Smells like peach and stone fruits but the distinctive, even-keeled plate doesn’t taste as juicy. Finishes with nice energy and a dusting of fine grained tannins.
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Delicious zin drinking very well now. Great with grilled moose burgers, fresh swiss chard and a salad. Love these wines from Carlisle. Rarely a disappointment.
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Confident, medium-bodied, ripe dark fruit, braided appealingly with just-bitter and red-pepper notes. Not a ton on the nose, and what was there definitely took coaxing on day two. This pairs like a pinot.
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Drank this wine over the course of several days; not surprisingly, it tasted the best on the last day. Started out a bit oaky and hot, but by the fourth day it came together to display pleasingly decadent notes of dark chocolate, roasted figs, blackberry jam, espresso bean and campfire. Bold and rich on the palate -- layered, with a nice mouthfeel -- finishing with some mineral and graphite-laden tannins. While I was admittedly not a fan of this wine on the first night, especially since I'm not much of a Zin drinker, after sitting open for a few days, it was really strutting its stuff and rather enjoyable to drink. Who'da thunk it? Decant heavily if opening now.
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Enjoyed after the Patriots win. (and during the Giants/ 49ers game). Popped and poured - right out of the bottle, dark/ black/ rich fruits. a bit of tar and moderate complexity. Just Great !
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1 hour decant. Blackberry jam, black plum, spice, and vanilla. A jammy, dark fruit core with soft, fine tannins on the mid-palate; leading to a medium length, soft, dry finish. Full bodied. Paired with gnocchi and a tomato, basil sauce.
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Alot of smokey heaviness underlied by black fruit, I have opened this wine an hour ago and it is just starting to soften to the point that it can be consumed. It is one of the heaviest Zins from Carlisle I have experienced in terms of mouth feel, We really like it but it can definetly wait a bit. it can also probably benefit from a long decant.
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Drank with Joe 'n Deb. Decanted an hour. Won't go into detail except to say this wine is exactly where it needs to be - drink it now! Joe got that look that clearly communicates joy, and proclaimed it an absolutely amazing Zin. I could not agree more. Stingy though I usually am, with my points, I will happily give Mr. Officer's handiwork a 95!
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Opened about an hour before tasting. After another 30 minutes or so, it really opened up. Black fruit and a little smoke on the nose. Black fruit with traces of smoke, pepper, bramble, and herbs. Big, dark old-school zin, but surprisingly elegant. High octane, but the heat wasn't noticeable. Very plush, mouth-coating texture and a long, rich finish. May be at its peak, but it should hold for another year or two.
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Was grilling and wanted something with some depth. This was a great choice. Deep black fruits, blackberry but balanced on the midpalate and through the finish. The structure is there, and while it can age further, I liked it as this point. Wears the 16% well.
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Popped and poured. Dark garnet color. Plum, cherry, currant, white pepper, and vanilla aromas and flavors. Jammy dark berry flavors and smooth tannins dominate the mid-palate. Long, soft, satin finish with a subtle sweetness. Full bodied. Paired nicely with Pizza Margherita.
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I was looking at the vintage chart on the Carlisle website and decided it was time to drink this bottle. Drinking so well right now. My bottle was super well balanced and had great Zin fruit, yet teeth staining like a Petit Sirah. Wonderful finish. Carlisle never disappoints!
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Deep ruby color. Decanted. To start, aromas of herbs and earth. Then dark fruit with sweet spices emerge. On the palate, medium+ body, mouthwatering acid and ripe, but not jammy, fruit. Long finish. Beautifully balanced.
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16.0% alcohol. Opened four hours before serving but not decanted. Still very youthful. Brambly nose of jammy black fruit and spice, with a bit of reduction that never fully blew off. Voluptuous mouth feel, with a bit of heat intruding on the palate. Complex, with plenty of earth and spice, this is a serious Zin. The reductive note was a bit distracting, though. B+
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16% ABV. Nearly opaque, dark garnet in the glass. Subdued nose of baking spices (like light coriander). Medium-full bodied with dark berry fruit complemented with some orange and cocoa notes and a cool earthy mineral character. Tasty.
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Popped and poured, and then consumed over 4 hours. Full-bodied wine that is dark purple in color. On the nose, briary blackberries, floral notes, and light VA. On the palate, juicy blackberries, blueberries, and cocoa powder on an extremely long 40+ second finish. Well-structured wine with nice fine-grained tannins but a little heat on the finish…this one would benefit from a slight chill.
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As many times as I have Carlisle zins, I still can't get over the QPR. This was a little thin in the mid-palate but otherwise a very well-integrated, high-class zinfandel.
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Enjoyed over two nights. On day two, the nose was full of rich, smoky blue and black fruit. Palate was juicy with a big kick of rich blackberries, herbs and black pepper. There is a good, lifted presence of vibrant fruit across the mid-palate. Just a touch of heat throws off the otherwise fine finish.
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Dinner and Wine (My House): Tasted next to the 2005 Carlisle Feeney. This Bacchi was not to the level or stature of that wine with the Bacchi tasting tight and young, a bit astringent on the finish. Tasted out of whack, meaning that the tannin and some of what seemed like barrel or wood tannin dominating the wine. Just seemed to lack the purity and expression of what I find in Mike's zins. Of note, we did not decant this wine and I would recommend that before drinking.
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This hit the spot and seemed to be in a good place. 16% ABV. Black garnet opaque in the glass. Nice aromatic intensity of black raspberry fruit with some secondary graham cracker and spice. Pretty much full bodied but not heavy with sweet ripe black and red berry fruit on the palate with nice length and concentration.
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Briary raspberry, smoky plum, dark chocolate, licorice, peppery spice and kirsch on the nose. Dense and chewy with big coffee notes, bark and pronounced black pepper. Peppery tannins on the finish along with zingy acid, a little heat and a metallic edge. There is a freshness on the front palate but clumsiness on the back end.
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The aromas jumped from the galss as soon as I poured it. Wonderful aromatics of cherry, slight bit of pepper, lots of red fruits. This is a great zinfandel that is drinking very well now. The first of my 2006's and I am looking forward to drinking the rest of them soon. I can't imagine this getting any better with time, however, it should stay at this level for a couple years.
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Better on the second night again this year. This still has rich ripe fruit, balancing acidity and enjoyable zin spices and it's starting to show a bit of petite like brown sugar on the nose and palate. Excellent.
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Not the strong candidate I was expecting. Looking for a synergistic wine, but it didn’t quite pull it off. Not the end of the world as Carlisle wines are usually exciting.
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Yumptious! Dare I say that a zin with 16% alcohol is "pretty"?!? Great depth of color and flavor, as you'd expect from a Carlisle, but the ruby sparkle that caught my eye seemed to foretell the impressive purity that was in-store for my palate. Even my wife (who often says she likes 'em "not too strong"... but has a remarkably consistent palate and nails most tastings at our house) really liked this.
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Kind of an average Carlisle Zin overall. Dont get me wrong as its pretty tasty juice, but overall I found it kind of flabby with too much prune for my tastes. Lacking the overall brightness I love with some of the better Carlisle's. Although this has some tannin, Im not sure I would hold this one long term.
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The OC Bagged Crew--October 2009 (Sun Dried Tomato Cafe, San Juan Capistrano, CA): Dense, with bittersweet chocolate and new wood, black and blue fruits, espresso and plum sauce. Needs time for the primary elements to recede and let the wine speak. I'd want some more acidity and precision to emerge in the wine to push up against the richness.
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Poured dark and full bodied, rich blackberry flavors, hints of cola, cracked white pepper and sage. The alcohol is well hidden and the wine is nicely balanced. Really nice wine overall and was still alive and full bodied on day two. Nearly as good as the 06 Carlisle Sc Syrah we had afterwards.
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Much better this time. The fruit has mellowed and is more integrated. I hardly noticed the heat. 2nd night was nice as well, everything was butter smooth and harmonious.
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Delicious, rich blackberry/blueberry fruit with cassis flavors, round, good acidity and tannin, great structure and length, wine tasted almost Syrah-like with less strawberry/raspberry flavors than most mixed berry tasting Zinfandels
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Even after two hours of opening up, this wine is still heavy and hot. There are lots of blackberry and chocolate, but not up to the usual Carlisle standard, which is admittedly very high. I will not open up my next bottle of this wine for at least another year and hope for the best.
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Opened and splash decanted about 30 minutes before serving. Followed over about 2 hours. Purple color in the glass. clear hue throughout. Rich nose of berries, cherries and currants that carried through to the palate. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the short term. No reason to really hold at this point. Drinking well.
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This wine needs at least an hour or so decant. Spectacular zin with an extremely smooth body. Tastes of blackberries, pepper and brambles. Mike's zins are beautiful and make me want to start drinking zins again.
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Fresh, lifted aromes of strawberry preserves, briary raspberry, coffee, a little caramel and damp rock dust. Med bodied, with lots of brambly blackberry. Boysenberry and zingy acidity on the finish. A lively, fun Zin. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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Started with one hour decant. rich blueberries, rose petal and (agree with previously mentioned) cherry cola on the nose. Fruit explosion in the mouth with boysenberry, blueberry and cherry. Dry chocolate, sandlewood and slate mixed in. Full bodied. Fine tannins, well integrated acidity and chocolate on the finish. Great.
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Hmmm, not one of the better Carlisle's imo. This one is way hot and clips the finish. The wine behind it seems great, this one just didnt hide the heat very well.
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16.0% alcohol. This is everything you expect from a Carlisle Zinfandel. Opaque red color, very deep. Brambly bouquet of black fruit and spice leaps out of the glass. In the mouth, round, viscous, and purely hedonistic like only a big Zinfandel can be. Rich and balanced, with gobs of black fruit. Appropriate acidity to prevent ripeness and size of the wine to be out of whack. Long finish, with no heat. Hard to argue with what Mike and company are doing at Carlisle. A-
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This had an explosive nose of blueberries, boysenberries, and flowers. It was big, ripe, and well balanced. Along with those mixed berries and flowers, there was a nice mineral streak that ran through the lingering finish. It's a big burly wine but also quite beautiful.
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Big, big, zin with a gobby fruit profile that centers of black raspberry liquor. Thick mouth feel with tons more fruit. A very extracted style and a bit of a departure from the SC zin we've been having. More in the Turley style of things, but still enjoyable.
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Quite rich and lush--to be honest, barely recognizable as a Zinfandel. That said, this was a really tasty wine. My wife and I easily finished the bottle and were looking for more (okay, we're not actually lushes, but I'm trying to make the point that this was a really enjoyable quaff). There was a bit of brambly, peppery fruit that made me think Zinfandel, but otherwise it was rich, ripe, lush strawberries, blackberries, and cherries. Quite tannic at this point, I think it'd be fun to see this wine in 2-3 years as the tannins resolve and the fruit (there is so much of it) has a chance to balance a bit more against not-quite-so-harsh tannins. I can see how some people would throw this into the "pancake syrup" category, but for me it was not that at all.
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My first Carlisle, and it was about as disappointing a wine I've had this year, both in terms of my enjoyment of the wine and in terms of my having heard repeatedly that this producer makes wines in a more complex and balanced style. This wine immediately overwhelmed with sickeningly sweet blueberry pie and vanilla flavors and a thick, heavy mouthfeel. With time in the decanter, the considerable alcoholic heat grew more pronounced and the wine actually went further downhill. This would be better drizzled over ice cream than served in a wine glass.
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Very nice wine with dark purple/fuscia color. For as dark purple as it is, it is surprisingly a little transparent compared to other carlisles. The nose was very nice with something that reminded of a grape candy that i had when i was young. Ann thought it had a jammy quality. Nice balanced cherry flavors with some spice and cherry cola. Not as massive or thick as other carlisles we've had. The 16% alcohol became evident after the bottle was open for a while. Really nice wine but a little hot. Still our favorite winery. 89-90
Day 2: the tannins and heat really mellowed. Round and balanced with a heavier mouth feel. Dark fruit flavors.
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We enjoyed this over two days and it was much better after several hours and was really rocking on the second night. While this wine lacks some of the 'garrigue' elements of the Rossi and Carlisle vineyard wines it brings beautiful cherry and blackberry fruit, exotic spices, super fine and ripe tannn, and a refreshing cherry acidity that keeps you coming back for more. This may be the prettiest Carlisle wine that I have enjoyed and by 'pretty' I mean lovely fragrant fruit that is nearly perfectly balanced and supported by the other elements of the wine. A beautiful bottle of wine.
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This was good yesterday and just crazy good today. Crazy crazy good. Wild red berries, earth, caramel and cocoa with a long finish and no heat. Delicious and addictive but not overly sweet. My favorite winery for QPR with an emphasis on Q.
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No formal notes. Tasted May 10, 2008. Opened and served immediately. Rich berries and cherries on both the nose and palate with additional chewy currants on the palate. Well integrated and balanced. Quite quaffable to the point of constantly reaching for the bottle for more. I'd recommend drinking over the shorter to medium term myself. Really no reason to hold it because it's good to good right from the start.
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One of nine wines tasted blind at Lucio's dinner 4/26/08: Floral on the nose (violets?); lovely cherry cola flavors on the palate. I brought this wine because I could not resist breaking in to my recent Carlisle shipment. Double decanted and aerated in cellar for 4 hours before the dinner. My #2 WOTN; #4 overall. Killer wine. Recommend a little more time to see full potential.
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5/28/2016 - wiscgrad wrote: 85 Points
ten years in and this is still a very big wine. Plenty of big ripe fruit but also heat all the way through. just not my bag
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11/30/2014 - dmitchell4 wrote: 89 Points
Dense, fruit driven, but rather one dimensional.
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12/29/2013 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Yet another winner from Carlisle!
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11/30/2013 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Bright, roundm and bouncy right out of the gate, with delicious clarity and consistent three-way symmetry. Confirmed with another bottle 12/20/13.
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8/14/2013 - stufis wrote: 84 Points
Over the top-overripe, over-extracted, and overblown. 16% ETOH! Hardly redeeming.
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10/28/2012 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Smells like peach and stone fruits but the distinctive, even-keeled plate doesn’t taste as juicy. Finishes with nice energy and a dusting of fine grained tannins.
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7/25/2012 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious zin drinking very well now. Great with grilled moose burgers, fresh swiss chard and a salad. Love these wines from Carlisle. Rarely a disappointment.
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4/23/2012 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
2003-2007 Carlisle Zinfandel Pairs (Rich & Peggy's House, Los Altos, CA): Rich nose with some funk. Well integrated tannins.
Nose: B++ Palate: B+ My #1, Group's #1 (13 pts) Tasted blind
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4/15/2012 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Confident, medium-bodied, ripe dark fruit, braided appealingly with just-bitter and red-pepper notes. Not a ton on the nose, and what was there definitely took coaxing on day two. This pairs like a pinot.
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3/19/2012 - Paul Lin wrote: 90 Points
Drank this wine over the course of several days; not surprisingly, it tasted the best on the last day. Started out a bit oaky and hot, but by the fourth day it came together to display pleasingly decadent notes of dark chocolate, roasted figs, blackberry jam, espresso bean and campfire. Bold and rich on the palate -- layered, with a nice mouthfeel -- finishing with some mineral and graphite-laden tannins. While I was admittedly not a fan of this wine on the first night, especially since I'm not much of a Zin drinker, after sitting open for a few days, it was really strutting its stuff and rather enjoyable to drink. Who'da thunk it? Decant heavily if opening now.
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1/22/2012 - NeuroDoc wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed after the Patriots win. (and during the Giants/ 49ers game). Popped and poured - right out of the bottle, dark/ black/ rich fruits. a bit of tar and moderate complexity. Just Great !
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1/20/2012 - hoservin wrote: 91 Points
1 hour decant. Blackberry jam, black plum, spice, and vanilla. A jammy, dark fruit core with soft, fine tannins on the mid-palate; leading to a medium length, soft, dry finish. Full bodied. Paired with gnocchi and a tomato, basil sauce.
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12/28/2011 - jfkwines wrote: 91 Points
Alot of smokey heaviness underlied by black fruit, I have opened this wine an hour ago and it is just starting to soften to the point that it can be consumed. It is one of the heaviest Zins from Carlisle I have experienced in terms of mouth feel, We really like it but it can definetly wait a bit. it can also probably benefit from a long decant.
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12/18/2011 - kgincap wrote: 95 Points
Drank with Joe 'n Deb. Decanted an hour. Won't go into detail except to say this wine is exactly where it needs to be - drink it now! Joe got that look that clearly communicates joy, and proclaimed it an absolutely amazing Zin. I could not agree more. Stingy though I usually am, with my points, I will happily give Mr. Officer's handiwork a 95!
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11/19/2011 - Night Train wrote: 92 Points
Opened about an hour before tasting. After another 30 minutes or so, it really opened up. Black fruit and a little smoke on the nose. Black fruit with traces of smoke, pepper, bramble, and herbs. Big, dark old-school zin, but surprisingly elegant. High octane, but the heat wasn't noticeable. Very plush, mouth-coating texture and a long, rich finish. May be at its peak, but it should hold for another year or two.
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9/6/2011 - btock wrote: 91 Points
Was grilling and wanted something with some depth. This was a great choice. Deep black fruits, blackberry but balanced on the midpalate and through the finish. The structure is there, and while it can age further, I liked it as this point. Wears the 16% well.
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7/16/2011 - hoservin wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Dark garnet color. Plum, cherry, currant, white pepper, and vanilla aromas and flavors. Jammy dark berry flavors and smooth tannins dominate the mid-palate. Long, soft, satin finish with a subtle sweetness. Full bodied. Paired nicely with Pizza Margherita.
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4/4/2011 - hudamang wrote: 93 Points
I was looking at the vintage chart on the Carlisle website and decided it was time to drink this bottle. Drinking so well right now. My bottle was super well balanced and had great Zin fruit, yet teeth staining like a Petit Sirah. Wonderful finish. Carlisle never disappoints!
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1/8/2011 - acox wrote:
Deep ruby color. Decanted. To start, aromas of herbs and earth. Then dark fruit with sweet spices emerge. On the palate, medium+ body, mouthwatering acid and ripe, but not jammy, fruit. Long finish. Beautifully balanced.
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12/18/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
16.0% alcohol. Opened four hours before serving but not decanted. Still very youthful. Brambly nose of jammy black fruit and spice, with a bit of reduction that never fully blew off. Voluptuous mouth feel, with a bit of heat intruding on the palate. Complex, with plenty of earth and spice, this is a serious Zin. The reductive note was a bit distracting, though. B+
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12/16/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine:
16% ABV. Nearly opaque, dark garnet in the glass. Subdued nose of baking spices (like light coriander). Medium-full bodied with dark berry fruit complemented with some orange and cocoa notes and a cool earthy mineral character. Tasty.
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9/10/2010 - DFC wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured, and then consumed over 4 hours. Full-bodied wine that is dark purple in color. On the nose, briary blackberries, floral notes, and light VA. On the palate, juicy blackberries, blueberries, and cocoa powder on an extremely long 40+ second finish. Well-structured wine with nice fine-grained tannins but a little heat on the finish…this one would benefit from a slight chill.
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9/9/2010 - MLwine wrote: 91 Points
As many times as I have Carlisle zins, I still can't get over the QPR. This was a little thin in the mid-palate but otherwise a very well-integrated, high-class zinfandel.
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8/21/2010 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed over two nights. On day two, the nose was full of rich, smoky blue and black fruit. Palate was juicy with a big kick of rich blackberries, herbs and black pepper. There is a good, lifted presence of vibrant fruit across the mid-palate. Just a touch of heat throws off the otherwise fine finish.
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7/17/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Dinner and Wine (My House): Tasted next to the 2005 Carlisle Feeney. This Bacchi was not to the level or stature of that wine with the Bacchi tasting tight and young, a bit astringent on the finish. Tasted out of whack, meaning that the tannin and some of what seemed like barrel or wood tannin dominating the wine. Just seemed to lack the purity and expression of what I find in Mike's zins. Of note, we did not decant this wine and I would recommend that before drinking.
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6/28/2010 - OneLastSyrah Likes this wine: 92 Points
This hit the spot and seemed to be in a good place. 16% ABV. Black garnet opaque in the glass. Nice aromatic intensity of black raspberry fruit with some secondary graham cracker and spice. Pretty much full bodied but not heavy with sweet ripe black and red berry fruit on the palate with nice length and concentration.
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6/7/2010 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious Zin. It need a little while to really hit stride. I would decant an hour before drinking.
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5/12/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 88 Points
Briary raspberry, smoky plum, dark chocolate, licorice, peppery spice and kirsch on the nose. Dense and chewy with big coffee notes, bark and pronounced black pepper. Peppery tannins on the finish along with zingy acid, a little heat and a metallic edge. There is a freshness on the front palate but clumsiness on the back end.
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4/24/2010 - SMG Likes this wine: 92 Points
The aromas jumped from the galss as soon as I poured it. Wonderful aromatics of cherry, slight bit of pepper, lots of red fruits. This is a great zinfandel that is drinking very well now. The first of my 2006's and I am looking forward to drinking the rest of them soon. I can't imagine this getting any better with time, however, it should stay at this level for a couple years.
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4/20/2010 - greenblanket Likes this wine:
Better on the second night again this year. This still has rich ripe fruit, balancing acidity and enjoyable zin spices and it's starting to show a bit of petite like brown sugar on the nose and palate. Excellent.
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3/20/2010 - mdaniel wrote: 92 Points
(pop & pour) My only bottle and first from this vineyard and it was typical Carlisle, extremely balanced, rich and an absolute pleasure to drink.
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12/28/2009 - John Dunlap wrote: 89 Points
Not the strong candidate I was expecting. Looking for a synergistic wine, but it didn’t quite pull it off. Not the end of the world as Carlisle wines are usually exciting.
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12/19/2009 - depdoc wrote: 92 Points
Excellent and now up to Carlisle standards.
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11/23/2009 - 2loyal wrote: 94 Points
Yumptious! Dare I say that a zin with 16% alcohol is "pretty"?!? Great depth of color and flavor, as you'd expect from a Carlisle, but the ruby sparkle that caught my eye seemed to foretell the impressive purity that was in-store for my palate. Even my wife (who often says she likes 'em "not too strong"... but has a remarkably consistent palate and nails most tastings at our house) really liked this.
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11/9/2009 - Ekoostik wrote: 89 Points
Kind of an average Carlisle Zin overall. Dont get me wrong as its pretty tasty juice, but overall I found it kind of flabby with too much prune for my tastes. Lacking the overall brightness I love with some of the better Carlisle's. Although this has some tannin, Im not sure I would hold this one long term.
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10/3/2009 - Frank Murray III wrote:
The OC Bagged Crew--October 2009 (Sun Dried Tomato Cafe, San Juan Capistrano, CA): Dense, with bittersweet chocolate and new wood, black and blue fruits, espresso and plum sauce. Needs time for the primary elements to recede and let the wine speak. I'd want some more acidity and precision to emerge in the wine to push up against the richness.
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10/3/2009 - WetRock wrote:
The Blind Crew at Sundried Tomatoe Cafe (Sundried Tomatoe Cafe, San Juan Capistrano): Notes of rubber tire, vanilla and caramel this showed some ripeness and heat but overall was a sullen nose. Soft with lots of grip and extracted berries.
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8/28/2009 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
16% ABV. Deeply colored. Touch of yeasty bread dough with rich dark fruit. Pleasant, lush, relatively low acid. Very good.
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8/16/2009 - Vinomarcus wrote: 91 Points
Poured dark and full bodied, rich blackberry flavors, hints of cola, cracked white pepper and sage. The alcohol is well hidden and the wine is nicely balanced. Really nice wine overall and was still alive and full bodied on day two. Nearly as good as the 06 Carlisle Sc Syrah we had afterwards.
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8/7/2009 - karpos wrote: 89 Points
Much better this time. The fruit has mellowed and is more integrated. I hardly noticed the heat. 2nd night was nice as well, everything was butter smooth and harmonious.
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7/19/2009 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Similar to my last bottle. Awesome.
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6/30/2009 - blgros wrote:
Big and rich. Not really hot, but too much over the top for my tastes. Loaded with dark fruit, tannin, oak, and big body.
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6/15/2009 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, rich blackberry/blueberry fruit with cassis flavors, round, good acidity and tannin, great structure and length, wine tasted almost Syrah-like with less strawberry/raspberry flavors than most mixed berry tasting Zinfandels
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5/26/2009 - depdoc wrote: 87 Points
Even after two hours of opening up, this wine is still heavy and hot. There are lots of blackberry and chocolate, but not up to the usual Carlisle standard, which is admittedly very high. I will not open up my next bottle of this wine for at least another year and hope for the best.
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4/12/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted April 12, 2009.
Opened and splash decanted about 30 minutes before serving. Followed over about 2 hours. Purple color in the glass. clear hue throughout. Rich nose of berries, cherries and currants that carried through to the palate. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the short term. No reason to really hold at this point. Drinking well.
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4/6/2009 - orcharddude22 wrote: 92 Points
This wine needs at least an hour or so decant. Spectacular zin with an extremely smooth body. Tastes of blackberries, pepper and brambles. Mike's zins are beautiful and make me want to start drinking zins again.
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3/27/2009 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Fresh, lifted aromes of strawberry preserves, briary raspberry, coffee, a little caramel and damp rock dust. Med bodied, with lots of brambly blackberry. Boysenberry and zingy acidity on the finish. A lively, fun Zin. Drink over the next 2-3 years.
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1/22/2009 - tairanosaurus wrote: 92 Points
Started with one hour decant. rich blueberries, rose petal and (agree with previously mentioned) cherry cola on the nose. Fruit explosion in the mouth with boysenberry, blueberry and cherry. Dry chocolate, sandlewood and slate mixed in. Full bodied. Fine tannins, well integrated acidity and chocolate on the finish. Great.
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1/13/2009 - budman wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruit, spice, incredible nose, and long finish. Who could ask for more?
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12/7/2008 - Ekoostik wrote: 88 Points
Hmmm, not one of the better Carlisle's imo. This one is way hot and clips the finish. The wine behind it seems great, this one just didnt hide the heat very well.
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11/28/2008 - gutt22 wrote:
16.0% alcohol. This is everything you expect from a Carlisle Zinfandel. Opaque red color, very deep. Brambly bouquet of black fruit and spice leaps out of the glass. In the mouth, round, viscous, and purely hedonistic like only a big Zinfandel can be. Rich and balanced, with gobs of black fruit. Appropriate acidity to prevent ripeness and size of the wine to be out of whack. Long finish, with no heat. Hard to argue with what Mike and company are doing at Carlisle. A-
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9/9/2008 - mebydef wrote: 94 Points
This had an explosive nose of blueberries, boysenberries, and flowers. It was big, ripe, and well balanced. Along with those mixed berries and flowers, there was a nice mineral streak that ran through the lingering finish. It's a big burly wine but also quite beautiful.
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9/3/2008 - Elkiholic wrote: 90 Points
Big, big, zin with a gobby fruit profile that centers of black raspberry liquor. Thick mouth feel with tons more fruit. A very extracted style and a bit of a departure from the SC zin we've been having. More in the Turley style of things, but still enjoyable.
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8/7/2008 - Tintin wrote: 89 Points
Very dark chocolate and coffee notes. Unique to the Carlisle style.
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7/8/2008 - MarkC wrote:
Quite rich and lush--to be honest, barely recognizable as a Zinfandel. That said, this was a really tasty wine. My wife and I easily finished the bottle and were looking for more (okay, we're not actually lushes, but I'm trying to make the point that this was a really enjoyable quaff). There was a bit of brambly, peppery fruit that made me think Zinfandel, but otherwise it was rich, ripe, lush strawberries, blackberries, and cherries. Quite tannic at this point, I think it'd be fun to see this wine in 2-3 years as the tannins resolve and the fruit (there is so much of it) has a chance to balance a bit more against not-quite-so-harsh tannins. I can see how some people would throw this into the "pancake syrup" category, but for me it was not that at all.
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7/7/2008 - Counselor Chris wrote:
My first Carlisle, and it was about as disappointing a wine I've had this year, both in terms of my enjoyment of the wine and in terms of my having heard repeatedly that this producer makes wines in a more complex and balanced style. This wine immediately overwhelmed with sickeningly sweet blueberry pie and vanilla flavors and a thick, heavy mouthfeel. With time in the decanter, the considerable alcoholic heat grew more pronounced and the wine actually went further downhill. This would be better drizzled over ice cream than served in a wine glass.
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7/6/2008 - Outplaying wrote: 89 Points
Very nice wine with dark purple/fuscia color. For as dark purple as it is, it is surprisingly a little transparent compared to other carlisles. The nose was very nice with something that reminded of a grape candy that i had when i was young. Ann thought it had a jammy quality. Nice balanced cherry flavors with some spice and cherry cola. Not as massive or thick as other carlisles we've had. The 16% alcohol became evident after the bottle was open for a while. Really nice wine but a little hot. Still our favorite winery. 89-90
Day 2: the tannins and heat really mellowed. Round and balanced with a heavier mouth feel. Dark fruit flavors.
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7/1/2008 - greenblanket wrote:
We enjoyed this over two days and it was much better after several hours and was really rocking on the second night. While this wine lacks some of the 'garrigue' elements of the Rossi and Carlisle vineyard wines it brings beautiful cherry and blackberry fruit, exotic spices, super fine and ripe tannn, and a refreshing cherry acidity that keeps you coming back for more. This may be the prettiest Carlisle wine that I have enjoyed and by 'pretty' I mean lovely fragrant fruit that is nearly perfectly balanced and supported by the other elements of the wine. A beautiful bottle of wine.
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5/24/2008 - silton wrote: 92 Points
This was good yesterday and just crazy good today. Crazy crazy good. Wild red berries, earth, caramel and cocoa with a long finish and no heat. Delicious and addictive but not overly sweet. My favorite winery for QPR with an emphasis on Q.
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5/10/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
No formal notes. Tasted May 10, 2008. Opened and served immediately. Rich berries and cherries on both the nose and palate with additional chewy currants on the palate. Well integrated and balanced. Quite quaffable to the point of constantly reaching for the bottle for more. I'd recommend drinking over the shorter to medium term myself. Really no reason to hold it because it's good to good right from the start.
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4/27/2008 - scofer wrote: 92 Points
One of nine wines tasted blind at Lucio's dinner 4/26/08: Floral on the nose (violets?); lovely cherry cola flavors on the palate. I brought this wine because I could not resist breaking in to my recent Carlisle shipment. Double decanted and aerated in cellar for 4 hours before the dinner. My #2 WOTN; #4 overall. Killer wine. Recommend a little more time to see full potential.
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3/19/2008 - karpos wrote: 87 Points
Big and fruity, mouth coating. Drink these at your next barbecue. 16% alcohol!
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