & P. I've learned to never be surprised by the readiness of Carlisle wines and this was no exception. Red raspberries and dark cranberries (if there is such a thing) highlight a smooth, balanced Zin. Drink or hold.
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11/18/2016 - Melli wrote: 86 Points
A bit harsh.
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11/18/2016 - Drankthewholebottle Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wow! really taste the RRV character! It will be hard to keep my hands off and kicking myself for not getting more.
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11/18/2016 - Mike Dildine Likes this wine: 93 Points
15% abv. Dark ruby, expressive aromas. Cherry, black cherry, boysenberry and Zin spice. Very deep and rich with excellent length. Delicious! A wickedly good appellation Zin. Crazy value.
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11/15/2016 - Normones wrote: 87 Points
got to say. was not impressed with this. dark fruit and a bit bitter. was out of balance and lacked the typical RRV Zin deliciousness. can't recommend.
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11/14/2016 - pakabear Likes this wine: 92 Points
Strawberry, cranberry, sour cherry, cooking spices and background of black pepper. A bit lighter than in previous vintages, but not to say it's "light", good extraction and acidity to lift the palate. Really good value as always!
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11/11/2016 - ocperu wrote: 93 Points
Fruity and racy were the first things that came to mind. Evolved and mellowed slightly throughout the night. Paired well with pan Asian dishes. Wish I had more.
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11/11/2016 - RobbieC Likes this wine:
No formal notes. Really good! Cherry, cranberry, spice. Mild tannins. Bright and crisp. Mild tannins for such a young wine. Excellent QPR. Drink now with a good decant.
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11/11/2016 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 92 Points
A beautiful colour, which is almost glowing, and garnet. Elderberry, sun-dried tarp, French onion soup, fresh cherries and granite. A long and gliding finish, with polished tannins. Everything is in the right place. Drink 2017 - 2025.
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11/10/2016 - jmcnewjersey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic wine and excellent value. Screw-cap too.
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12/13/2015 - wilypod Likes this wine: 90 Points
Carlisle 2014s from the barrel - Something to be excited about (Russian River Valley): Lots of RRV Zin in this beautiful blend of lots from Saitone, Martinelli and one other vineyard. Smooth and spicy, with dark cranberries, cocoa, and mintiness. The equal of some of the more celebrated single vineyard Carlisle releases from 2012. 90-92
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