History
The original twenty acre vineyard in the Piner-Olivet corridor was carved into home lots in the 1970s; one owner kept two acres of the 1910 vines intact. The planting was near death when Carlisle took over the farming in 1996, finishing a vine-by-vine renovation in 2003, and Carlisle bottled the site as a field blend until the winery wound down. Peter and Elizabeth Meirik own the ground today, and the vineyard is certified by the Historic Vineyard Society.
The Site
Two acres exactly, on the flats of the Santa Rosa Plain among the houses that replaced the rest of the old vineyard.
Vines and Blocks
Predominantly Mourvedre, a rarity at this age anywhere in the county, interplanted with Petite Sirah, Syrah, Carignan, Peloursin, Alicante Bouschet, a few Zinfandel vines and nine vines of Helena, a white cross of Zinfandel and Mondeuse. The varieties ripen at different times and are typically picked in more than one pass.
The Wines
Carlisle's Two Acres red was the field in a bottle, dark, spiced, savory Mourvedre-led wine from about 300 cases a year, a direct taste of pre-Prohibition Russian River planting habits.