Tasting Note                         

94   2016  Carlisle   Papera Ranch Zinfandel (Russian River Valley)    12/22/18  ($47)

96% Zinfandel, 4% Carignane    15.0% alc 1033cases
Color: Deep black cherry garnet. (3.0) Bouquet: Black raspberries, boysenberries and cherries, complemented by expressive briar, mocha and minerality. (3.5) Body: Light heavyweight with outstanding fruit and fierce acidity. Intense silky /tangy mouthfeel that coats beautifully. (3.5) Flavor: Parallels bouquet with racy acidity propelling the fruit. (3.5) Finish: Long, deliciously creamy finish with briar being most prominent. Does show some tartness from chalky acidity. (3.0)
Overall: Its intensely tangy acidity, very distinctive Zinberry fruit, dried herbs and minerality make it almost an exact copy of the amazing 2015, but there are differences. The '15 shows more red fruit where this shows more blue to black fruit. Briar and mocha nuances are also more prevalent here. In addition, this vintage may have even more ageworthy acidity, but I think they are equally great and can't say which will be the better wine when peak. I'll make sure to stock up, so I can drink both all through their developemnt. Can be enjoyed now, but will benefit from at least a few years of bottle age to let the fierce acidity calm down and will likely be at its best in 5 to 8 years. (16.5)

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