92 POINTS - Wine Enthusiast "Elegant is not the usual way to describe a Petite Sirah, but this well-polished and well-balanced wine from winemaker Nicole Salengo deserves the adjective. It brings blackberry, black pepper and subtle wood-char flavors that nestle nicely in moderate, soft tannins." - Jim Gordon, Editor
TASTING NOTES
Our 2018 Petite Sirah opens with prominent aromas of ripened blackberry and vanilla, earthy notes of wet clay. Fruit-forward with ripened plum expression and hints of dark bing cherry, this wine shows off its strong tannic structure with a finish that provides cocoa and espresso characteristics that linger long after leaving the palate. With Petite Sirah’s trademark lively acidity and smooth finish, this bold wine would pair best with foods of equally bold flavors, such as short ribs or lamb tagine.
PRODUCTION NOTES
Our Petite Sirah block was planted in the traditional French style, with the Petite Sirah, Primitivo, and Peloursin, vines interspersed throughout the vineyard block. All three varieties are harvested together, and then co-fermented. This wine is our only vineyard field blend.
In 2018, the Petite Sirah block was machine harvested in the early morning to maintain a cool temperature for processing. The fruit was then optically sorted to remove raisins, or and other unwanted grapes, to ensure that only the highest quality fruit goes into this wine. The must was cold-soaked in one-ton fermenters for several days before inoculating with yeast that accentuates the rich fruit flavors of this mixed vineyard block. We focus on elegance and balance during pressing and barrel aging. The wine was then aged in 100% once-used French oak from a variety of high-end coopers for 18 months before bottle aging for at least 6 months before release.