Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike and Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards.
The 2008 Sonoma County Zinfandel is 96% Zinfandel and 4% Petite Sirah. A blend of various old-vine Zinfandel vineyards including Taylor in Dry Creek, Tin Cross in Alexander Valley, and Rossi in Sonoma Valley. The Petite Sirah is from Teldeschi Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley. Bottled in screw cap.
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!
$22.50 from the winery and flat out one of the best Zinfandel values in all of California.
My rating: 91 points.
Current vintages of the various Carlisle Zinfandels are available via the mailing list, which is exceptionally long. Several retail outlets in California stock Carlisle, but you need to check with them at the time the winery releases their wines in the Spring and Fall.
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Patiently waiting for 11/2+ years to get the nod from Carlisle. How long have you been on the list?
8 years or so…