We have really missed attending the events put on by the Historic Vineyard Society. The events encompassed tours of multiple vineyards followed by delicious dinners shared with wonderful people. Getting to rub elbows with our winemaker idols and enjoying their free flowing wine only added to the experiences. In recent years as times changed, the HVS has put on smaller events, but various circumstances got in the way of our participation.
So, we decided to take our own historic vineyard tour over the course of a few days in Sonoma County.
One of the impetuses for our trip was receiving notice last summer that Mike and Kendall Officer would be shutting down Carlisle Winery after releasing the 2024 vintage. Although a very small winery in the overall scheme of things, Carlisle (which is Kendall’s maiden name) has always had a huge influence, especially in the world of old vine Zinfandels and Rhone-style wines. The story of Carlisle closing was not only of significance to us Carlisle mailing-list members, as the Wine Spectator listed their article by Tim Fish on this topic as their most-read story of 2024. We had not seen Mike and Kendall in some time, so we wanted to pay them a visit to learn more about their decision.
Carlisle’s first vintage produced was 1998, and we’ve been on the mailing list from the beginning. During that time, most of our in-person visits with the Officers were at events, mostly at HVS affairs. We’d only had winery visits twice before, the first when they were still making wines at the Copain Custom Crush facility in Santa Rosa (now called Punchdown Cellars) and then later after they had purchased their own wine production facility in 2013. Otherwise, our contacts with them were the eagerly anticipated semi-annual offerings as well as our periodic email queries which Mike always responded to personally.
Pulling into the driveway leading up to the winery facility in Windsor for what would probably be the last time for us was definitely bittersweet. It would be great to see Kendall and Mike again of course but knowing that the Carlisle winery, which probably had more influence on our love of old-vine Zins, Rhones, and field blends than any other label, would be ending definitely added a touch of melancholy to the visit.
Once parked, it was hard not to feel that old sense of excitement at being there. We went searching for the Officers and, not surprisingly, found them hard at work in the barrel room packing up orders. Mike took a break and joined us out in the sun at their picnic table for a chat.
As it turned out, the reasons for closing were pretty obvious. Like all of us, the Officers and longtime winemaker Jay Maddox aren’t getting any younger. Keeping the winery small, at less than 10,000 cases at its peak, keeps all of three of them and their son (who is assistant winemaker) very busy. And the increase of regulatory requirements in California as well as all the states to which they direct ship just adds to the burden. It was time to make the decision.
But, why not sell, cash out, and keep the Carlisle brand going? Mike explained the reasons that went into their decision. First, they realized that due to their incredible mailing list support, they would do just as well financially shuttering the brand and selling all the inventory themselves as opposed to selling the brand and all associated inventory to a new owner. Inventory is always severely discounted in the sale of a brand. But the bigger reason is probably what could happen once the Officers no longer had control of the Carlisle name, something that seems to happen often as a new owner ultimately seeks to expand to capitalize on the brand value at the expanse of the quality that has always been associated with Carlisle. Mike said “This was ultimately the biggest reason we didn’t sell, our fear of Carlisle losing its soul. Carlisle began with us. It should end with us.” He explained that they were actually close to a deal when he and Kendall agreed that “it just didn’t feel right.” The Officers still will have to decide what to do about their own 11 acre Carlisle Vineyard that was originally planted in 1927 by Alcide Pelletti. The vineyard is mostly Zinfandel but is a true field blend of other varieties such as Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Tempranillo, etc. The Officers are holding out for a good home for this vineyard. We’re all secretly (or not so secretly) hoping for one more Carlisle bottling from this property.
Sadly, it was time to leave. Mike needed to get back to filling orders, which he had left to Kendall to handle so he could spend some time with us. He was kind enough to gift us with one of the latest Carlisle wines, a 2022 Zinfandel from Papera Ranch, a vineyard in the Russian River Valley that was planted in the 1930s. He chose this in particular because it was so approachable now. Paraphrasing his comments, he was a happy puppy with the wine. He loved the treble notes; it wasn’t just “all about that bass”. And while we usually keep our reds for at least a few years, we brought this one to dinner at The Bird & The Bottle in Santa Rosa and it was positively singing. The wine is 96% Zinfandel, 4% Carignan. The big red/blueberry notes with a hint of woodsy and savory spices, and very subtle earthiness complemented the lingering finish and the dishes we selected.
Admittedly, there is nothing earthshattering in the above and probably didn’t necessitate a visit. We could have easily gotten our answers through emails or phone calls. But it gave us an opportunity to thank the Officers in person, not only for the great wines they have provided us, but for all they have done for the industry, especially in being part of the founding of the Historic Vineyard Society. We are finding more than ever that great wine isn’t just about the grapes, it’s about the people. We wish Mike and Kendall the best in their retirement.
Michael and Karen Perlis have been pursuing their passion for wine for more than 30 years. They have had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show them the way and after a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as they possibly could, they had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Michael and Karen do their best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers.
