Petite Sirah
Blend: 100% Petite Sirah
Aging: Enjoy now or 5-8 years from now.
THE SONG
This wine really challenged me to produce as a stand-alone varietal, however worst comes to worst, I knew that at least I’d have my friends to enjoy drinking it with! However, much to my satisfaction, this wine may have actually ended up being my favorite.
We all have a song that reminds us of those moments in life when you took a risk on yourself or invested in your own dream. I chose the song by Dilated Pupils, since this was also a saying my father would say. Worse comes Worst you always have your family.
Vintage Notes
The 2018 reminds me a lot of the 2016 when warm weather in April kick-started the season on the early side, followed by a moderate July and very cool August. Typical of our autumn weather, a gentle, late heat spell brought the vintage home.
There was nary a day over 100F from veraison (the change of color of the grapes during ripening on the vine) through harvest, my favorite kind of season. Even more important than daytime highs, nighttime lows were downright cold all summer, preserving good natural acidity.
Vinification
Fermented on native yeast, on skin for 14-18 days. Aged for 22 months in 265L Hungarian & French oak barriques, 100% new. Co fermented with Viogner.
Tasting Notes
Petite Sirah is a comforting, sit in front of the fireplace kind of wine and this one really delivers. Visually striking with a deep ink like color that coats the glass. It has all the black fruit characteristics (think plumb skins and black current) but the 4% Viogner co ferment gives just a kiss of brightness.
Dense black forest cake all the way through. Dark bakers chocolate with black cherry fruit. We also find notes of hazelnut and nutmeg owed to its aging in 100% new oak both Hungarian and French. Dense and full bodied.
$85