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 .
The Piner-Olivet Ranches bottling is a relatively new Zinfandel in the Carlisle portfolio. The wine is a blend of vineyards near the intersection of Piner and Olivet in the Russian River Valley.
Dark red in color. 15% ABV. From Papera Ranch, Carlisle and Mancini Ranch vineyards. Brilliant nose of red fruits, citrus, earth and pepper. Medium body with medium acidity. Lush and approachable with tart fruits. Strawberry, cranberry, blood orange and white pepper on the palate. Absolutely charming. Best over the next year or so.
My rating: 93 points.
The 2023 version of this wine was just released and is not to be missed.
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.
1 btl left of the ‘16 vintage and should be in it’s sweet spot now.
Let me know!
Sometime in the late fall.