Carlisle Palisades Vineyard Petite Sirah, Napa Valley, USA

卡爾麗絲帕利塞德園小西拉干紅葡萄酒

點擊次數：3983

One hundred percent Petite Sirah from vines planted in 1968, the 2016 Petite Sirah Palisade Vineyard is very deep purple-black in color with very pretty notes of lilacs, black and red cherries, mulberries and sandalwood with hints of menthol and fragrant earth. Full-bodied, refreshing and elegant, it has a gorgeous texture of firm, fine-grained tannins and tons of perfumed black fruit layers, finishing long and minerally. 515 cases produced.

Another monster in the making is the 2015 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard (15.7% alcohol, 580 cases). This is no ordinary Petite Sirah, but then, few are. Nearly black as a moonless night, the wine’s aromatics soar from the glass, offering up floral notes intermixed with blackberry, incense, blueberry liqueur, graphite and licorice. Huge intensity of flavor, sweet but noticeable tannins, low acidity, but fabulous richness, and a broad, almost endless finish characterize this Petite Sirah that should age well for 30-50 or more years.

I’ll just briefly summarize the 2014s. It was the earliest vintage ever for Mike Officer and probably he’ll beat that early harvest record in 2015. In this case, he was finished by October 6, which was a first, and it will be interesting to see if he eclipses that in 2015, which was looking even earlier. The production levels were relatively abundant for Mike Officer and the wines fruit-forward, although softer and less reserved than some of the 2013s. While not quite as opaque in color, they are loaded with fruit, supple and luscious. The only white wine, the Grüner Veltliner Steiner Vineyard, makes an appearance in 2014, and it’s another beauty – it’s crisp and the only wine in bottle. The other wines all stood out and will, no doubt, merit outstanding ratings across the board for their intensity, richness, and full-bodied power. If you already know what Mike Officer does, and the style of his wines, you won’t be disappointed in his 2014s. You may even like them as much as any vintage, given the fact that this year shows a lot of up-front fruit and charm.

From a well-known site for Petite Sirah, the blockbuster 2013 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard (100% varietal) will be a 30- to 40-year wine. The alcohol is 15.4%, which is relatively high for Petite Sirah. Full-bodied, primary, dense and massive with an inky/purple color, the nose offers up scents of camphor, white flowers, blueberries and blackberries. Forget this 2013 for 5-7 years and drink it over the following 3-4 decades.

From Napa Valley, the 2012 Petite Sirah Palisades Vineyard boasts off-the-charts richness along with classic notes of blackberries, blueberries, camphor and spring flowers. The colossal concentration, massive extract, surprisingly sweet tannin and high alcohol (15.4%) suggest it should age effortlessly for 20+ years. Unfortunately, just over 100 cases were made. Carlisle Winery’s Mike Officer and his wife are one of the wonderful stories in the wine world. Going from a part-time home winemaker, to turning out some of his beloved Zinfandels, to becoming one of the two or three leading guardians of old vine Zinfandel in Northern California, Mike Officer was so good at making wine that he changed careers and wine consumers are the beneficiaries. The single vineyard Zins are absolutely remarkable. Everyone who loves Zinfandel should be on Carlisle’s mailing list, the wines are primarily available only from the winery. Sadly, Mike Officer is not making as much Syrah as he used to given the difficult marketplace for this varietal. That’s a shame, as great Syrahs are truly magnificent wines. Tel. (707) 566-7700