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
2005 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape – Bottle Notes
The 2005 Domaine Charvin Châteauneuf-du-Pape was the winning bottle in January Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. The bottle was not decanted and paired perfectly with steaks off the grill. Domaine Charvin was created in 1851 by Guillaume Charvin. For one hundred years, the harvest of Domaine Charvin was sold in bulk to negociants in the Southern Rhone Valley. The…
The Week in Zinfandel (1/28/19)
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. Esther Mobley writes Rombauer Buys Renwood Winery, Expanding Napa Valley Presence in the Sierra Foothills. Italian at Heart writes Zinfandel vs. Primitivo. Have Wine Will Travel Radio writes…
2011 Marcel Lapierre Morgon – Bottle Notes
Marcel Lapierre took over the family domaine from his father in 1973. The winery dates back to the early 1900’s. In 1981 Marcel met Jules Chauvet. A winemaker, researcher and chemist, Chavet preached for natural wines and the traditional methods of Beaujolais. Joined by local vignerons Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Jean Foillard, Marcel led a group that soon went to the…
2016 Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi – 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…
Pick My Next Bottle – 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape
The January Installment of Pick My Next Bottle focuses on 2005 Châteauneuf-du-Pape. As I mentioned in the first installment, the purpose of this series is to provide insight into specific wines or producers you may currently have in your cellar. The winning bottle will be opened this Saturday and a Bottle Note will be published next week. 2005 was an…
2015 Sandlands Trousseau – Bottle Notes
Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah,…
The Week in Zinfandel (1/21/19)
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. Randy Caparoso writes At ZAP’s 2019 “Flights!”: The Question of Blending vs. 100% Varietal Zinfandels. Wine is my Life reviews the 2014 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Grist Vineyard. Jim…
2013 Kanzler Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – Bottle Notes
Kanzler Vineyards, located in California near Sebasopol, was founded in 1996 by Stephen and Lynda Kanzler. Planted in 1996 in a former apple orchard, the vineyard quickly developed a reputation for producing world class Pinot Noir grapes featured in award winning wines from some of the finest wineries in Northern California, including Kosta Browne, A.P. Vin and Rivers-Marie. In 2004,…
Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot #68 – Bottle Notes
The history of Marietta Cellars goes back almost 40 years. It is a true American success story that merits the attention of every red wine drinker who wants to drink exceptional wines at fair prices. Marietta Cellars was founded by Chris Bilbro in 1978. In recent years Chris’s son, Scot, has taken over most of the responsibilities. Scot’s brother Jake is…









