2018 Carlisle Radiant Ridge Mourvedre

The 2018 Mourvèdre Radiant Ridge Vineyard is the first iteration of 100% Mourvèdre from this site; usually, it is co-fermented with Syrah, but this vintage, the ripening curves of the two grapes were too different, so they were picked and fermented separately. It was made using 20% whole cluster and aged in 14% new French oak. Purple-black in color, it is scented of wild berries and dark cherries, aniseed, thyme and lilac. The palate is powerful and minerally, with great freshness and a floral perfume to elevate the long finish. It's a very classy rendition of this "wild" variety, and I'd love to see it with some bottle age! 309 cases were made.

The 2018 Mourvèdre Radiant Ridge Vineyard is even better than the Syrah! More than that, it is one of the very finest wines I have tasted from Mike Officer in a decade of following Carlisle. Wow! Outrageously vivid and delicious in the glass, the 2018 dazzles with complexity and layers of nuance that unfold in the glass. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, wild flowers, spice and a good deal of whole-cluster savoriness give the Radiant Ridge Mourvèdre its beguiling exoticism. Previously, the Mourvèdre was used for the Integral bottling, but my sense is its real personality is expressed like this, on its own. Readers will not want to miss this exceptional wine from Mike Officer and Carlisle.