Carlisle Winery & Vineyards Papera Ranch Zinfandel 2016

98 Points - limited                           Limited new Zinfandel from Carlisle. 98 Points Jeb Dunnuck: "More blueberry, spice box, leather, and cigar emerge from the 2016 Zinfandel Papera Ranch, which is incredibly complex and layered aromatically. The palate doesn't lose a beat either and is full-bodied, deep, and layered, yet tight, fresh, and ethereal, with a great finish. It's a killer Zinfandel! This awesome wine is 96% Zinfandel and 4% Carignan, aged 16 months in 22% new French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered. It’s undeniably one of the greatest Zinfandels in the vintage! 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!" 97 Points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Zinfandel Papera Ranch is another exceptional wine. Vivid, nuanced and wonderfully alive, the 2016 is all finesse. Beams of supporting tannin give the wine its shape and overall structure. Potent and yet sophisticated, the 2016 is another wine that has it all." 94 Points Robert Parker:  "A blend of 96% Zinfandel and 4% Carignane from vines planted in 1934, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Zinfandel Papera Ranch reveals wonderfully intense Indian spices, baked cherries and dried mulberries notions with hints of prunes, raisin cake and faded flowers. Full-bodied, rich and with amazing tension, it has a firm, chewy frame and epically long finish... ...From humble beginnings in 1998, Carlisle continues to go from strength to strength, growing from a solid philosophy of sourcing mainly Zinfandel and Rhône varieties from ancient vineyards in Sonoma and further afield. So, most of the vines used by Mike and Kendall Officer were planted from 1888 to 1934. From 2013, they have their own winery in which to create their magic—the old Robert Mueller winery in Russian River Valley."

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