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 2025 will be the last vintage of wines produced by Carlisle.
Saitone Ranch, in the heart of the Russian River Valley, is one of the oldest old-vine vineyards remaining in the Olivet-Piner region, and was originally part of the Nicholas Carriger Estate.
Saitone was established in 1895 by Antonio Saitone, and is primarily planted to Zinfandel, but also has small blocks of Carignane, Alicante Bouschet, Chasselas Dore’and is interplanted with Muscadelle, French Columbard, Muscat, Petit Bouschet, Criolla Mediana, and Grand Noir. Today, Saitone is an Estate Vineyard for Williams Selyem.
Crimson in color. 15.3% ABV. 98% Zinfandel and 2% Carignane. Pretty nose of red fruits, citrus, baking spices and flowers. Medium body with mouth watering acidity. Impeccably balanced with snappy fruits. Cherry, raspberry, strawberry and pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Delicious Zinfandel but best over the next year or so while the fruits are still bright, vibrant and juicy.
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.