Consumed over three nights. On night one, immediately fragrant upon opening (twist-cap, not a cork), seemingly lighter in color than the Lingenfelder, but more prominent fruit (lots of blackberry) and acidity. Lighter tannins than the Lingenfelder. Night two, the wine lost some fruit but picked up a distinct earthiness and a bit of -OH evidence--still very enjoyable. Night three, alcohol had dissipated, but the wine retained the modest fruit and earthiness, with a bit more pepper than in prior nights.
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What a remarkable bargain this has been! Holding up incredibly well at the age of ten and with seemingly at least five more years of ageing capacity. Still lots of primary zinfruits on display, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry and liqueured berry notes. Also some spices, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves. Full bodied and rich. Only minor drawback to me was an okay vanilla component sticking out a little bit akin to what I find in wines such as modern, aged Ribera del Duero. I find it to be less integrated today than in a bottle consumed 1½ year ago. I am afraid this will only get worse with age and it causes me to rate it a point below my last bottle, which didn't have this problem. It'd advice to drink up because of this, but all else in the wine seemed to be so sound and age worthy still
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OMG what a sensational value! Outperformed my expectations with a healthy margin and provides a good case for a reason to age Mike's Zin's. Fully resolved with no structural components out of place but not lacking in any way, just perfectly balanced, with a full body and full, rich finish. Pronounced intensity nose and palate, still juicy, energetic and bright. Fresh and candied red berry notes (raspberry, blackberry), typical zin-spices: cinammon, cloves, cardamom, bit of vanilla, nice hints of evolution with a bit of tobacco leaf development, hints of malo-milk and chocolate, yet still so zingy, fresh, intense and lively. I might be underrating it with a 91. I am wowed and in a state of slight disbelief. -And so happy with the apparent quality of my passive cellar hovering around the 54F/12C degrees year around because this bottle has stood there for almost seven years (stood because of the screwcap closure) and it is still so fresh.
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Tasty Zin with v.good fruit in a fat and satisfying mid palate and a satisfying finish. This has held very well. Great w/gas broiled beefalo strip steak...a steal at $21.
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In it's sweet spot, in more ways than 1...great on the nose, even better on the palate., with a lengthy finish and robust fruit profile supporting the alc level. No tannins to speak of at this point. Killer at $21 (my price point).
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Decanted through an aerator and strainer and drank over the next three hours. Opaque, dark ruby-red. Mostly Blackberry and other dark fruit, but definite raspberry and tart cherry hints. The finish goes on and on and on. Very full-bodied. Chalky, earthy mouthfeel, but without overpowering the fruit. This one is nowhere near finished; you can hold this one for another 5+ years. Great QPR; this is one of the best $20 bottles of wine I've ever tasted.
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Very nice. Great fruit, blackberry, raspberry, a little bit of smoke in the background. Full bodied. A little soft, and not a lot of depth, but so delicious.
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Had this over 4 nites, re-capped and re-frig'ed each nite. It held up very well, none of the atrophy one gets in reds after this time frame. Showing hints of the "Mike" fingerprints, a deep and worthy non-SVD "Zin" in all it's glory. A wonderful, dram (as some might say in Scawtlind)...and for $20 on the mailing list way back when! Huge!
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Great entry level Carlisle Zin, and seems better than it's '07, IIRC. Not as tannic or tart, less unforgiving. Could qualify as a patio Sippin' Zin, if it weren't for Mike's SVD being so good for that...
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Unlike the 2008 Dry Creek Zin we drank, this was clearly in its drinking window. Good spice to the nose, pleasant berry in the body and a good finish. Great value but certainly simpler than the other Zins we had.
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Juicy Cali Zin. Ripe and full bodied. Loads of flavor. Soft and supple tannins. Med(-) acidity. Not my favorite style, but a crowd pleaser. Drink now through 2015 I'd say.
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Twist and pour ... Hmm, I just found a half-case of the '08 that somehow got left behind in the drinking department. (I've already gone through my case of '09.) And, frankly, the wine has suffered for it. It's still far from bad, but the bramble fruit and creamy texture are gone. Red fruits are still there to open, but only briefly. Even the nose has faded. Still quite dry, but much of the spice has diminished (integrated). A little boring and pedestrian which is disappointing, especially knowing how awesome this was in its prime. On the downhill slide, so I'd suggest anyone drink up soon.
My Carlisle Zin experience indicates it drinks best at the 2-3 years after vintage mark.
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This is getting a bit murky and ill defined with age, showing some plummy stewed notes at first, but improved to more of a black and red fruited focus, with some cola and bramble, on the second evening. Good, not great, won't improve, still has a little settling in to do, but don't know if it's worth the wait. Very, very good, especially for the price.
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The wine is a deep, dark, ruby color. The sexy and inviting nose has black raspberries, white pepper, melted licorice, violets, dried herbs, and lesser notes of baking spice, dark bittersweet chocolate, and underbrush. This has fairly full body, moderate ripe tannins, and outstanding acidity. The palate starts off with solid black raspberries and pepper with the dried herbs and dark chocolate building quickly, on the back end a floral note and some earthiness come into the picture adding even more depth and complexity. The long, lingering finish showcases the juicy berries, chocolate, and earthiness with the acidity giving a lot of lift and brightness. This is just entering a nice drinking window, and the tannins and acidity will keep this alive and kicking through most of the decade.
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Smooth, very balanced. Plenty of flavor and ready to drink now. Such a QPR. My recommendation is catch it in the moment, drink now to enjoy the fruit presentation.
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Brilliant purple in color. 15% ABV. Black fruits, pepper and licorice on the nose. Gobs of raspberry compote, white pepper, cocoa, anise and cherries on the palate. Spectacular finish. The wine is more about dark fruits than brambly red fruits. Delicious nonetheless!
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Delicious to the last drop, this was my last bottle. I've enjoyed half a case, and wish I had more. While this won't improve, it easily has the oomph to last another 3-4 years. Served at my wedding, among other notable occassions, this has served me well. Thanks, Mike!
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Deep dark purple in color and dense like most Carlisle wines. Brambly red fruit on nose, and big fruit on palate as well. Red and black raspberry, cherry. A bit lighter than other Carlise Zons but very enjoyable with our lasgana.
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PnP. Bright ruby color, but dense. Blueberries or black raspberries, with cinnamon and other light spice. Raspberries on the very long finish. Complex flavors that shift and are hard to ID. A great example of why the lower level Carlislies are the best QPR ever.
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Consistent with previous note, maybe even more woven - nicely integrated elements at this point. After much experimentation, as a general rule, I like Mike's Zins with a couple years of bottle age.
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Poured through Vinturi ... Crisp and smooth, with a core of bright fruit that enhances, but doesn't overpower. A bit of chocolate, nice acidity and a firm tannic backbone. Well structured and delicious. Still drinking very, very nicely.
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P&P. Delicious out of the gate. Some tannins here, and tons of big, brambly Mike Officer fruit. The petite syrah really helps this with definition and depth. The bright red, black and blue fruits get taken over by a bit of over ripeness on day two, and even more on day three, but this is superbly gulpable, especially with grilled buffalo burgers, all the way through. Can't imagine more out of a blended Zin. As always, killer QPR, and delicious in its own right.
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Just a crazy QPR. 1 hour decant. Brambly black fruits, well balanced with a leathery spice, pepper, and a blue fruit mid palate. Medium-long length. Just a killer little zin - great balance. Outstanding.
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Poured off a glass and left open for two hours. A wonderful complex zin. It smoothed out over 3 hours and blueberry really came out. An amazing wine for the price.
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Splash decant ... In a beautiful place right now. Opens with bright, vibrant blue and red fruits and then deepens into something more complex and earthy. Long, smooth finish. Very well balanced and not at all over-the-top. Can't imagine this one getting any better. Super QPR and another great bottle form Carlisle!
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Decanted for about an hour before I began to drink, and it needed about an hour and a half before it was drinking at it's best. Raspberry liquer on the nose with some heat. Palate also has some raspberry liquer, with some blackberry and white pepper. Got better over the 3.5 hour we drank it. Very balanced with enough acid to balance the fruit.
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Under screwcap - PnP and consumed over 2 hours. Showing incredibly well right now. Nose is a bit reticent at this stage but showing some berry and spice. Really gorgeous palate of brambly fruit and baking spice. There is just a hint of oak that perfectly complements the fruit - most other Cali winemakers would do well to emulate this approach to oak. Fantastic balance, great mouthfeel, structure to last for 10+ years in the cellar, not a hint of the 15% alcohol - I don't see why this doesn't deserve a huge score here...hence my score of 94. If the nose develops more, this will score higher in my book. I really need to be promoted to the mailing list from the wait list (waiting since mid-2009). Carlisle is producing the best Zins at the fairest prices. Well done.
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Opened, but did not decant, approx. 3 hours prior to drinking ... This one is really singing right now. Smells amazing and tastes almost as good. Big, up front berry punch giving way to a smooth and lush cocoa-laden finish that, to me, screams classic Cali Zin. Finishes dry with a spicy kick. All in all, another very well made Carlisle that's a pure pleasure to drink.
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Deep purple in color, alc 15.0%. This wine's nose screams of black and blue fruit, there is nothing delicate here. I notice some heat on the nose, as well as blueberry jam, and some embers/ash. This wine is very full bodied in the mouth, with plush and full tannins, offering up blackberry, tart cherries, asphalt, black pepper, and a little leather on the 40 sec finish. Wait...is that chocolate on the finish? Was great with pasta and red sauce with meatballs. This wine is still young, will easily go 3-5 more years, allowing more time to integrate and perhaps soften up the tannins a bit further. Very nice.
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This was our special "Judgement Day" wine selection to go with hearty cheeseburgers and fries. I couldn't think of a better way to bid farewell to those in my life that have behaved significantly better than I have. In the end, this wine proved to be the perfect compliment to the food we chose to shovel into our pie holes.
So what exactly is it about the '08 Sonoma County Zinfandel that sets it apart from the sea of mediocre swill being peddled on Safeway store shelves? It all comes down to the fact that this wine is a beautiful blending of Zin and a bit of PS that steps up with moderately ripe black and blue berries held together by a lovely earthiness that lends this wine just the right amount of complexity. While rather high in alcohol at 15%, I never noticed even a hint of heat.
Mike Officer, along with Morgan Twain Peterson, are producing true California treasures that deserve your attention. As for QPR, this is just outstanding. Wish I had more!
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Ann took this to a zin tasting with some girlfriends. All she said was that it was a favorite among the group along with a Turley. She said the others were much more in your face and this was more restrained and classy.
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Liked it as a Zin. Was best day two when the candy aspect to the red fruit went away. Fruity but at the same time somewhat understated on bramble and tannins. A fun wine that was well made but not very serious. Maybe it will get better with time.
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Two week Thailand trip - We took one night off of Thai food, and had a delicious stone oven pizza, and this seemed the perfect accompaniment.
Popped and poured into smallish glasses. Dark purple. An attractive dark fruit and bramble nose. Full bodied, moderate tannins, quintessential Zin characteristics, moderate finish. A large scaled wine at this point, will mellow with time.
This is an excellent wine and a better value.
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Full bodied and massive amounts of ripe black and blue fruits, menthol and oak that, while huge, are also in balance. Peppery finish. This would be a great BBQ wine.
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15.0% alcohol. Just a fantastic, brambly, spicy, black-fruited Zin. Pure and full-throttle with, nevertheless, a terrific sense of balance. Just a wine made to drink and enjoy. Tremendous value. A-
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like sniffing a big bowl of brambly fruit with tones of top soil, bay leaf, and menthol in the distance. full body and almost creamy on the palate. at first the acid is shy, but comes on stronger and stronger - particularly in the finish. etoh becomes more noticeable on the finish as it warms. tannins still present, but overall drinking very well right now.
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Needs a little time to open up, and probably should be cellared a few more years, but it delivered another satisfying Carlisle experience. Aromas and flavors of blackberry jam, blueberry, spice, and a hint of zinfandel bramble. A crowd pleaser - the first bottle finished off among a big lineup of options at a NYE party.
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30 minutes after bottle open. Boysenberry compote on the nose. in the mouth, starts with blackberry/boysenberry and some spice. Transitions to same fruit with pencil shavings. mocha emerges more toward finish. Lengthy finish with fruit, tanin and acidity. I found this approachable more quickly than what I'm accustomed to with Carlisle.
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Popped & poured. It's a big fruity zin that could lawn down for another couple of years. Smooth tannins, dark fruits, and a little heat. Dark as night. Delicious and should continue to improve; but certainly drinkable now. Will give the next one a decent decant.
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Popped and poured, the last of 6 wines of the night. Brambly blue/blackberries, baking spices a bit of oak. Big alcohol yet it is in nice balance. Outstanding QPR.
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Already showing much better than this summer, especially on day 2. Ridiculous QPR, but you knew that already. Bramble, mocha, spice, lightly creamy oak at the margins. 90-91. Too bad production was limited in 08.
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15.0% alcohol. Popped and poured, then drunk over three hours. Brambly and spicy, with assertive black fruit on the nose. In the mouth, spicy and laden with fruit, a wine that is just fabulously endowed with classic Zinfandel notes. Just loving is. A-
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Decant approx. 30 min ... Very young, and drinks like it. Fresh and fruity, with a real crisp, light mouthfeel and taste. Berries on the nose and palate and not at all overwhelming or over-the-top. Not as rich as a lot of big Sonoma County Zins; much more refined. The nose isn't as fragrant as I expected it to be, but, to be fair, it was still a tad cool when we started drinking.
This is my first Carlisle and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more. To me it was along the lines of a Seghesio, though less overpowering. (The alcohol was not at all noticeable, in taste or effect ... A plus in my book.) Interesting take on a pure Zin. Held up well to lamb curry kebobs and a nice drinker on its own too.
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Decanted for 1 hour - still needed more time. Rich, Bordeaux-like Zin - fruity but not jammy at all. Complex - easy to drink an entire bottle while trying to figure out what is going on. Screw-top.
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15.0% alcohol. Still needs quite a bit of air, but a really strong, focused expression of blueberry and spice. Good structure, and the fruit delivers such a great punch that it's impossible not to just enjoy. A-
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Perhaps one problem with Carlisle , if you can call it that, is I sometimes expect miracles with every pop of the cork, and while this was certainly a good wine, no question a great value, I found this particular bottle a bit heavy, and just a little to brawny for my wussy little taste buds. Certainly quality, I just had a hard time getting past the very masculine tannins and perceptible heat on both the nose and tannins which seems to quash the underlying fruit. Perhaps I had this to close to a recent and superb 07 Papera Ranch (yet again) to set an unfair standard.
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smell sweet toasty jam leading into a bramble-berry flavor making way to a hoisen sauce/asian spice spicy finish. great now but I think this will be flying in a year
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Super concentrated dry black fruit, assertive and dense, yet remarkably lithe. Syrah like aromas of olive and pork fat. Caramel finish. Full bodied flavor, rieghned in by juicy acidity. Not quite the blockbuster as other Carlisles, but to be fair, it hasn't even been off the vine two years. The raw material here suggests serious upside. The value here is obvious, but I'd be remiss not to mention the $17 price tag. Killer wine, killer qpr.
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Decanted about 4 1/2 hours. The nose had bramble and raspberry, black currant and mocha, and some vanilla towards the end. The palate had lots of dark fruit and dark chocolate. It also had some spice and earth, and finished with creamy oak.
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Full raspberry and blueberry nose with spice and toast. Palate is medium rich, smooth and fresh from buoyant acidity. Cracked pepper note on the fruit filled finish. Just plain good and tasty zin.
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Interesting nose, the nose alone is worth the price of the bottle. Very ripe berries, vanilla and cream. A bit of mocha every now and then. The palate is not as complex but it is delicious. Primarily ripe raspberries and a little black pepper. Great blast of acid, just like eating raspberries in that sense. Just a hint of sweetness that gets swept up by the acid. A great drink, made better by the price.
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Alright. Ready for my next shipment. What's the hold up? I've gone through all my SC 08's. Must order heavier next time. As always, an incredible value...
The nose is all briary, sappy, Zinberry goodness, frankly textbook nose, high toned, never hot...the palate is fresh, jumping off the palate fresh, medium body, can take a chill down in temp just fine, some background structure, some sappiness - all in all quite finely balanced - and I'm using that word with a Zin! Great stuff and cheap cheap cheap!
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This got drank a couple of days ago when it sat in the decanter or bottle for an entire evening. At times, the nose had some burn to it, while the fruit was simultaneously dark, bold, and fresh. This showed more structure with air, more than I was expecting. I wouldn't call this disjointed, but I didn't find it harmonious and will try to bury this QPR in the cellar until next winter.
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Decanted for one hour. dark purple in colour that's somewhat effervescent. Dark fruit aromas; plumb and black berry, soy sauce, chalk, oak and white pepper. Well rounded in the mouth with a nice long finish. The tannins are also round. I am very impressed with the jammy-elegance of this Zin. It's plush and possesses the right amount of concentration. You can tell that Mike likes his Bordeaux. Some time will help the harmony. Drink 2011 - 2016.
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Just a quick note on this one. Wife opened it as a "surprise" to go with the orrechiette/sausage/rapini she'd prepared. We have lots of 2007 Carlisle and I noticed she'd chosen the '08! We had another wine with dinner, and had this one over the next couple of days. On day 1 it was fruity but a bit disjointed with short finish. A bit strange to be honest. However, we had the other half of the bottle 2 days later, by which time it was absolutely gorgeous and singing. Great balance and structure, tons of fruit moderated nicely by oak and a bit of tannin I thought. Moral, if you open this one early....decant, decant, decant!
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Wild red berry, some stewed plum, kirsch, a planky note and a little buttered popcorn. Round, soft fruit, with tannin and spice building through the finish. Finishes with brambly red fruits, kirsch, spices and noticable heat. A fun wine but at this stage the alcohol somewhat over-powers the fruit. Give these another year or two.
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drank too young...took 24 hours to open and is still not showing much. blueberry and strawberry integrated core with kiwi highlights...will sing in a year or so.
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Decanted 1 hr. Dark, brooding and extracted, this SC Zin was quite a contrast to the more elegant and refined Lingenfelder (2008) I had last month. A serious concoction of Zinfandel, waves of dark jammy fruit but has not quite found its sea legs yet. I think a couple of months would help bring this wine into focus, but still very enjoyable.
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Brambly, spicy red and black fruits with nice acidity and structure. I thought it had some meaty qualities that at first reminded me of syrah. Ann said it had a smoked sausage note. A tasty zin that is nicely on the not over the top side. Great QPR.
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This was very good. Simple. Raspberries, a little vanilla, oak, spice on the nose and palate. A little heat, but it wasn't an annoyance. I'd wait a 6-12 months before popping another one, but it's a decent experience now.
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Ruby red; sweet raspberry, vanilla, spice and wet earth on the nose with a hint of graphite; raspberry candied fruit with vanilla and spice undertones; simple but rich; as always, impressive for the price.
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My QPR of the year so far. Excellent depth to the berry flavors and a hint of alcohol that actually worked for me. Creamy and juicy with some brambly notes on the nose. Seamless.
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Twist and go, daddy o. I opened this last night so the notes that follow are with about a day of bottle decant. Rich aromatics, floral, bit of heat. Richly formed palate, with lots of red and black berry, vanilla, some root beer and a decent amount of oak richness but it adds a creamy, vanilla edged accent to the wine. There is a juiciness that closes through the finish, with some red vine, anise and some structure. I paid 17 and a 1/2 bucks for this wine...flavor, weight, some richness and a great price=QPR!
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Bottles arrived in the AM and had one popped open by early evening. Poured black and inky. Huge notes of crushed violets and lavender and flax, meaty and full throttle black ripe fruit, some cola, and a good amounts of sage and hickory. Really, really nice. If there is a better qpr in California, please let me know.
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The nose of this wine had blackberry/cherry aromas along with vanilla and some spice notes. The palate was full of ripe dark fruit flavors with a note of licorice and spices. Full bodied with a long finish - this is an amazing value for the price and a really nice Zin. Glad I have more.
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This was an absolute hit with everyone and easily outshone the Jaffurs Ampelos Syrah. Dark cherries and blackberries along with some spice on the nose. Full bodied, but in no way going overboard on the palate, really juicy as well with everything coming together in the mouth. Leading to a rather long finish filled with spice and a nice backbone to it.
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This was the last bottle of the night, so this is all off of (slightly inebriated!) memory. Nice dark color to it. Dark fruits and spice jumping from the glass along with a bit of oak. Full bodied, with just a ton of black fruits covering the mouth. Nice weighty feel to it in the mouth. Long finish with some spices and just a touch of heat that eventually blew off. Fantastic Zin for the price....
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As a preface, I do like to drink my zins and petite sirahs on the young exuberant side of the spectrum. No surprise here, another incredible Zin from Carlisle. Screw-cap, unscrewed and poured during a beautiful early evening dinner in the backyard with wife and kids. Does the setting affect my perception of the wine? Probably, but this zin hit every sweet spot. Great nose with blue/black fruits, spice, anise, and a mineral element. The palate is equally satisfying and has a certain creamy texture that fully envelops the fruit/earthy/anise in the mouth. Nicely balanced and structured and , as always for me with Carlisle, alcohol (15%) never noticeable. Not complex but what a wine at this price. I did notice that the wine was not as alluring after being open for about 3 hours, although it was a rather warm evening.
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15.0% alcohol. This vintage, unlike 2007, is all bottled under screw cap. Marvelous youthful Zin here. Brambly black fruit on the nose, tinged with a fair bit of creamy oak. The oak blew off with vigorous swirling, and this was just a pleasure of a wine. Plush and powerful, with fruit that wasn't jammy although it perhaps veered in that direction from time to time. A seamless wine that just drank beautifully. Better with another 6-12 months in bottle. A-
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5/3/2020 - rldixon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consumed in a series of Carlisle Zins:
1. 2008 Lingenfelder
2. 2008 Sonoma County
Consumed over three nights. On night one, immediately fragrant upon opening (twist-cap, not a cork), seemingly lighter in color than the Lingenfelder, but more prominent fruit (lots of blackberry) and acidity. Lighter tannins than the Lingenfelder. Night two, the wine lost some fruit but picked up a distinct earthiness and a bit of -OH evidence--still very enjoyable. Night three, alcohol had dissipated, but the wine retained the modest fruit and earthiness, with a bit more pepper than in prior nights.
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8/21/2018 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 90 Points
What a remarkable bargain this has been! Holding up incredibly well at the age of ten and with seemingly at least five more years of ageing capacity. Still lots of primary zinfruits on display, blackberry, raspberry, elderberry and liqueured berry notes. Also some spices, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves. Full bodied and rich. Only minor drawback to me was an okay vanilla component sticking out a little bit akin to what I find in wines such as modern, aged Ribera del Duero. I find it to be less integrated today than in a bottle consumed 1½ year ago. I am afraid this will only get worse with age and it causes me to rate it a point below my last bottle, which didn't have this problem. It'd advice to drink up because of this, but all else in the wine seemed to be so sound and age worthy still
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6/10/2017 - ljl203 wrote: 91 Points
SineQuaNon nailed it. Sensational value 91+ worth of berry, choco goodness.
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1/21/2017 - SineQuaNon Likes this wine: 91 Points
OMG what a sensational value! Outperformed my expectations with a healthy margin and provides a good case for a reason to age Mike's Zin's. Fully resolved with no structural components out of place but not lacking in any way, just perfectly balanced, with a full body and full, rich finish. Pronounced intensity nose and palate, still juicy, energetic and bright. Fresh and candied red berry notes (raspberry, blackberry), typical zin-spices: cinammon, cloves, cardamom, bit of vanilla, nice hints of evolution with a bit of tobacco leaf development, hints of malo-milk and chocolate, yet still so zingy, fresh, intense and lively. I might be underrating it with a 91. I am wowed and in a state of slight disbelief. -And so happy with the apparent quality of my passive cellar hovering around the 54F/12C degrees year around because this bottle has stood there for almost seven years (stood because of the screwcap closure) and it is still so fresh.
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5/8/2016 - MoreWinePlease Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasty Zin with v.good fruit in a fat and satisfying mid palate and a satisfying finish. This has held very well. Great w/gas broiled beefalo strip steak...a steal at $21.
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3/14/2016 - skinut Likes this wine: 90 Points
How can you go wrong with a $20 Carlisle wine? Solid, straightforward Carlisle style Zin. Really enjoyed it over two nights with meals. Screw-top.
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7/5/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 91 Points
My last one and it continues to deliver pleasure.
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2/1/2015 - stufis wrote: 90 Points
In it's sweet spot, in more ways than 1...great on the nose, even better on the palate., with a lengthy finish and robust fruit profile supporting the alc level. No tannins to speak of at this point. Killer at $21 (my price point).
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1/23/2015 - Ed B wrote: 92 Points
Decanted through an aerator and strainer and drank over the next three hours. Opaque, dark ruby-red. Mostly Blackberry and other dark fruit, but definite raspberry and tart cherry hints. The finish goes on and on and on. Very full-bodied. Chalky, earthy mouthfeel, but without overpowering the fruit. This one is nowhere near finished; you can hold this one for another 5+ years. Great QPR; this is one of the best $20 bottles of wine I've ever tasted.
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12/20/2014 - JavaMonkey Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice. Great fruit, blackberry, raspberry, a little bit of smoke in the background. Full bodied. A little soft, and not a lot of depth, but so delicious.
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12/18/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 88 Points
This also has a screw cap and is an OAK BOMB!!! Seems very atypical of Carlisle style; maybe it was an experiment.
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8/9/2014 - snarfglk wrote: 90 Points
This is a packaged with a screw cap closure. I think the other one I have is with a cork. Interested in seeing how/if they differ.
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6/20/2014 - Sennma wrote:
Potenially the best value wine on the market.
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5/30/2014 - stufis wrote: 88 Points
Had this over 4 nites, re-capped and re-frig'ed each nite. It held up very well, none of the atrophy one gets in reds after this time frame. Showing hints of the "Mike" fingerprints, a deep and worthy non-SVD "Zin" in all it's glory. A wonderful, dram (as some might say in Scawtlind)...and for $20 on the mailing list way back when! Huge!
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5/23/2014 - stufis wrote: 89 Points
Geez...I only have 11 more of this?
Great entry level Carlisle Zin, and seems better than it's '07, IIRC.
Not as tannic or tart, less unforgiving. Could qualify as a patio Sippin' Zin, if it weren't for Mike's SVD being so good for that...
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2/8/2014 - apham789 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good value. Definitely in its' window. Just enough spice, not overly jammy, very flavorful. Wish I had a few more bottles.
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10/11/2013 - stufis Likes this wine: 90 Points
In it's wheelhouse, for sure. Screw-capped, tannins seem resolved, sweet on the palate, very well balanced, lengthy finish.
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10/4/2013 - btock Likes this wine: 91 Points
A shining example of why Carlisle is my go-to. Great depth, balanced, length and under $20. Thanks Mike.
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8/30/2013 - jaumealaska Likes this wine: 89 Points
Unlike the 2008 Dry Creek Zin we drank, this was clearly in its drinking window. Good spice to the nose, pleasant berry in the body and a good finish. Great value but certainly simpler than the other Zins we had.
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7/10/2013 - drrobvino wrote: 87 Points
Juicy Cali Zin.
Ripe and full bodied. Loads of flavor.
Soft and supple tannins. Med(-) acidity.
Not my favorite style, but a crowd pleaser.
Drink now through 2015 I'd say.
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5/20/2013 - markandsusanw wrote: 88 Points
Twist and pour ... Hmm, I just found a half-case of the '08 that somehow got left behind in the drinking department. (I've already gone through my case of '09.) And, frankly, the wine has suffered for it. It's still far from bad, but the bramble fruit and creamy texture are gone. Red fruits are still there to open, but only briefly. Even the nose has faded. Still quite dry, but much of the spice has diminished (integrated). A little boring and pedestrian which is disappointing, especially knowing how awesome this was in its prime. On the downhill slide, so I'd suggest anyone drink up soon.
My Carlisle Zin experience indicates it drinks best at the 2-3 years after vintage mark.
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4/22/2013 - sawira wrote: 88 Points
This is getting a bit murky and ill defined with age, showing some plummy stewed notes at first, but improved to more of a black and red fruited focus, with some cola and bramble, on the second evening. Good, not great, won't improve, still has a little settling in to do, but don't know if it's worth the wait. Very, very good, especially for the price.
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4/15/2013 - cbbrown3 wrote: 92 Points
The wine is a deep, dark, ruby color. The sexy and inviting nose has black raspberries, white pepper, melted licorice, violets, dried herbs, and lesser notes of baking spice, dark bittersweet chocolate, and underbrush. This has fairly full body, moderate ripe tannins, and outstanding acidity. The palate starts off with solid black raspberries and pepper with the dried herbs and dark chocolate building quickly, on the back end a floral note and some earthiness come into the picture adding even more depth and complexity. The long, lingering finish showcases the juicy berries, chocolate, and earthiness with the acidity giving a lot of lift and brightness. This is just entering a nice drinking window, and the tannins and acidity will keep this alive and kicking through most of the decade.
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4/7/2013 - btock Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth, very balanced. Plenty of flavor and ready to drink now. Such a QPR. My recommendation is catch it in the moment, drink now to enjoy the fruit presentation.
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3/13/2013 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Brilliant purple in color. 15% ABV. Black fruits, pepper and licorice on the nose. Gobs of raspberry compote, white pepper, cocoa, anise and cherries on the palate. Spectacular finish. The wine is more about dark fruits than brambly red fruits. Delicious nonetheless!
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2/19/2013 - sawira wrote: 90 Points
Delicious to the last drop, this was my last bottle. I've enjoyed half a case, and wish I had more. While this won't improve, it easily has the oomph to last another 3-4 years. Served at my wedding, among other notable occassions, this has served me well. Thanks, Mike!
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2/7/2013 - stufis wrote: 89 Points
Still a superb wine; PnP, screw-capped, nothing missing.
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12/21/2012 - sma Likes this wine: 89 Points
Deep dark purple in color and dense like most Carlisle wines. Brambly red fruit on nose, and big fruit on palate as well. Red and black raspberry, cherry. A bit lighter than other Carlise Zons but very enjoyable with our lasgana.
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11/27/2012 - stufis Likes this wine: 88 Points
Sweet on the palate, balanced wonderfully, long finish. Seems to exceed the '07 version, which seemed less sweet, more clipped.
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11/7/2012 - Ed B wrote: 93 Points
PnP. Bright ruby color, but dense. Blueberries or black raspberries, with cinnamon and other light spice. Raspberries on the very long finish. Complex flavors that shift and are hard to ID. A great example of why the lower level Carlislies are the best QPR ever.
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11/6/2012 - iamandyc wrote: 88 Points
Sames as before. Nice but nothing stands out.
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10/16/2012 - jfkwines wrote: 90 Points
Good a bit over powering initially but calmed down nicely
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9/8/2012 - sawira wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous note, maybe even more woven - nicely integrated elements at this point. After much experimentation, as a general rule, I like Mike's Zins with a couple years of bottle age.
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8/20/2012 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Poured through Vinturi ... Crisp and smooth, with a core of bright fruit that enhances, but doesn't overpower. A bit of chocolate, nice acidity and a firm tannic backbone. Well structured and delicious. Still drinking very, very nicely.
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7/25/2012 - sawira wrote: 90 Points
P&P. Delicious out of the gate. Some tannins here, and tons of big, brambly Mike Officer fruit. The petite syrah really helps this with definition and depth. The bright red, black and blue fruits get taken over by a bit of over ripeness on day two, and even more on day three, but this is superbly gulpable, especially with grilled buffalo burgers, all the way through. Can't imagine more out of a blended Zin. As always, killer QPR, and delicious in its own right.
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6/24/2012 - Grape Stuff wrote: 91 Points
Just a crazy QPR. 1 hour decant. Brambly black fruits, well balanced with a leathery spice, pepper, and a blue fruit mid palate. Medium-long length. Just a killer little zin - great balance. Outstanding.
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6/21/2012 - tomlee wrote: 91 Points
Not going to add a lot here other than this is about as good as Zinfandel gets for a $20 bill. Delicious wine.
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6/17/2012 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
Poured off a glass and left open for two hours. A wonderful complex zin. It smoothed out over 3 hours and blueberry really came out. An amazing wine for the price.
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3/16/2012 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 93 Points
Splash decant ... In a beautiful place right now. Opens with bright, vibrant blue and red fruits and then deepens into something more complex and earthy. Long, smooth finish. Very well balanced and not at all over-the-top. Can't imagine this one getting any better. Super QPR and another great bottle form Carlisle!
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2/17/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 91 Points
Screw cap. Beautiful classic briary character. Bright fruited character. Amazing qpr.
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1/24/2012 - flwinos wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for about an hour before I began to drink, and it needed about an hour and a half before it was drinking at it's best. Raspberry liquer on the nose with some heat. Palate also has some raspberry liquer, with some blackberry and white pepper. Got better over the 3.5 hour we drank it. Very balanced with enough acid to balance the fruit.
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1/15/2012 - dougie wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour. Wonderful zin, fruity but not too jammy. Great QPR.
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1/10/2012 - ginfizz wrote: 90 Points
Drink over the next few years...
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12/31/2011 - PIntag wrote: 94 Points
Under screwcap - PnP and consumed over 2 hours. Showing incredibly well right now. Nose is a bit reticent at this stage but showing some berry and spice. Really gorgeous palate of brambly fruit and baking spice. There is just a hint of oak that perfectly complements the fruit - most other Cali winemakers would do well to emulate this approach to oak. Fantastic balance, great mouthfeel, structure to last for 10+ years in the cellar, not a hint of the 15% alcohol - I don't see why this doesn't deserve a huge score here...hence my score of 94. If the nose develops more, this will score higher in my book. I really need to be promoted to the mailing list from the wait list (waiting since mid-2009). Carlisle is producing the best Zins at the fairest prices. Well done.
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12/28/2011 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful young zin. Mike sure knows how to make 'em.
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12/10/2011 - sawira wrote: 91 Points
Superb, as always, especially for the QPR.
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11/18/2011 - tall2002 wrote: 91 Points
Somoma County Zin is the best, Boysenberry, nice acid, peper spice.
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11/9/2011 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened, but did not decant, approx. 3 hours prior to drinking ... This one is really singing right now. Smells amazing and tastes almost as good. Big, up front berry punch giving way to a smooth and lush cocoa-laden finish that, to me, screams classic Cali Zin. Finishes dry with a spicy kick. All in all, another very well made Carlisle that's a pure pleasure to drink.
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11/7/2011 - budman wrote: 91 Points
Solid core of fruit. No noticeable heat. Complex.
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9/29/2011 - drrobvino wrote: 90 Points
Deep purple in color, alc 15.0%. This wine's nose screams of black and blue fruit, there is nothing delicate here. I notice some heat on the nose, as well as blueberry jam, and some embers/ash. This wine is very full bodied in the mouth, with plush and full tannins, offering up blackberry, tart cherries, asphalt, black pepper, and a little leather on the 40 sec finish. Wait...is that chocolate on the finish? Was great with pasta and red sauce with meatballs. This wine is still young, will easily go 3-5 more years, allowing more time to integrate and perhaps soften up the tannins a bit further. Very nice.
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8/15/2011 - michigan dogs wrote: 91 Points
great Carlisle zin, especially at the mailing list price, better the second day, pepper, spice, smooth
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7/10/2011 - lolo66 wrote: 90 Points
Give it a little air and this is just a solid zin. Well made, not complicated, yet sophisticated. A winner.
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7/5/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 90 Points
Can't think of a better wine for the Fourth of July!
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5/21/2011 - smokeshowing Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was our special "Judgement Day" wine selection to go with hearty cheeseburgers and fries. I couldn't think of a better way to bid farewell to those in my life that have behaved significantly better than I have. In the end, this wine proved to be the perfect compliment to the food we chose to shovel into our pie holes.
So what exactly is it about the '08 Sonoma County Zinfandel that sets it apart from the sea of mediocre swill being peddled on Safeway store shelves? It all comes down to the fact that this wine is a beautiful blending of Zin and a bit of PS that steps up with moderately ripe black and blue berries held together by a lovely earthiness that lends this wine just the right amount of complexity. While rather high in alcohol at 15%, I never noticed even a hint of heat.
Mike Officer, along with Morgan Twain Peterson, are producing true California treasures that deserve your attention. As for QPR, this is just outstanding. Wish I had more!
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5/10/2011 - Screameagle wrote: 90 Points
A qpr candidate of the year that's for sure. Drinking great now why wait.
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4/21/2011 - Outplaying wrote:
Ann took this to a zin tasting with some girlfriends. All she said was that it was a favorite among the group along with a Turley. She said the others were much more in your face and this was more restrained and classy.
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3/25/2011 - DPMc wrote: 88 Points
Always a great value, but step below the 07. Lots of spice and acid that are a bit disjointed at this stage. Should improve with some cellar time.
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3/13/2011 - MillerRoad wrote: 91 Points
Very much enjoyed this wine. Had a few nights ago, so a bit nervous to provide accurate tasting notes. Wish I had more of these.
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3/10/2011 - iamandyc wrote: 88 Points
Liked it as a Zin. Was best day two when the candy aspect to the red fruit went away. Fruity but at the same time somewhat understated on bramble and tannins. A fun wine that was well made but not very serious. Maybe it will get better with time.
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3/1/2011 - Brady D Likes this wine: 90 Points
Two week Thailand trip - We took one night off of Thai food, and had a delicious stone oven pizza, and this seemed the perfect accompaniment.
Popped and poured into smallish glasses. Dark purple. An attractive dark fruit and bramble nose. Full bodied, moderate tannins, quintessential Zin characteristics, moderate finish. A large scaled wine at this point, will mellow with time.
This is an excellent wine and a better value.
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2/25/2011 - dmalcolm wrote: 89 Points
Full bodied and massive amounts of ripe black and blue fruits, menthol and oak that, while huge, are also in balance. Peppery finish. This would be a great BBQ wine.
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1/22/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
15.0% alcohol. Just a fantastic, brambly, spicy, black-fruited Zin. Pure and full-throttle with, nevertheless, a terrific sense of balance. Just a wine made to drink and enjoy. Tremendous value. A-
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1/18/2011 - etherscreen wrote:
tough to resist after loading up on mike's 09s.
like sniffing a big bowl of brambly fruit with tones of top soil, bay leaf, and menthol in the distance. full body and almost creamy on the palate. at first the acid is shy, but comes on stronger and stronger - particularly in the finish. etoh becomes more noticeable on the finish as it warms. tannins still present, but overall drinking very well right now.
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1/1/2011 - pgb67 wrote: 92 Points
Needs a little time to open up, and probably should be cellared a few more years, but it delivered another satisfying Carlisle experience. Aromas and flavors of blackberry jam, blueberry, spice, and a hint of zinfandel bramble. A crowd pleaser - the first bottle finished off among a big lineup of options at a NYE party.
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12/27/2010 - tairanosaurus wrote: 91 Points
30 minutes after bottle open. Boysenberry compote on the nose. in the mouth, starts with blackberry/boysenberry and some spice. Transitions to same fruit with pencil shavings. mocha emerges more toward finish. Lengthy finish with fruit, tanin and acidity. I found this approachable more quickly than what I'm accustomed to with Carlisle.
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12/6/2010 - winecharmer wrote: 91 Points
Popped & poured. It's a big fruity zin that could lawn down for another couple of years. Smooth tannins, dark fruits, and a little heat. Dark as night. Delicious and should continue to improve; but certainly drinkable now. Will give the next one a decent decant.
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12/5/2010 - dougie wrote: 89 Points
Good wine. More age is needed. A bit hard at this point.
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11/21/2010 - texaswinelover wrote: 91 Points
Classic zin. Pretty big, briery, dark fruited with lip smacking acidity. Very nice. Especially for the price.
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11/15/2010 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
Forward full-bodied mixed berry fruit, ample acid but lacks structure and complexity, more open and expansive
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11/7/2010 - Bellissimo wrote:
Popped and poured, the last of 6 wines of the night. Brambly blue/blackberries, baking spices a bit of oak. Big alcohol yet it is in nice balance. Outstanding QPR.
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10/20/2010 - silton wrote: 90 Points
Already showing much better than this summer, especially on day 2. Ridiculous QPR, but you knew that already. Bramble, mocha, spice, lightly creamy oak at the margins. 90-91. Too bad production was limited in 08.
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9/28/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
15.0% alcohol. Popped and poured, then drunk over three hours. Brambly and spicy, with assertive black fruit on the nose. In the mouth, spicy and laden with fruit, a wine that is just fabulously endowed with classic Zinfandel notes. Just loving is. A-
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9/6/2010 - markandsusanw wrote: 90 Points
Decant approx. 30 min ... Very young, and drinks like it. Fresh and fruity, with a real crisp, light mouthfeel and taste. Berries on the nose and palate and not at all overwhelming or over-the-top. Not as rich as a lot of big Sonoma County Zins; much more refined. The nose isn't as fragrant as I expected it to be, but, to be fair, it was still a tad cool when we started drinking.
This is my first Carlisle and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more. To me it was along the lines of a Seghesio, though less overpowering. (The alcohol was not at all noticeable, in taste or effect ... A plus in my book.) Interesting take on a pure Zin. Held up well to lamb curry kebobs and a nice drinker on its own too.
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8/15/2010 - Pave2112 wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour - still needed more time. Rich, Bordeaux-like Zin - fruity but not jammy at all. Complex - easy to drink an entire bottle while trying to figure out what is going on. Screw-top.
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8/14/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
15.0% alcohol. Still needs quite a bit of air, but a really strong, focused expression of blueberry and spice. Good structure, and the fruit delivers such a great punch that it's impossible not to just enjoy. A-
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8/14/2010 - Dale M wrote: 88 Points
Perhaps one problem with Carlisle , if you can call it that, is I sometimes expect miracles with every pop of the cork, and while this was certainly a good wine, no question a great value, I found this particular bottle a bit heavy, and just a little to brawny for my wussy little taste buds. Certainly quality, I just had a hard time getting past the very masculine tannins and perceptible heat on both the nose and tannins which seems to quash the underlying fruit. Perhaps I had this to close to a recent and superb 07 Papera Ranch (yet again) to set an unfair standard.
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8/7/2010 - wineguy58 wrote: 91 Points
smell sweet toasty jam leading into a bramble-berry flavor making way to a hoisen sauce/asian spice spicy finish. great now but I think this will be flying in a year
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8/5/2010 - B Paul wrote: 90 Points
Great bottle; great QPR.
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7/31/2010 - Jody Smith wrote:
Super concentrated dry black fruit, assertive and dense, yet remarkably lithe. Syrah like aromas of olive and pork fat. Caramel finish. Full bodied flavor, rieghned in by juicy acidity. Not quite the blockbuster as other Carlisles, but to be fair, it hasn't even been off the vine two years. The raw material here suggests serious upside. The value here is obvious, but I'd be remiss not to mention the $17 price tag. Killer wine, killer qpr.
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7/22/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted about 4 1/2 hours. The nose had bramble and raspberry, black currant and mocha, and some vanilla towards the end. The palate had lots of dark fruit and dark chocolate. It also had some spice and earth, and finished with creamy oak.
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7/21/2010 - bundydavis wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful and smooth. Nice fruit.
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7/17/2010 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Full raspberry and blueberry nose with spice and toast. Palate is medium rich, smooth and fresh from buoyant acidity. Cracked pepper note on the fruit filled finish. Just plain good and tasty zin.
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7/7/2010 - Amerique wrote: 90 Points
Full-bodied mixed berry fruit, very tight, good structure, slight tannins, chewy, white pepper flavors, very good QPR, finish a little short
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7/1/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Interesting nose, the nose alone is worth the price of the bottle. Very ripe berries, vanilla and cream. A bit of mocha every now and then. The palate is not as complex but it is delicious. Primarily ripe raspberries and a little black pepper. Great blast of acid, just like eating raspberries in that sense. Just a hint of sweetness that gets swept up by the acid. A great drink, made better by the price.
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6/28/2010 - CO CHRIS wrote: 91 Points
Alright. Ready for my next shipment. What's the hold up? I've gone through all my SC 08's. Must order heavier next time. As always, an incredible value...
The nose is all briary, sappy, Zinberry goodness, frankly textbook nose, high toned, never hot...the palate is fresh, jumping off the palate fresh, medium body, can take a chill down in temp just fine, some background structure, some sappiness - all in all quite finely balanced - and I'm using that word with a Zin! Great stuff and cheap cheap cheap!
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6/27/2010 - silton wrote: 89 Points
This got drank a couple of days ago when it sat in the decanter or bottle for an entire evening. At times, the nose had some burn to it, while the fruit was simultaneously dark, bold, and fresh. This showed more structure with air, more than I was expecting. I wouldn't call this disjointed, but I didn't find it harmonious and will try to bury this QPR in the cellar until next winter.
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6/21/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for one hour. dark purple in colour that's somewhat effervescent. Dark fruit aromas; plumb and black berry, soy sauce, chalk, oak and white pepper. Well rounded in the mouth with a nice long finish. The tannins are also round. I am very impressed with the jammy-elegance of this Zin. It's plush and possesses the right amount of concentration. You can tell that Mike likes his Bordeaux. Some time will help the harmony. Drink 2011 - 2016.
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6/11/2010 - clovercap wrote: 93 Points
Just a quick note on this one. Wife opened it as a "surprise" to go with the orrechiette/sausage/rapini she'd prepared. We have lots of 2007 Carlisle and I noticed she'd chosen the '08! We had another wine with dinner, and had this one over the next couple of days. On day 1 it was fruity but a bit disjointed with short finish. A bit strange to be honest. However, we had the other half of the bottle 2 days later, by which time it was absolutely gorgeous and singing. Great balance and structure, tons of fruit moderated nicely by oak and a bit of tannin I thought. Moral, if you open this one early....decant, decant, decant!
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5/31/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 86 Points
Wild red berry, some stewed plum, kirsch, a planky note and a little buttered popcorn. Round, soft fruit, with tannin and spice building through the finish. Finishes with brambly red fruits, kirsch, spices and noticable heat. A fun wine but at this stage the alcohol somewhat over-powers the fruit. Give these another year or two.
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5/24/2010 - DesMarteau wrote: 90 Points
drank too young...took 24 hours to open and is still not showing much. blueberry and strawberry integrated core with kiwi highlights...will sing in a year or so.
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5/10/2010 - Dale M wrote:
Decanted 1 hr. Dark, brooding and extracted, this SC Zin was quite a contrast to the more elegant and refined Lingenfelder (2008) I had last month. A serious concoction of Zinfandel, waves of dark jammy fruit but has not quite found its sea legs yet. I think a couple of months would help bring this wine into focus, but still very enjoyable.
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5/9/2010 - Outplaying wrote:
Brambly, spicy red and black fruits with nice acidity and structure. I thought it had some meaty qualities that at first reminded me of syrah. Ann said it had a smoked sausage note. A tasty zin that is nicely on the not over the top side. Great QPR.
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4/26/2010 - balkmr@hotmail.com wrote: 86 Points
This was very good. Simple. Raspberries, a little vanilla, oak, spice on the nose and palate. A little heat, but it wasn't an annoyance. I'd wait a 6-12 months before popping another one, but it's a decent experience now.
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4/24/2010 - etherscreen wrote:
another winner!
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4/23/2010 - jfkwines wrote:
Good , slight spice, nice blueberries. Drink over the next three years
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4/20/2010 - jtcseventysix wrote: 88 Points
Ruby red; sweet raspberry, vanilla, spice and wet earth on the nose with a hint of graphite; raspberry candied fruit with vanilla and spice undertones; simple but rich; as always, impressive for the price.
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4/17/2010 - tim_c wrote: 90 Points
My QPR of the year so far. Excellent depth to the berry flavors and a hint of alcohol that actually worked for me. Creamy and juicy with some brambly notes on the nose. Seamless.
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4/14/2010 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Twist and go, daddy o. I opened this last night so the notes that follow are with about a day of bottle decant. Rich aromatics, floral, bit of heat. Richly formed palate, with lots of red and black berry, vanilla, some root beer and a decent amount of oak richness but it adds a creamy, vanilla edged accent to the wine. There is a juiciness that closes through the finish, with some red vine, anise and some structure. I paid 17 and a 1/2 bucks for this wine...flavor, weight, some richness and a great price=QPR!
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4/12/2010 - Vinomarcus wrote: 91 Points
Bottles arrived in the AM and had one popped open by early evening. Poured black and inky. Huge notes of crushed violets and lavender and flax, meaty and full throttle black ripe fruit, some cola, and a good amounts of sage and hickory. Really, really nice. If there is a better qpr in California, please let me know.
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4/9/2010 - last chance wrote: 91 Points
The nose of this wine had blackberry/cherry aromas along with vanilla and some spice notes. The palate was full of ripe dark fruit flavors with a note of licorice and spices. Full bodied with a long finish - this is an amazing value for the price and a really nice Zin. Glad I have more.
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4/8/2010 - B Paul Likes this wine: 90 Points
Notes same as previous bottle. Another winner from Carlisle.
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4/4/2010 - yonster24 wrote:
This was an absolute hit with everyone and easily outshone the Jaffurs Ampelos Syrah. Dark cherries and blackberries along with some spice on the nose. Full bodied, but in no way going overboard on the palate, really juicy as well with everything coming together in the mouth. Leading to a rather long finish filled with spice and a nice backbone to it.
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3/29/2010 - yonster24 wrote:
This was the last bottle of the night, so this is all off of (slightly inebriated!) memory. Nice dark color to it. Dark fruits and spice jumping from the glass along with a bit of oak. Full bodied, with just a ton of black fruits covering the mouth. Nice weighty feel to it in the mouth. Long finish with some spices and just a touch of heat that eventually blew off. Fantastic Zin for the price....
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3/27/2010 - vinocerus wrote: 91 Points
As a preface, I do like to drink my zins and petite sirahs on the young exuberant side of the spectrum. No surprise here, another incredible Zin from Carlisle. Screw-cap, unscrewed and poured during a beautiful early evening dinner in the backyard with wife and kids. Does the setting affect my perception of the wine? Probably, but this zin hit every sweet spot. Great nose with blue/black fruits, spice, anise, and a mineral element. The palate is equally satisfying and has a certain creamy texture that fully envelops the fruit/earthy/anise in the mouth. Nicely balanced and structured and , as always for me with Carlisle, alcohol (15%) never noticeable. Not complex but what a wine at this price. I did notice that the wine was not as alluring after being open for about 3 hours, although it was a rather warm evening.
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3/26/2010 - gutt22 wrote:
15.0% alcohol. This vintage, unlike 2007, is all bottled under screw cap. Marvelous youthful Zin here. Brambly black fruit on the nose, tinged with a fair bit of creamy oak. The oak blew off with vigorous swirling, and this was just a pleasure of a wine. Plush and powerful, with fruit that wasn't jammy although it perhaps veered in that direction from time to time. A seamless wine that just drank beautifully. Better with another 6-12 months in bottle. A-
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3/13/2010 - B Paul Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another great Zinfandel from Carlisle (and another amazing value). Good fruit (raspberry, cherry) and also classic Zin spice and pepper.
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