Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
91
/100
Reviews
21
professional
Vintages
1
2010
Other
91/100
Zinfandel
NV
Community Reviews
2525
Reviews
91.4
Avg Score
94
Highest
Taster #3923
· Jun 24, 2023
92/100
Soft purple-red color. Lovely raspberry nose. Soft on the palate, blackberry, raspberry, hint of spice. Soft tannins but still structured. Lovely acidity and balance. Finishes long and lovely, spicy with blackberries. Lovely Zin, bright and juicy. Drinking beautifully at 13 years old. 50/50 blend of Carlisle Vineyard and Montafi Ranch. Drink next 2 to 3 years but it may go longer.
2010 vintage
Taster #2758
· Jul 23, 2022
Gorgeous nose. Another winner from Mike who never disappoints.
2010 vintage
Taster #4258
· Dec 3, 2020
92/100
Carlisle wines regularly surprise me (to the upside) and this was no exception. 2010 was a tough vintage year, this bottle was past its "best-by" date, and 15.9% -OH could be trouble without prominent fruit. Out of the fridge, pulled the cork, and immediately aware of the aroma of wildflowers and blueberries. Let it sit for an hour and blackberry and pomegranate came out, with lots of white pepper. Not a hint of the alcohol while drinking.
2010 vintage
Taster #7693
· Apr 30, 2020
Not that different from my last note 7 years ago. Delicious and so drinkable with a lovely glycerin-y texture.
2010 vintage
Taster #2952
· Aug 26, 2019
92/100
Drank this with a barbecue lunch. Delicious as usual. Last one.
2010 vintage
Taster #9897
· Mar 2, 2019
92/100
Drink now. Very good
2010 vintage
Taster #6326
· Mar 31, 2018
92/100
Given the vintage my expectations weren't super high going into this wine. To my surprise I really enjoyed it. Sweet and sour raspberry fruit profile with the alcohol well hidden. Tasty stuff that seems to be drinking at its peak.
2010 vintage
Taster #6623
· Oct 22, 2017
88/100
Opened as a post-dinner, second bottle of the night so not consumed with food. For all of us, the 15.9% alcohol dominated. Probably would be better with a meal, or at least some food, but not great by itself. Not enough fruit on its own to overcome the alcohol.
2010 vintage
Taster #7352
· Sep 7, 2017
92/100
Violet in color. A touch cloudy. 15.9% ABV. A fifty fifty blend of Carlisle Vineyard and Montafi Vineyard after both were ravaged by the heat spike in 2010. Scrumptious nose of red and black fruits, flowers and white pepper. Full bodied with exquisite acidity. The balance is noteworthy. Plush and juicy. Raspberry compote, black cherry and more pepper on the palate. Well made Zinfandel from a grueling vintage. Drink over the next few years.
2010 vintage
Taster #3371
· Mar 12, 2017
I've had bad luck with this bottling. Hot alcoholic mess, again. Very unusual for Mike's wines, so I assume this is an aberration.
2010 vintage
Taster #8450
· Feb 17, 2017
90/100
Consistent with a bottle seven months ago. Pretty tasty stuff, but with sufficient structure. Excessive acidity noted with previous bottle wasn't noticeable, possibly because of the accompanying food and possibly because it was finished off before the acidity became more prominent. Holding up just fine.
2010 vintage
Taster #7838
· Nov 11, 2016
91/100
PnP as second wine of the night. No detailed notes. Big, smooth; odd, mellow but powerful spices.
2010 vintage
Taster #8450
· Jul 3, 2016
90/100
Opened about 45 minutes before tasting. Assertive nose - black and blue fruits, along with a healthy dose of vanilla. Big fruit on the palate, a rich texture, and a very good finish. Had a hint of citrus-like acidity that became more pronounced over the next 60 to 90 minutes. By the end of the bottle, the acidity had become the dominant flavor. Great with rich, fatty foods, but not that pleasant by itself. Probably has not yet reached its …
2010 vintage
Taster #9897
· Jun 3, 2016
92/100
Very nice venturi into decanter 1 hr in now starting to work. Another year easily b
2010 vintage
Taster #7838
· May 11, 2016
91/100
Decanted thru aerator and screen and drank after 10 minutes over the next four hours. Opaque purplish-red. Unidentifiable mixture of dark and red fruit, 2:1 dark. Enuf spice to be interesting. Full body. Long and changing finish. Very enjoyable.
2010 vintage
Taster #7501
· Jan 30, 2016
My last bottle, drinking at 65f and it's cellar cool as I opened it about 30 mins ago. The aromatic has a fruit bowl character, like a blend of ripe fruit that lifts out of the glass. No heat, though. The core of this wine is pretty large, full of boysen and cherry fruit, with a syrup note. What I mean is that the ripeness of the fruit here gives the wine a berry flavor that comes off with a …
2010 vintage
Taster #3371
· Nov 1, 2015
94/100
#3 of 4. Last bottle was definitely an aberration. This is brilliant - has that "grapesickle" flavor profile I adore. Huge, crisp and deep black and red fruits, a perfectly balancing dose (not insubstantial) of delicious vanillin oak, massive mid-palate and quite adequate length. No imbalance or overt etoh. Awesome. At a beautiful peak now, and for another year or two. Up there with some of Mike's best, and this from a hugely challenging vintage. I kind of like the …
2010 vintage
Taster #0074
· Aug 27, 2015
91/100
This was a fabulous zinfandel with a whopping 15.9% alcohol! Felt, rather than tasted the heat (later). A great zin.
2010 vintage
Taster #6106
· Aug 25, 2015
90/100
Looking for a bottle to note a b-day and the prominent use of the word "old" in this one off bottling seemed to fit the bill. An interesting blend from the two sites. I think in the end I like the single vineyard expressions better (let the power of Montafi and purity of Carlisle stand alone) but a very nice zin. Well balanced and improved in the glass as the night went on. Core red/purple fruit, nice backbone, no rough …
2010 vintage
Taster #2952
· Jul 14, 2015
94/100
First of these last night. Sweet! Open the bottle about an hour before drinking. Classic zin.
2010 vintage
Taster #0918
· Jun 20, 2015
93/100
This bottle just sort of pushes the bar a bit higher! Really everything you want from a Zinfandel.
2010 vintage
Taster #1978
· Jun 7, 2015
91/100
This had been opened the prior evening, but Chris brought out the remaining half a bottle. Very smooth. Shows a nice complexity. No real sign of alcohol/heat. Lots of fruit. Probably stating to peak over the next five years or so (maybe more).
2010 vintage
Taster #1862
· Apr 30, 2015
89/100
Not my favorite Carlisle. A nice wine, and definitely enjoyable, but lacks the character of other 2010s. Bigger fruit than most, lacking the acid that most of their efforts carry (and what I believe makes them so special for the price). Definitely has some life ahead of it and I will be holding under the hope that the typical Carlisle character comes around.
2010 vintage
Taster #9546
· Mar 22, 2015
92/100
Great round mouth, with red spicy berry dark aromatics and a great finish. bummed it was my last '10 Old Vines. This wine will continue for years to come.
2010 vintage
Taster #3289
· Mar 22, 2015
92/100
Surprised how much it changed over 4 hours. Rustic to fruity to balanced.
2010 vintage