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. Many of these vineyards are heritage sites planted by Italian immigrants and date back to the late 1800s . Expect to see a Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Montecillo Vinyard and a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir in the near future.
Pelkan Ranch is located in the Knights Valley AVA at 1000′ elevation on a rocky ridge top facing Mount St. Helena.
Violet in color. 14.9% ABV. Savory nose of black fruits, grilled meats, leather and espresso. Full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Perfect balance. Bold, powerful and opulent. Blackberries, cassis liqueur, peach and spice on the palate. The finish is exceptionally long and plush. Tremendous Syrah that has aged well. Best over the next 2-4 years.
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 2018 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings.