2010 Carlisle Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard
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Tasting notes
Inky purple. Intense, spice-accented aromas of red and dark berries, violet, olive and cola; smells a lot like a high-end northern Rhone wine. Juicy, penetrating black raspberry and blueberry flavors show serious depth and power but are enlivened by a zesty spice nuance. Clings with excellent tenacity on the finish, with lingering floral and spice notes. This wine weighs in at 16.2% alcohol but there's no way I would have guessed it due to its vivacity and focus.
Critic scores
Average Score
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
Antonio Galloni, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The 2010 Zinfandel Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard is a bit understated today. There is plenty of delineation in the aromas and flavors, yet at the same time the wine comes across as not fully formed from a structural point of view. I imagine the wine will benefit from further aging, and it will be interesting to see the direction it takes after bottling. There is more than enough potential for me to be optimistic about the future. Sweet red cherries, crushed flowers and mint are some of the notes that linger on the finish. The blend is 85% Zinfandel and 15% assorted red grapes from a parcel planted in 1906.
The 2010 Zinfandel Fanucchi Wood Road Vineyard is a bit understated today. There is plenty of delineation in the aromas and flavors, yet at the same time the wine comes across as not fully formed from a structural point of view. I imagine the wine will benefit from further aging, and it will be interesting to see the direction it takes after bottling. There is more than enough potential for me to be optimistic about the future. Sweet red cherries, crushed flowers and mint are some of the notes that linger on the finish. The blend is 85% Zinfandel and 15% assorted red grapes from a parcel planted in 1906. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2021. This is a fabulous set of wines from Mike Officer and Carlisle. Best of all, the wines remain very reasonably priced considering the quality and passion that goes into the bottle. Along with Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock, Mike Officer is focused on seeking out the finest old-vine sites in California, which have either been neglected over the years, or are being bought by large-scale wineries who have little interest in discovering the quirks of these very old vineyards, most of which are planted with field blends that truly harken back to another era. The wines are made with indigenous yeasts and aged in French oak barrels, usually in the 20-30% range. I tasted all of the 2010s from barrel the day before they were scheduled to be moved into tank. Tel. (707) 566-7700; www.carlislewinery.com