The 2003 Zinfandel Dry Creek reveals plenty of that region’s earthiness in addition to a deep ruby/purple color, abundant berry/briery fruit, medium to full body, soft tannin, and a pleasant loamy soil character. Primarily from 118-year old Zinfandel vines planted in the Teldeschi Vineyard blended with a small amount of Petite Sirah, like its siblings, it spent 15-16 months in French oak (30% new), which tends to give these wines more class and graciousness. A “good feeling” story is that of Mike Officer, a home winemaker who began his own winery, Carlisle, in 1998, while he was still working as a software developer. The huge success he enjoyed among his mailing list customers, who quickly recognized his dedication to serious winemaking from old vineyard sites, allowed him to abandon his software career to become a full-time owner and winemaker. These are all big, but incredibly well-balanced, fresh wines. Officer is not afraid to push ripeness to the edge, but, remarkably, the wines are never over the top, revealing tremendous textures, aromatics, and ripeness. He has become one of the top three or four Zinfandel producers in northern California, and also demonstrates a sure hand with Syrah and some of the old field blends planted by Italian immigrants over a century ago.Tel. (707) 566-7700; Fax (707) 566-7200