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.
Rossi Ranch was planted by Carlos Rossi in the early 1900’s and is situated in the Sonoma Valley AVA.
Crimson in color. 14.9% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red fruits, peach, baking spices and flowers. Medium to full bodied with mouth watering acidity. Rich, earthy fruits in a perfectly balanced package. Cherry, raspberry, cranberry and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Absolutely delicious and perhaps the most under appreciated Zinfandel in the Carlisle portfolio. Best over the next 1-2 years.
My rating: 94 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.
Just drank the ‘15 Panera Ranch and it is at a great moment with plenty of upside.
I’m not surprised. It is just a personal preference for the bright, juicy fruits that seem to show best 5-7 years from vintage.