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.
Carlisle vineyard was planted in 1927 by Alcide Pelletti on the eastern bench of the Laguna de Santa Rosa flood plain. Both sides of the Laguna were popular for settlement by Italians immigrants in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. As was typical in the early 1900’s Carlisle Vineyard is a field blend consisting of predominantly Zinfandel with a sprinkling of Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Tempranillo, Peloursin, and others.
Purple in color. 15% ABV. Briar, black and red fruits, lavender and white pepper on the nose. Super rich and unctuous. Medium body with bright acidity. Blackberries, raspberry jam, boysenberry, cassis and pepper on the palate. Soft tannins on a great finish. Lots to like here. Always one of the best Carlisle single vineyard wines with the likes of Papera, Pagani and Montafi. Drink over the next year.
My rating: 94 points.
Current vintages of the various Carlisle wines 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.
I’ve wrote about Carlisle previously in Winery Mailing Lists: The Fab 5 and The Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.
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