2016 Carlisle Zinfandel Piner-Olivet Ranches
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Tasting notes
The 2016 Zinfandel Piner-Olivet Ranches is from Russian River sites and is 91% Zinfandel and the rest a mix of varieties. As with most of Mike’s wines, it was brought up mostly in neutral barrels and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Outstanding notes of cassis, spice box, plums, earth, and violets all give way to a plump, seamless blend that has lots of ripeness as well as charm. It's balanced and already drinking nicely yet should evolve gracefully. This beauty has a distinctly umami character that keeps you coming back to the glass. Winemakers Mike Officer and Jay Maddox have hit pay dirt with these latest 2016s and across the board, they’re the finest set of releases I’ve tasted from this estate. While Mike’s wines are always deeply colored and powerful, the more elegant, balanced style of the 2016 vintage is front and center and these 2016s just glide over the palate, with perfectly integrated fruit, tannin, and acidity. In addition, most are approachable today given their purity of fruit, yet they’re going to evolve beautifully on their balance. Hats off to the team here and readers should not miss these wines!
Critic scores
Average Score
Jeb Dunnuck
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Zinfandel Piner-Olivet Ranches has intense notes of raspberry preserves, kirsch, black cherries and blood orange with wafts of sandalwood and Indian spices plus a hint of underbrush. Very big, rich and full, it is completely packed with red and black fruit preserves flavors, with a lovely velvety texture and great freshness, finishing long and perfumed. 562 cases produced.
An addition to this range, the 2016 Zinfandel Piner-Olivet Ranches is a blend of fruit from three sites in the Piner-Olivet district within the Russian River Valley that are also bottled individually: Papera, Carlisle and Montafi. The interplay of rich fruit and bright, salivating acidity is compelling. Deceptively medium in body, the 2016 packs a serious punch. Raspberry, blood orange and mint are all beautifully articulated in this very pretty, spirited Zinfandel. This is an absolutely gorgeous wine from Carlisle, and one of my personal favorites in the range. Don't miss it.