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 .
Papa’s Block is a special section of Atoosa’s vineyard and is located in the Russian River Valley.
Dark crimson in color. 15% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, citrus, bacon fat and flowers. Medium body with perfect acidity and impeccable balance. Lighter in style than previous vintages. Cherry, raspberry liqueur, olive brine and gamy meat on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Carlisle Syrah with a Northern Rhone flair. Atypical but delicious. Best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 92 points.
It appears there was not a 2020 Papa’s Block and I assume that was fire related. Look for the wine to return next year.
I can make an argument that Carlisle is the best Zinfandel producer in the state of California. 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 2020 Zinfandel Chronicles Power Rankings. I also had a chance to visit Mike Officer and wrote about that in An Afternoon at Carlisle Winery.