2014 Carlisle Winery The Derivative White Sonoma County 750 ml

128-year-old Liquid History — for $26/Bottle???

Old vines, throughout the world, are valued for their intensity, concentration, power, and in sum, their majesty. To put this mildly, in America, fruit from these vineyards are an undervalued asset.

But in California, it’s no secret that producers keep their vineyards stressed to the brink of defeat, with most producers forced to replant every 25-30 years. Longevity of vineyards, especially for reds, is regularly sacrificed on the altar of more chunky intensity in a single vintage. It often comes down to economics — the cost of doing business outweighs the benefits of maintaining old vines. The great paradox is that just when a vine begins producing its best, most-concentrated fruit, the economic squeeze is too much of a burden — there’s just too little of it hanging on the vine.

Thankfully, lovers of ancient grapes and the unbelievable flavor concentration they deliver can thank Mike Officer and his passion for viticultural history for bucking the brutal economics. “I pay a huge amount for the grapes to keep [the vines] in the ground,” Mike told us. “I’m stepping up to the plate since I’m president of the Historic Vineyard Society. I’m eager to see people try this, no matter the cost.”

Longtime WineAccess members will have already realized we hit it off with Mike immediately. We liked his wine even more.

The 2014 Carlisle “The Derivative” white is a passion project front to back. Mike sources Semillon grapes Monte Rosso Vineyard that were planted in 1886, and Muscadelle grapes from Pagani Ranch that were planted in 1921. Those two vineyards are among the most storied in Sonoma, providing grapes for top-notch producers like Ridge, Seghesio, Bedrock, and Orin Swift, to name just a few. To this classic mix of white Bordeaux varieties, he adds a small amount of Palomino grapes from Saitone Ranch in Russian River that were planted in 1895, which contribute more mid-palate weight and texture.

Mike barrel-ferments the Monte Rosso Semillon in old, neutral-oak barrels, and later blends it in stainless steel along with the Pagani Ranch Muscadelle and Russian River Saitone Ranch Palomino. The result? All the seriousness of Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux Blanc with even more personality up front.

Deep yellow-gold in the glass with emerald shimmers. Explosive aromas of ripe honeydew melon, kiwi, and grapefruit zest leap from glass, accompanied by the heady chamomile and bergamot notes. On the palate, a powerful, broad mid-palate texture is extended by the zing of tart, tangerine-and-lime acidity. White tea, beeswax, and cheese rind accompany underripe mango and starfruit notes. Additional complexity comes from the almond butter quality of Semillon aged in older oak. Crunchy, white-stone minerality accompanies the long, acid-driven finish.

For lovers of Bordeaux Blanc and collectors of rare old-vine treasures, we strongly recommend 6 or more bottles — some to enjoy now, while gorgeous honeyed complexities evolve over 5-10 years of cellaring. Compared to Haut-Brion Blanc and company? $26 is a downright steal for one of California’s most age-worthy whites. Only 70 cases up for grabs. Shipping included on 4.