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 mostly be the last vintage of wines produced by Carlisle. There are indications Mike will also release a 2025 Carlisle Vineyard Zinfandel.
Pagani Ranch is just off Highway 12 in the Glen Ellen area of Sonoma County. Angela and Felice Pagani came to Sonoma County from Italy, purchased the property and planted the vineyard in the early 1900’s. Norma (Pagani) Amantite still lives in the old farmhouse amidst the vines and her son Dino tends to the vineyard.
Crimson in color. 15.2% ABV. Sublime nose of red fruits, licorice, baking spices and flowers. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Exceptionally vibrant with elegant fruits. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry and pepper on the palate. The finish is long and smooth. Charming Zinfandel from an iconic vineyard. I have long thought that the Carlisle single vineyard Zins show best 5-7 from vintage and with that said the 2018’s should be consumed in the near term.
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.