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. Mike recently announced his retirement and subsequently 2024 will be the last vintage of wines produced by Carlisle.
Papera Ranch is situated in the Russian River Valley at the intersection of Piner and Olivet and was planted in 1934 by Charlie Papera. Most vineyards from this era are comprised of a number of mixed black varieties. Papera, on the other hand, is almost entirely Zinfandel. Papera made my list of Top 10 Old Vine Zinfandel Vineyards.
Bright crimson in color. 15% ABV. Stunning nose of red fruits, citrus, baking spices and flowers. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Bursting with bright, juicy fruits. Perfectly balanced. Cherry, raspberry compote, blood orange and earth on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Papera at it’s very best. Aging well but no need to wait. Best over the next year or so.
My rating: 95 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 the Summer before last and wrote about that in The 2022’s Out of Barrel with Mike Officer at Carlisle.