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.
Bright crimson in color. 15% ABV. Breathtaking nose of red and black fruits, bacon fat and olives. Medium to full bodied with medium acidity. Well balanced. Savory, smooth and supple. Blackberry, smoked meats, cassis and roasted herbs on the palate. The finish is long and graceful. The 16 Papa’s is more about finesse and elegance and less about power and concentration than previous vintages. Really well made and probably best over the next 2-4 years.
My rating: 93 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.