Carlisle Petite Sirah, California, USA

卡爾麗絲小西拉干紅葡萄酒

點(diǎn)擊次數(shù)：5381

Even bigger, richer and potentially more promising, but limited in availability is the 2008 Petite Sirah Dry Creek. Made from 100% Petite Sirah that has been 100% destemmed and aged in neutral French oak, there are fewer than 50 cases of this killer wine. However, it will not be ready for prime time drinking for at least another five years and it should still be delicious 30 years from now. It is amazing to think that fifteen years ago no one had ever heard of Carlisle Winery and Vineyards or Mike Officer. Moreover, what Officer has done to preserve old vine Zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma is nothing short of astonishing. Add to that success story his sensational line-up of Syrahs, Petite Sirahs and Rhone Ranger blends and it is undeniable that this man and his winery are at the top of their game. These are artisanal, world-class reds that remain among California's most fairly priced high quality wines. Following is a look at the 2008s from bottle as well as a preview of the charming, seductive 2009s. Mike Officer says 2009 is a strong year for his wines, but since he has done nearly everything right, it is hard for me to say his 2009s are better than previous vintages. Certainly he will not have much production in 2010 given all the issues Zinfandel vineyards had in that year. Readers who love these wines are advised to stock up on what is left of the 2008s as well as the upcoming 2009s. Tel. (707) 566-7700; Fax (707) 566-7200

Even better is the remarkable 2008 Petite Sirah California, a cross appellation offering from Napa's Palisades Vineyard blended with fruit from the Teldeschi Vineyard in Dry Creek and the Carlisle Vineyard in Russian River. Its dense purple hue is accompanied by an extraordinary bouquet of incense, wet stones, acacia flowers, blueberries, blackberries, black raspberries, and charcoal. Full-bodied and intense, but more accessible than the Yorkville Highlands, it possesses high but velvety tannins as well as mindboggling levels of richness and extract. Give it 3-5 years of cellaring, and if you have the proper DNA, be prepared for a magical elixir to emerge from the bottle for the next 30-35 years.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