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.
Mancini Ranch is situated at the intersection of Piner and Olivet. The vineyard is kitty corner from Papera Ranch and not far from other acclaimed vineyards such as Saitone and Montafi. The 16 acre vineyard was planted between 1922 and 1924 by Luca Mancini and consists of mostly Zinfandel vines, although it is interplanted with a mix of different mixed black and mixed white varieties.
Purple in color. 15.1% ABV. Showstopping nose of red and black fruits, anise and flowers. Medium to full bodied with mouthwatering acidity. Packed with bright, juicy fruits. Well balanced. Black cherry, raspberry compote, strawberry and blood orange on the palate. The finish is long and supple. Really good but not on par with the best 18 vineyard designates from Carlisle. Best over the next several years.
My rating: 91 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.