Carlisle Vineyard Zinfandel

Really compact whiff of red and black fruit on the nose at the very start, some cocoa, more on the jammy side, unfolds luxuriously. On the palate this is much brighter, sweet, with mellow tannins and a long vibrant finish. Very pretty.

The 2018 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard is even better from bottle than it was from tank last year. What a wine! In 2018, the Carlisle Zinfandel is off the charts. Exotic floral notes, crushed red berry fruit, spice and wild flowers give the 2018 magnificent inner sweetness and perfume that just gains in intensity with time in the glass. The blend of 86% Zinfandel and 14% Mixed Blacks works so well. For readers who want to know why 2018 is so magical in the Russian River and Sonoma more broadly, the 2018 Carlisle pretty much sums it up. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, January 2021)

Nice with some bottle age. A bit over the top with plum, blueberry, lilac, vanilla and biscuit. Age has softened the wine and added caramel and roasted chestnut. Palate coating and generous with resolving tannin. Not my style - a bit too ripe - but good with some grilled hamburgers.

The delectable review below is spot on. A great young Carlisle Vineyard built on a firm backbone, this will be one to improve for a number of years. As always this includes a number of interplanted and cofermented varietals for added depth and color. A beautiful wine year in and year out, showing off both the best of Zinfandel and of Russian River.

Delish!

A gorgeous wine, the 2015 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard is bright and punchy, with plenty of red cherry, raspberry and floral notes pushed forward. Silky and racy in the glass, this mid-weight Zinfandel is impeccable. The Carlisle is super-finessed in 2015. As usual, the Carlisle is predominantly Zinfandel, with about 12% mixed white and black grapes (a total of 40 varieties), all co-fermented. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2018)

Not as open as the 14s were in their youth. 15 is more structured where 14 was more plush. The petit sirah seems to show more in this vintage as black fruits and spice dominate. Drinks well with a couple hour decant, but this one is built for age.

Russian River fruit is just so damn tasty. Can’t want to try the new Piner-Olivet blend from Carlisle this year.

* appearance: dark purple black
* aromas: dark berries, mint, violet
* palate: multilayered, dark brambly berries
* structure: medium body, silky tannin, medium+ acid, 15% alcohol
* finish: long spicy
* winemaking: sourced from vineyard planted in 1927 in Piner-Olivet district of Russian River Valley which is a great site for old vine Zinfandel, field blend of dozens of interplaneted varieties including Petite Sirah, Grand Noir, Alicante Bouschet, Tempranillo, and Peloursin
* pairing: homemade barbecue ribs
* cost: $47

Zinfandel that ages and still tastes like a baby, balanced and ripe, generous and long on the finish. A toasty note of oak is very apparent, but it adds to the character yet and meshes well with the fruit. As it ages that could be something to watch for.