2019 Russian River Valley "Carlisle Vineyard" Zinfandel
87% Zinfandel
13% Mixed Black Varieties (Alicante Bouschet, Petite Sirah, Grand Noir, Peloursin, Trousseau noir, Tempranillo, Carignan, Muscadelle, Malvasia, Muscat, Clairette blanche and 28 other varieties)
A fabulous year for our estate vineyard! Planted in 1927 by Italian immigrant Alcide Pelletti, at just under 10 acres and with over 40 interspersed varieties, Carlisle Vineyard feels more like a garden than a vineyard. Il giardino di Alcide! Picked September 25th and 27th, yields were a very respectable 2.4 tons to the acre. Fully destemmed, after a 5-day cold soak, fermentation began naturally on its own. Aged in all French oak, 25% new. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Tasting Note:
Medium to medium-dark garnet-ruby. A very cool, regal nose provides red cherry, blood orange, menthol, and brown tobacco leaf. I don’t have synesthesia but smelling this wine makes me think I’m feeling velvet. Wild! On the palate, medium-full bodied with lively flavors of cherry, raspberry, iron, and a suggestion of tilled earth. The wine finishes mildly tannic, suggesting further development lies ahead. While a very different animal than our high scoring 2018 (this 2019 is much more red-fruited and open for business), in no way less sublime. In fact, perhaps our finest rendition to date. Enjoy this beautifully textured and balanced Zinfandel from 2022 through 2030. (MRO - 01/17/22)