I try to let some of my Carlisle wines age. Really, I do. This is about as successful as I get. They are just so good young. This one was consumed at age 5. Purple in color. The nose has black cherries, some raspberries, a bit of black licorice and char. On the palate, a really luxurious texture. Delicious. Black cherries, some black licorice and char. Great balance. Long finish. Great on its own or with food. Great wine.
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From Mike Officer's home vineyard, the Carlisle Zin is great in every vintage but in 2018 they continued to exceed expectations. A blend of mostly Zinfandel (86%) and 14% mixed "black" grapes including Alicante Bouschet and Cinsault from 91-year-old vines. Inky purple swirls with deep ruby hues make for a very attractive appearance. Opaque and bright. The nose is concentrated with raspberries, black cherries, slight pine and spice. A seamless texture that makes this so accessible even while being so young. On the palate, black raspberries, slight blueberries, black cherries with underl
What a great showing for this wine. Gorgeous. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, char, bramble and baking spices. Full bodied. Lush and luxurious texture. Lots of energy though. It drinks (too) easily. Delicious but also has a depth and complexity. Lots of black cherries, black raspberries and black pepper on the palate. Long finish. This should continue to drink well for ten years at least but it will lose its vibrancy and be replaced with more complexity. It would be a shame to miss it now. It will work great with grille
This remains my favorite Carlisle Zinfandel year in and year out. There are lots of reasons, but chief among them is the texture. So rich and lush yet the wine has so much balance and energy. A blend of 96% Zinfandel and 4% Carignan. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is great with raspberries, black raspberries, slight blueberries, smoke and slight bramble. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, black raspberries, raspberries and slight black cherries with smoke and some dry earthiness. Great acidity. Long finish. Delicious. This should drink well over the next ten to
Nice to revisit this wine. It was quite rambunctious on release and while still more of a brawny Zin it has started the evolution to more claret in style. Purple in color with ruby swirls. The nose has raspberries, black cherries, some spice and black pepper. On the palate, this is medium bodied. Plenty of raspberries and cherries with some dry charred earthiness. There is some warmth on the finish but not enough to be a concern. There does seem to be enough fruit to last, so the question is what you are looking for in a Zinfandel. If you want big and bold drink now, but if claret s
