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.
The 2010 version of the Sonoma County is 85% Zinfandel sourced from Bismark Mountain, Tanya’s, Oddone and Lingenfelder Vineyards and 15% Petite Sirah from Rossi Ranch.
Crimson in color. 15.9% ABV. Black fruits, plums, flowers and anise on the nose. Ripe but not at all over the top. Rich and full bodied. Raspberries, cherries, apricots and pepper on the palate. Complex and structured. I like the dimension added by the Petite Sirah. Super finish. Drink over the next 2-4 years. The QPR on this wine is unbelievable.
My rating: 92 points.
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.
I’ve wrote about Carlisle previously in Winery Mailing Lists: The Fab 5.
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