2008 Carlisle Zinfandel Montafi Ranch

The Montafi Ranch vineyard escaped much of the frost damage, but yields still only came in at one ton of fruit per acre. The 2008 Zinfandel Montafi Ranch (88% Zinfandel and 12% mixed blacks) reveals gorgeous notes of blueberries, black raspberries, and kirsch. It is a generous, amply endowed wine with tremendous purity, a skyscraper-like texture, and a big, full-bodied, spicy, exuberant mouthfeel. Enjoy it over the next decade. 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