Country: | United States |
Region: | California (Sonoma County) |
Winery: | Carlisle Winery |
Grape Type: | Zinfandel |
Vintage: | 2014 |
Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Sourced from several sites in the heart of the Russian River Valley, the grapes are vinified in our traditional style; with an extended soaking period. The vineyard lots were fermented on the natural indigenous yeasts, each lot fermented separately to highlight the distinctive characteristics and unique distinct flavor profiles of this world famous growing region. Dark ruby-garnet in color, this classic Russian River Zinfandel shows aromas of boysenberry, raspberry, brown spices, and pepper. Medium to full-bodied, the Family Ranches Zinfandel is balanced with excellent acidity: a powerful, rich and concentrated wine, with flavors of nectarine, cherry and raspberry that build through the lingering finish. This lovely wine can be enjoyed now, and will continue to develop with bottle age over the next several years.
Harney Lane Zinfandel Home Ranch is made from 100 percent 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Sirah .
The Home Ranch Zinfandel showcases Lodi’s terroir with distinct character. Dark ruby in color, it offers fragrant aromas of brambly fruit, black cherry and raspberry jam, highlighted with a whisper of savory spices and white pepper. The harmonious, elegant tannins create a warm, plush mouthfeel and silky finish on this rich full bodied wine.
Sub-appellation : Mokelumne River
T.A. : 6g/L
pH : 3.73
R.S. : 0.16%
Pairs with:
Saucy Lasagna
Roasted Beet Salad with Chèvre
Korean Sweet Short Ribs
Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pure 100% cabernet Sauvignon, this vineyard continually astonishes. Loads of loamy soil notes followed by blue and black fruits give this cabernet massive depth and beautiful integrated tannins. Milk chocolate, crème de cassis and tobacco give this massive wine the depth you come to expect with Napa cabs, but it is all Sonoma County, all from our magnificent little private valley which sees sun all day! We buy no fruit; we sell no fruit.
Jersey Boys Vineyard (Kevin Kinsella is the largest individual investor in the hit Broadway show "Jersey Boys")
Jersey Boys is a six-acre vineyard that was replanted in 2008 with four different clones of Cabernet Sauvignon, handpicked by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.
“While it was the third consecutive year marked by limited rainfall, the 2014 vintage offered a perfectly temperate growing season characterized by long, moderate days and cool, clear nights. We began the year with warm spring conditions that gave way to an early budbreak and the consistent, dry weather afforded an optimal fruit set of small berries with incredible concentration. Crop yields were down a bit from 2013, but the quality was magnificent. It was a textbook growing season, every winemaker’s dream.”
- Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown
Any vegetable or meat in the grill. Delicious with Chocolate as well.
Review:
"There are 645 cases of the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jersey Boys Vineyard (named after the fact that the Broadway Musical “Jersey Boys” was brought to the stage and screen by the owner of Kinsella). This wine and its siblings will do a lot to establish Dry Creek as more than another viticulture area better known for Zinfandel than Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a killer Cabernet Sauvignon with dazzling fruit levels and loads of loamy soil notes intermixed with black raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant. The superripe and pure fruit hits the palate with a full-bodied crescendo. The wine offers up notes of underbrush, unsmoked cigar tobacco, pen ink and plenty of crème de cassis and blackberry, Drink it over the next 20-25 years. - RP"
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #227, October 2016), 95 pts
Named for the former Ranch owned by Butch Cassidy and the sundance Kid.
Cholila Ranch Malbec is made from 100% Malbec. The estate-grown grapes are manually harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed. The wine undergoes traditional maceration for 21 days with selected yeasts. Cholila Ranch Malbec is aged both in American and French oak for 9 months, followed by a minimum of 6 months bottle aging prior to release.
Deep purple color. Aromas of ripe plum and mulberry with violet hints. Ripe black fruits and fig on the palate with touches of smoke and vanilla. A truly powerful yet balanced wine with a persistent finish.
Halter Ranch Vineyard Ancestor Estate Reserve is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 17% Petit Verdot,
Their flagship wine, Ancestor is their Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. The 2019 Ancestor showcases aromas of red currant and dark chocolate along with subtle hints of cinnamon and clove. The entry is soft and rich with layered flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and dark cherry. The mid- palate is thick and mouth coating with balanced acid. The finish is framed by integrated tannins and delicate flavors of caramel and truffle.
Pair with roasted meats, reduction sauces, and hearty stews.
Review:
Baked blackberry, leather, cocoa and espresso-bean aromas show on the nose of this blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec and 17% Petit Verdot. The palate is generous in fruit, tense in tannins and very approachable, showing creamy blueberry, pepper and wild-herb flavors.
-Wine Enthusiast 93 Points
REVIEW
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Snake Oil needs a little swirling to reveal emerging notes of freshly crushed blackcurrants, blackberry pie and mulberries plus suggestions of tilled soil, cedar chest and Indian spices with a touch of roses. The full-bodied palate completely coats the mouth with opulent black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, supported by velvety tannins and lovely freshness, finishing long and perfumed.
-Wine Advocate 93+ Points
The 2018 Priest Ranch Snake Oil is all Cabernet Sauvignon, from a trio of hillside vineyards on the Somerston Estate. It has beautiful blueberry and plum fruits as well as notes of sappy herbs, violets, and bouquet garni. More medium-bodied, focused, and elegant, it shines for its purity, freshness, and length. It’s a classic 2018 that will have 15+ years of longevity.
-Jeb Dunnuck 93 Points
Our 2018 Snake Oil was handpicked, sorted, and fermented naturally, then aged for 24 months in 75% new French oak barrels and 25% once-used French oak barrels.
HARVEST NOTES
The early half of 2018 brought us moderate temperature allowing for a long growing season. We had a majority of our rainfall in February followed by a mild Spring. Then summer brought consistent temperatures with little heat spikes. This weather allowed for longer hang time and for the fruit to ripen at a slower rate. The 2018 harvest at our estate began in late August and resulted in exceptional quality.
Aged in French oak (21% new oak) for 16 months
Carlisle Papera Ranch Zinfandel is made from 96% Zinfandel, 4% Carignane.
Planted in 1934 shortly after the repeal of Prohibition by Celestino Papera, this vineyard is a bit of an anomaly in that it contains much less in the way of mixed blacks than we typically see in vineyards of this era. And interestingly, the majority of the mixed blacks that are present is Carignane. Carignane is a late ripener and high in acidity making it a curious choice for this very cool site. Nevertheless, it seems to work, producing a powerfully elegant Zinfandel. Twenty percent new French oak. Filtered but unfined.
Review:
"The 2014 Zinfandel Papera Ranch is exuberant, rich and extroverted to the core. Sweet dark cherry, plum, mint, tobacco, cedar, menthol and spices flesh out in a hugely appealing wine endowed with real depth and intensity. The finish is perhaps a bit chunky, but there is so much to like that I can look past that slightly rustic part of the wine's personality. This historic Russian River site was planted in 1934. The blend of 96% Zinfandel and 4% Carignane is unusually high for mixed blacks vineyards planted during this period. - Antonio Galloni"
- Vinous (February 2016), 92-94 pts
Carlisle Winery is a small Sonoma County winery specializing in the production of old-vine, vineyard designated Zinfandels and red Rhone varieties (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah). They have also recently added their first whites, two blends from historic, old-vine vineyards plus Sonoma County's first ever Grüner Veltliner.
"While we like our wines to be bold and intensely flavored, each reflecting its vintage and vineyard, we also strive to create wines of balance, complexity, and nuance. Our goal is always the same - grow and source outstanding fruit, do as little as possible to it, and bottle outstanding, pleasurable wine at the fairest price possible."
Date Founded: 1998
"It was with our meager savings and some family support that Kendall and I launched Carlisle Winery & Vineyards in 1998, concentrating on our two loves, old-vine Zinfandel and red Rhone varieties (Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre). Our goal was simple but ambitious: to create small lots of distinctive, world-class wines from some of California’s most exceptional vineyards. With the belief that great wine begins in the vineyard, we sought out Zinfandel from some of the finest vineyards in the county, planted between 1885 and 1934, including our own vineyard planted in 1927 by Alcide Pelletti. For our Rhone varieties, we contracted with small, family growers, just as dedicated and passionate about growing grapes as we are about making exceptional wine.
Using vacation from my “real” job in San Francisco, we produced 650 cases in our first vintage, 1998. However, after growing to nearly 1000 cases in 2000, I found myself over-extended in trying to balance the demands of our growing business and my career as a software developer. It was obvious that if I wanted to be a full-time winemaker, production needed to increase. The catch, however, was that in order to increase production, we needed my salary! The solution? Enter Jay Maddox, an old college friend who had just finished getting a second degree in viticulture and enology (with honors!) from U.C. Davis. Jay joined Carlisle in February 2001, bringing a wealth of knowledge, a keen palate, and a desire to produce nothing but the best without compromise. Together, we have been able to grow to nearly 7000 cases, quickly approaching our desired maximum of 8000. With the increase in production, I finally shed myself of the commute and said goodbye to corporate America in March 2004."
- Mike Officer
Carlisle Vineyards:
It's said over and over: "Great wines begin in the vineyard." Although the winemaker’s bag of tricks has grown considerably over recent years, these tools and techniques can only take a wine so far. For a wine to be exceptional, it must be intrinsic to the grapes. Given this simple fact, we strive to work with only the best vineyards, vineyards that consistently produce grapes of quality and distinction, vintage after vintage. For our numerous zinfandels and Two Acres mourvèdre blend, we source fruit from some of the finest old-vine Sonoma Country vineyards, planted between 1885 and 1952. For our other varieties – syrah, petite sirah, and grenache – we work diligently with small family growers who share our passion for great wine. Although some of these vineyards are quite young, the care and attention they receive ensures exceptional, distinctive fruit with each vintage.
Montafi Ranch – Russian River Valley
Planted in 1926, we originally designated our zinfandel from this ranch as Tom Feeney Ranch, as Tom purchased this ranch from the Bernardo Montafi in 1999. But with a new owner in 2006, we have returned to calling this vineyard by its proper name, Montafi Ranch. Located farther up the eastern bench of the Laguna de Santa Rosa flood plain, literally bordering Santa Rosa city limits, this vineyard is mostly Zinfandel but does contain a healthy amount of Alicante Bouschet and Grand Noir de la Calmette. A little Petite Sirah, Peloursin, Syrah, and Petit Bouschet are interspersed as well. Being a higher up the bench, Montafi Ranch tends to be picked earlier, generally around the first week of October.
Rossi Ranch – Sonoma Valley
Planted in 1910 by the Rossi Family, this must be one of the most picturesque vineyards in Sonoma County. Farmed organically, there are a variety of hills, undulations, and exposures, all surrounded by a mix of oak and pine/fir forest. Unfortunately, after the death of Val Rossi in 1999, the vineyard fell into disrepair and many of the old vines were lost, including large tracts of Alicante Bouschet and Grand Noir. New owners have completed a massive renovation of the vineyard , preserving as many of the old vines as possible. Some of the new blocks are even being head-pruned. Blocks of Petite Sirah have also been re-introduced. (The original Petite Sirah blocks were destroyed by deer.)
Although further inland from our Russian River Valley sources, this vineyard is in a very cool microclimate, often necessitating October picking. The wine from this ranch reflects the wildness surrounding the vineyard. The aromas and flavors exhibit a briary, peppery, spiciness intertwined with the smell of the native plants in the vineyard. Rossi’s own version of garrigue if you will!
Belle Glos Clark and Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Deep ruby red in color with scarlet highlights, Clark & Telephone opens with bountiful aromas of red fruits of cranberry and raspberry jam, laced with clove, cedar, and holiday baking spices. Bold and complex flavors of crushed ripe cherry, cranberry and blueberry pie linger on the palate. The texture is rich and lively, and leads into a warm and structured finish.
Cabrieres Le Petit Cabrieres is made from 90% Grenache and 10% Cinsault.
Le Petit Cabrieres Rouge is a Vin de Pays du Vaucluse as it is made from grapes grown right outside the Cotes du Rhone geographic designation.
Intense red color with purple highlights. Powerful nose of red fruits. Fruity on the palate with a beautiful freshness.
Pair with charcuterie, hamburgers and cheeses.