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 .
Pagani Ranch is just off Highway 12 in the Glen Ellen area of Sonoma County. Angela and Felice Pagani came to Sonoma County from Italy, purchased the property and planted the vineyard in the early 1900’s. Norma (Pagani) Amantite still lives in the old farmhouse amidst the vines and her son Dino tends to the vineyard. Pagani Ranch made my list of Top 10 Old Vine Zinfandel Vineyards.
Crimson in color. 15% ABV. Sublime nose of red and black fruits, baking spices and earth. Medium body with just enough acidity. Cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Delicious Zinfandel that is ready to drink. Best over the next year or so.
My rating: 92 points.
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 had a chance to visit with Mike last Summer and wrote about that in The 2022’s Out of Barrel with Mike Officer at Carlisle.