2019 Carlisle Zinfandel 'Papera Ranch' Zinfandel Russian River Valley
Carlisle picked the old vines of Papera Ranch in five passes to give themselves a broad palette of flavors, aromas and textures for a final, single-vineyard blend of heady concentration. Macerated cherries and blood orange build one heckuva great bouquet. Full-bodied flavors of black raspberry and black cherry linger long on the lively finish.
Former software engineer Mike Officer started Carlisle in 1998 in his garage with the help of his wife Kendall and college buddy Jay Maddox, and he’s never looked back. Today, he is recognized along with Turley and Bedrock as a top artisan producer of Zinfandel, and we would place him in the same "enthusiast-garagiste-perfectionist" category as Russell Bevan, whose wines you've embraced in a huge way. Officer sells most of his wines to his mailing list and restaurants.
Wine Advocate
Vibrant ruby-purple in the glass, the 2019 Zinfandel Papera Ranch (blended with 4% Carignan) has an alluring perfume of woodsmoke, tea leaves, graphite, licorice and intense, spicy bramble fruit. The palate is delicate and perfumed this vintage, with loads of juicy lift and floral layers. 1,001 cases produced.