Tasting Note                         

87+(?)   2007 Carlisle  Sonoma County  Zinfandel  11/13/09 ($20)

94%Zinfandel, 6%Alicante Bouschet     14.9% alc
Color: Deep purple garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Elegant Zinberry fruit, very Russian River Valley, with excellent acidity and briary spice. (3.0) Body: Solid middleweight with a silky mouthfeel. Very good fruit and excellent acidity. Some bitterness from heat. (3.0) Flavor: Parallels bouquet, but quite restrained with some leather and quite a bit of heat. (2.0) Finish: Somewhere in-between the attractive bouquet and the austere, somewhat closed flavor. Spicy black pepper, briar and heat linger. (2.5)
Overall: Has refined, distinctive fruit and excellent acidity, but also has a lot of heat. It needs 2-4 years to come together and hopefully integrate the austerity. I like the RRV elegance combined with power. Don't touch for 2 years at least. Has a lot of substance for the Sonoma County appellation and price, but will it come through with time? (13.5)

 

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