2022 Carlisle Papera Ranch Zinfandel Russian River Valley

It started with a single sip of late-harvest Riesling. That one glass turned a young man into an obsessive—reading, collecting, teaching—then fermenting five gallons of Zinfandel in his kitchen. That experiment became barrels. Barrels became gold-medal "garage" vintages. And those became Carlisle: one of Sonoma's most revered old-vine estates, built on uncompromising craft.

By the early 2000s, a U.C. Davis–trained enologist joined the project and passion sharpened into precision. Corporate careers were left behind. The mission narrowed to one thing: source California's historic vineyards—planted in the late 1800s and early 1900s—and bottle them with absolute integrity.

Here's what makes this bottle urgent: after more than two decades, founder Mike Officer has announced his retirement, and Carlisle is winding down. There are only a handful of vintages left in the world. This is one of them.

Papera Ranch was planted in 1934 by Celestino "Charlie" Papera in the coveted Piner-Olivet neighborhood, and these vines run deep in Huichica loam. It's a cool site—one of the last Zin blocks picked each year—and that patience shows. Harvest landed just ahead of a September heat spike, locking in freshness and structure. Yields were modest. The final blend is 96% Zinfandel, 4% Carignan, drawn only from the most compelling lots.

Unfined. Unfiltered. Nothing cosmetic. Nothing diluted.

In the glass: explosive black raspberry, crushed plum, briar spice, and a savory edge carried by polished tannins and vibrant acidity. Powerful, but disciplined. Concentrated, but balanced. Old vines and serious intent in every pour.

Papera Ranch has a Wine Spectator Top 100 track record most estates never touch—the 2021 landed at #21, the 2013 climbed all the way to #10, and the 2008 hit #19. Just 1,044 cases of the 2022 were made, with a drinking window stretching to 2040.

A benchmark Russian River Zin, from historic vines, from a legendary estate in its final chapter. If you've been meaning to own a Carlisle, this is the moment.