2008 Carlisle Three Birds

After a four year hiatus, Officer's homage to Chateauneuf du Pape returns in full glory. The 2008 Three Birds, a blend of 78% Grenache, 16% Mourvedre, and 6% Syrah, is a knock-out wine. From relatively new plantings that came from Alban cuttings of Grenache (rumor says they were taken from the Rayas vineyard), this promising 2008 was aged in neutral French oak, and is scheduled to be bottled without fining or filtration. Explosive notes of kirsch liqueur, lavender, licorice, and loamy earth jump from the glass of this dark ruby/purple-tinted wine. Dense, full-bodied, sexy, and seductive, it is a round, opulent, smooth wine that should continue to be a crowd-pleaser. Moreover, it is a fabulous bargain! One of California's most compelling success stories is Mike Officer's conversion from full-time software developer to full-time guardian of old vine Zinfandel vineyards and world-class producer of artisinal wines. Carlisle is a hugely successful winery, not only because of outstanding customer service, but because of the simple fact that it delivers great wines at extremely fair prices. Carlisle's 2008 Zinfandel crop is the smallest to date thanks to the spring frost, which cut yields by 30%. Consequently, production for all of these 2008s is down considerably. That said, the concentration levels are higher than ever, and the alcohol content is slightly higher than in 2007. The 2007 Syrahs (all 100% Syrah) showcase not only Mike Officer's uncanny knack for ferreting out top terroirs for Syrah, but also his artisinal, hands-off winemaking philosophy that seems to coax the finest characteristics out of all his vineyard sources. The 2008 Syrahs are concentrated, powerful reds, and I may be wrong, but it appears that Mike Officer is beginning to use a higher percentage of whole clusters (stems). Tel. (707) 566-7700; Fax (707) 566-7200