2016 Zinfandel DuPratt Vineyard

The Carlisle 2016s are quite possibly the most brilliant wines I have ever tasted from Mike Officer. A move towards picking on the earlier side than in the past along with the natural virtues of the vintage come together to yield a set of thrilling, captivating wines of the very highest level. According to Officer 2016 was shaping up to be similar to 2015, until cool weather arrived in August and slowed down ripening, which, in turn, extended hang time by a few weeks. The only problem with the 2016s is that readers may not be able to buy all the wines given the vast number of compelling bottlings in this range. I would be thrilled to drink any of these wines any day of the week. They are every bit that outstanding. Even better, pricing remains exceedingly fair by any standard or measure. Readers who can find these wines should not hesitate, as they are truly magnificent.

(Originally published in Sonoma Preview: January 2018 New Releases)

I tasted a mind-bending range of superb wines during my most recent visit to Turley. If I had to make a list of my 2017 highlights, this tasting would surely rank at or near the top. The 2016s are aromatically deep, bright and super-expressive with regards to site. Moreover, this is one of the most consistently brilliant lineups I have ever tasted here. Yields were unusually low in some places, Howell Mountain in particular, which in turn produced dense, rich wines in those vineyards. Readers will note the addition of several new offerings, including a Zinfandel from Paper Street in Paso Robles, a Zinfandel-based blend from Casa Nuestra in St. Helena, and a Napa Valley appellation Petite Sirah. There is not much else I can say about these wines from Larry Turley and Tegan Passalacqua except that they are superb and well worth your consideration. Prices remain exceedingly fair given the quality of what is in the bottle.