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.
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.
Ruby red in color. 15.1% ABV. Charming nose of red fruits, anise, mint and pepper. Medium body with perfect acidity. Claret style with juicy fruits. Cherry, raspberry, cranberry and a hint of pepper on the palate. Tremendous length on finish. I mostly prefer Carlisle single vineyard wines in the 4-7 year window but this version of Mancini will age well. Best over the next 3-5 years.
My rating: 95 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.