2011 Carlisle Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard

(includes 8% other grapes: alicante bouschet, petite sirah and carignane; 15.8% alcohol): Vivid ruby. A wild, exotically perfumed bouquet displays scents of candied dark berries, apricot, violet and patchouli. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, offering deeply pitched dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors and suggestions of pit fruits and cracked pepper. Impressively complex wine, with excellent finishing clarity and subtle, harmonious tannins.

The 2011 Zinfandel Bedrock Vineyard comes across as quite soft, polished and accessible. In 2011, the Bedrock stands out for its accessible personality. It isn’t as big as in some years, but its balance is impeccable. Hints of tobacco, smoke and licorice wrap around the juicy, expressive finish. Today, my impression is that the 2011 is best enjoyed over the next handful of years, as it comes across as just a bit on the frail side. The Bedrock is roughly 92% Zinfandel and 8% mixed blacks, from a site planted in 1888. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2018. Proprietor Mike Officer arrived with a bevy of wines for our tasting, all of which I was thrilled to sample. Readers who don’t think terroir exists in California should check out the Carlisle Zinfandels and Syrahs, many of which emerge from old-vine, heritage sites that nearly disappeared until Officer and some of his peers rescued them from the brink of oblivion. In particular, the 2011 Zinfandels are fabulous. Officer describes 2011 as a very late harvest. The Syrahs were all picked after the rains, while the thinner-skinned Zinfandels naturally came in quite a bit earlier. Officer told me he performed a severe selection of fruit that took with it a full 50% of the production. For his efforts, Officer has been rewarded with a set of gorgeous wines, although I imagine his faithful clientele won’t be too thrilled with the lower production levels of these wines, given their already minuscule production. Unfortunately, 2011 Compagni Portis and Gruner Veltliner were to be bottled right after this tasting, so I will have to wait until another opportunity to sample those wines. Carlisle is resolute in keeping his wines affordable, a commendable approach I wish were more common throughout California. Tel. (707) 566-7700