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 . Expect to see a Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Montecillo Vinyard and a Russian River…
Author: Tom Lee
2003 Chateau Lagrange – Bottle Notes
Chateau Lagrange is a third-growth St-Julien owned by the Suntory group since 1983. The 270 acre estate is situated next to Gruaud Larose. The winery went through major improvements and huge investments in the decades that followed the purchase by Suntory. The vineyard is planted to 67% Cabernet Sauvignon , 27% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot . Over the years, the…
The Week in Zinfandel (4/29/19)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Ken’s Wine Guide reviews the 2016 Rock Wall Zinfandel Hendry Vineyard Block 29. Stephen McConnell writes When All the Saints. 1WineDude reviews 10 separate Zins in Wine Reviews:…
2007 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes – Bottle Notes
Clos Saint Jean was founded in 1900 in Chateauneuf du Pape and is still a small, family-run operation. The estate produces 12,500 cases annually. Brothers Pascal and Vincent Maurel run the business. Clos Saint Jean primarily produces Chateauneuf du Pape, including the Vieilles Vignes and several special cuvees including the Combe des Fous and Deus-Ex Machina. In 2002, Philippe Cambie…
The End of an Era with the Closure of the Ravenswood Tasting Room
I first started drinking Ravenswood Zins in the early 90’s. In fact, it was wineries like Ravenswood, Ridge and Limerick Lane that sparked my obsession with Zinfandel. In the early 90’s Ravenswood was a champion of single vineyard Zins. Old Hill Ranch, Dickerson and Belloni were some early favorites. Every August when the winery released their SVD’s I would make…
2013 Sky Vineyards Zinfandel Mt. Veeder – Bottle Notes
Sky Vineyards, situated on Mt. Veeder, was founded in 1973 by Lore Olds. Lore purchased the property in 1972 and planted the Zinfandel shortly thereafter. The vineyard is dry farmed and for that reason the winery holds the wine back 2-4 years prior to release. Sky also produces a Syrah, Riesling and Rosé. I have heard of Sky Vineyards over…
Zinfandel of the Month – 2017 Cedarville Vineyard Zinfandel
Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list. The May Zinfandel of the Month is the 2017 Cedarville Vineyard Zinfandel. I chose the Cedarville as the wine was…
2006 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon – Bottle Notes
The 2006 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon was the winning bottle in the April Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I opened the wine about an hour before serving with a variety of grilled meats but I did not decant. Leonetti Cellar was founded in 1977 by Gary and Nancy Figgins. Leonetti, along with Quilceda Creek and Woodward Canyon put premium Washington…
The Week in Zinfandel (4/22/19)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Dallas Wine Chick reviews the 2015 Dry Creek Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel. Ridge Wine Blog writes History of the Demostene Ranch. Sonoma Magazine writes Passport to Dry Creek…
2014 Ravenswood Zinfandel Dickerson Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Ravenswood was founded in 1976 by Joel Peterson. The winery is a pioneer in producing single vineyard Zinfandels from some of Napa and Sonoma’s most treasured vineyards, including Dickerson, Old Hill, Cooke and Belloni. I used to visit Ravenswood in the summer, when they released their single vineyard wines. Back in the day they also served delicious barbecue on the deck out…









